For over four decades, Exodus has served as a bulwark of thrash metal — a band that never bent with the times, never chased trends, and never stopped delivering the blistering intensity its fans expect. While the group’s official debut, Bonded by Blood, arrived in 1985, Exodus was already a veteran act by then. Founded in 1979 and gigging steadily by 1981, they had already established themselves as a live force before Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield formed Metallica.
Yet despite their legacy and early contributions to the genre, Exodus has never been granted a spot among the so-called “Big Four of Thrash.” It’s a label that many feel has unfairly left them out, but for bandleader Gary Holt, the omission doesn’t sting.
“I’ve never, like, worried about any of that stuff. Big Four, Big Five, Big Ten…,” Holt said in a recent interview (via Ultimate Guitar).
When the interviewer pointed out that many fans believe Exodus was wrongly excluded, Holt didn’t mince words: “Exodus in 2025 — have been for many years — the greatest thrash band in the world, and so everybody else can f**k off [laughs]. We’re better than all of them! And I’m sorry, sounds like an ego [thing], but listen to any of our records, we’ll crush them all.”
Such bravado may sound typical in a genre built on defiance, but Holt‘s confidence is rooted in a genuine love for the music his band creates, and in a broader respect for those who’ve shared the stage with them. Case in point: Metallica, who he holds in high regard.
“The Black Album is one of my favorite albums of all time. And you know, Metallica were already ten times bigger than any of us before that. They were selling arenas during Master of Puppets, which, to me, is the greatest metal album ever made. And, you know, [during] … And Justice for All, they were already way bigger than any of us. Then they just became the biggest metal band of all time.”
That said, Exodus has never aspired to follow in Metallica’s footsteps, or anyone else’s. Holt explained that the band has long prioritized authenticity over accessibility, even if that’s meant brushing up against commercial boundaries now and then.
“I mean, we all had moments. Testament had moments where they got way more commercial. We had one album that was more commercial, Force of Habit [1992]. But, you know, ever since Tempo of the Damned [2004], we’re just Exodus. We make the music we want to hear.”
In the studio, that purity of vision has remained non-negotiable. According to Holt, it’s never been about crafting hits, but more about satisfying the five people in the room.
“We don’t care if anyone likes it at all, and if we’re lucky, other people do like it. But we write every album for ourselves. We don’t think about anyone else, just the five people, whether it’s Zetro or Rob Dukes on vocals. We’re here to make us happy. We don’t give one rat’s ass about what anybody else thinks. And when you do that, though, hopefully fans like it too.”
