Paul Baloff
| Paul Baloff | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | April 25, 1960 |
| Died | February 2, 2002 (aged 41) Oakland, California |
| Genres | Thrash metal, speed metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1981–2002 |
| Associated acts | Exodus, Piranha, Hirax, Heathen |
Paul Baloff (April 25, 1960 – February 2, 2002) was an American singer, most notable for his time in thrash metal band Exodus.
Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett and Baloff met at a North Berkeley house party in 1981 and became fast friends due to their shared admiration for punk rock and 1970s heavy metal music. Baloff joined Exodus in 1982 as lead vocalist to complete the lineup which included Hammett, guitarist Gary Holt, drummer Tom Hunting and bassist Geoff Andrews.
Exodus recorded their first album Bonded by Blood in the summer of 1984. Audio engineering college student Mark Whitaker, who had attended high school with Baloff, oversaw management and record production for the band at the time. 1984 concert photos from Exodus shows at Aquatic Park's Eastern Front Metal Festival (with Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies) and Ruthie's Inn (with Megadeth and Slayer) were included on the album sleeve inserts. Originally titled "A Lesson in Violence", the album was not released until April 1985 amidst creative and business setbacks. Shortly after touring for Bonded by Blood, Baloff was fired from the band, reason being "personal and musical differences", although he still had writer credits on their next album Pleasures of the Flesh. He was replaced by Steve "Zetro" Souza, who had previously been the lead vocalist for Legacy, an early incarnation of Testament. Baloff went on to form the band Piranha. He sang in several bands in the San Francisco Bay area like Piranha,Hirax, and Heathen.
After a few dormant years of Exodus' extended hiatus, Baloff briefly reunited with Holt and Hunolt to reform Exodus. They released a live album in 1997 titled Another Lesson in Violence. The group disbanded again shortly after, in part due to a falling out with record label Century Media over the way the live album was promoted, and over an aborted attempt at a live concert video which was filmed but never released due to a financial dispute.
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