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Gary Holt (musician)

Gary Wayne Holt (born May 4, 1964) is an American musician from the San Francisco Bay Area.[1] He is the guitarist, bandleader, and main songwriter for thrash metal band Exodus, and has also been a member of Slayer from 2011 to 2019 and again since 2024, initially joining as a temporary guitarist in place of Jeff Hanneman, and as a permanent guitarist after Hanneman's death in May 2013.

Gary Holt

Gary Wayne Holt

(1964-05-04) May 4, 1964
San Pablo, California, U.S.

  • Musician
  • songwriter

Guitar

1981–present

Equipment[edit]

Holt endorses ESP Guitars as of September 2014 and has a signature version of the Eclipse model, ending his relationship with Schecter Guitar Research, where he previously had various signature models. He has also used Ibanez, B.C. Rich, Jackson Guitars, Bernie Rico Jr., and Yamaha guitars.


For amplification, he currently uses a Marshall Silver Jubilee in Slayer and an ENGL Savage 120 in Exodus as well as a Kemper Profiling amp. In the past, he has used a modified Marshall JCM800, Mesa Boogie Mark III, Marshall JVM, Peavey Triple XXX, and ENGL Savage 120. Before using the Silver Jubilee, DSL100H and Marshall JVM amps with Slayer, Holt made use of Jeff Hanneman's touring rack.

Personal life[edit]

Outside of music, Holt enjoys foreign and period films.[8]


According to Holt, the track "War Is My Shepherd" on the album Tempo of the Damned is a treatise of America's "pro-God" and "pro-war" stance and how he feels the two beliefs are incompatible with each other.[9]


Holt endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, stating, "I used to have a lot of respect for McCain, but he realized after the dirty defeat that he suffered at the hands of George W. Bush in the South Carolina primary in the (2000) election that he can only get elected if he plays the Karl Rove tactic b.s. He's doing it. It's just one debunked lie after the other. He's the kind of guy who will tell you the sky is red, you look up and it's blue, and he won't admit he's wrong. He's playing dirty politics. Palin is just terrifying, the thought of this lady being a heart attack away from having the nuclear codes. She's crazy and she's dumb."[8]


In the 2004 election, Holt vouched for John Kerry, but conceded that "they're all dirty crooks, all politicians. But at least (Kerry) wasn't a coward. He fought in the Vietnam War whereas George W. Bush Jr. was a draft dodger."[9]


In 2017, he referred to President Donald Trump as a "serial liar" and an "embarrassment to this country, this world, and everyone living in it."[10]


Holt is an atheist.[11] In October 2017, he became a vegan.[12]


On December 17, 2018, his father Billie Charles Holt (born July 6, 1933) died.[13]


On March 18, 2020, Holt began exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.[14] By March 31, 2020, he had tested positive for the virus, although by then he had already recovered.[15]

1982: 1982 Demo

1985:

Bonded by Blood

1987:

Pleasures of the Flesh

1989:

Fabulous Disaster

1990:

Impact Is Imminent

1991:

Good Friendly Violent Fun

1992:

Lessons in Violence

1992:

Force of Habit

1997:

Another Lesson in Violence

2004:

Tempo of the Damned

2005:

Shovel Headed Kill Machine

2007:

The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A

2008:

Let There Be Blood

2008:

Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live at Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities

2010:

Exhibit B: The Human Condition

2014:

Blood In, Blood Out

2021:

Persona Non Grata

Exodus


Slayer


Asylum


Destruction


Heathen


Hypocrisy


Laughing Dead


Metal Allegiance


Panic


Under


Warbringer


Witchery

Metal Express interview