By Meltdown | 101 WRIF – Detroit’s Rock Station
In Part 1 of my chat with Exodus drummer Tom Hunting, we talked about the new album, his birthday shredfest, and the beauty of getting weird with hard rock on album #12. In Part 2, we’re diving into Slayer stories, Megadeth chaos, and the punk-meets-metal roots that shaped Bay Area thrash.
On Gary Holt’s Book & Slayer Side Quests
Tom hasn’t read all of Gary Holt’s new book yet—he’s saving that for the road.
“I’ve read some captions,” he said. “But I love Gary’s articulation. He tells the story like Kirk or I would—a young stoner kid who went for it. He even checked in with all of us about what we remembered before including stuff.”
I asked about that moment when Gary got the call to join Slayer. Tom didn’t even blink.
“I told him, ‘F***ing go!’ It’s an amazing opportunity. This whole business is incestuous anyway—just look at (Dave) Lombardo. It didn’t hurt Exodus. If anything, it just raised our profile.”
And speaking of Slayer…
“We go way back with those guys. One of our first LA shows, we drove all night, got totally lost, ended up at Tom Araya’s mom’s house in the morning. She made us sandwiches and let us shower before we headed to Slayer’s practice space.”
It doesn’t get more metal-family than that.
Kabuki Theater, Kerry King & Wild Beginnings
Dave Ellefson texted me before the interview and said, “Ask him about the Kabuki Theater record release party in ‘85.” Tom? He remembered… sorta.
“I don’t remember much, but I know it was sold out. We probably had a janky 8-foot drum riser built by stoners out of two-by-fours and plywood. I just remember trying to groove while the damn thing wobbled.”
Ellefson also claimed Kerry King called Tom his favorite drummer.
“Really?! That’s awesome. I love Kerry’s playing. That guy headbangs like he’s trying to knock down a refrigerator.”
Punk Roots, Ghost Love & Euro Festivals
We talked a bit about how different NorCal thrash was from the LA glam scene.
“We had college radio up here, and they were cranking punk rock like Discharge. That, plus classic rock like Scorpions and Maiden—that’s how our sound was born.”
Even though the Bay Area scene was heavier, Tom admitted they weren’t immune to the glam shows.
“Baloff loved Mötley Crüe. We all liked Ratt. And let’s be honest—those shows had all the girls, so yeah, we went.”
As for newer bands? He’s all about Ghost.
“I saw one of their first NorCal shows. They were amazing then and still are. Heavy, melodic, weird… just great songwriting. We’ve played festivals with them, and they crush it.”
Tom’s also hyped for Milwaukee Metal Fest and Rockville, but he still loves a good dive bar gig.
“Club shows in Europe? That’s where the electricity is. 650 kids, in your face, climbing the walls. I love that rush even more than big festivals sometimes.”
One story stuck with me—playing a club in Aachen, Germany, that used to be a Nazi police bunker.
“Now it’s a music venue. Concrete walls, kids stage diving, getting passed over the rail. It’s wild.”
The Road Ahead
With album #12 coming, European festivals lined up, and a stop at The Machine Shop on May 6, Exodus is far from done.
“We’ve played some places I loved so much, I went back on vacation after the tour. That’s how lucky I feel.”
Oh—and May 6? That’s two days after Gary Holt’s birthday, so you know there’s gonna be some cake (and chaos) in Flint.
Stay tuned for more backstage chats, road stories, and tour breakdowns right here on WRIF.com.
Catch Exodus May 6th at The Machine Shop. Don’t miss it.
