A Fabulous Disaster

From prolific metal guitarist and songwriter for Exodus (and formerly Slayer) Gary Holt comes an entertaining and deeply personal memoir of Holt’s “destruction-laden” life, along with a firsthand account of the genesis of the Thrash Metal scene, from its origins in the Bay Area to its world domination

Since exploding out of the Bay Area heavy metal scene in the 1980s, thrash metal has made its way to every corner of the globe, conquering worldwide charts with every passing year. As the guitarist and primary songwriter of Exodus, and as an originator of the subgenre and one of its fiercest proponents, Gary Holt watched as his peers-Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax-soared to superstardom. As his fellow artists amassed millions of fans and record sales, Exodus’ albums received critical recognition and inspired generations of listeners but struggled to reach the same heights of success, as the band was plagued by years of bad management, bad luck, and bad decision-making.

In A FABULOUS DISASTER, Holt shares a deeply personal account of what it was like to “live fast, play fast, and crash hard” as thrash metal dominated the globe. Holt’s “destruction-laden farce” follows our narrator through the highest of highs and lowest of lows as he and his bandmates juggle major label contracts, MTV-sponsored tours and festivals, growing addictions to alcohol and meth, and the loss of key founding members. In the throes of addiction, Holt’s own fall from grace is swift; one year, he’s playing on the MTV Headbanger’s Ball Tour with Anthrax and Helloween, and the next, he’s struggling to find minimum wage jobs as he battles drugs, divorce, and the dissolution of his creative prospects. Ultimately, after the tragic death of one of his closest friends and former bandmates-Holt decides that enough is enough and realizes the only one who can save him is himself. Newly sober and determined to resurrect his career, he commits himself to Exodus, pushing the band to new heights. He then joins Slayer, one of metal’s biggest bands, and plays massive venues around the world, including Madison Square Garden. After Slayer’s unexpected retirement, Holt devotes his attention full-time to Exodus once again, recording and playing with more passion than ever before.

An “unadulterated odyssey through decades of insanity,” punctuated by Holt’s unique insight and knack for storytelling, A FABULOUS DISASTER is a thrill ride from start to finish. His story proves that redemption-even from the pits of rock ‘n’ roll excess-is always possible.

Author Biography

Gary Holt is the guitarist and main songwriter for the heavy metal band Exodus and was a member of Slayer from 2011 to 2019. He’s based in the Bay Area, California.

Adem Tepedelen is an award-winning journalist covering metal for over thirty years for Decibel, Revolver, Rollingstone.com, and many other mainstream and underground magazines. He’s also written and cowritten numerous books, including The Brewtal Truth to Extreme Beers and Mud Ride: A Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion (with Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner).