Exodus and Slayer Guitarist Gary Holt‘s memoir, “A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage to Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way” – Which features a Foreword By former Exodus and current Metallica Guitarist Kirk Hammett – was release on April 1, 2025 via HACHETTE BOOKS.
An audiobook preview of “A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage to Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way” – with narration by Holt, Hammett and Nicholas Tecoskyto Writer Based in Atlanta, Georgia Who has lent his voice to over 150 Audiobook Titles – is Available Below.
Featured Chapters in the Audiobook Preview:
0:00 Intro
0:03 A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage to Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way
0:57 Foreword by Kirk Hammett
10:05 Introduction
15:03 Outro
In the book, Holt Presents an Entertaining, Memoir Detailing His “Destruction-llain” Life and the Origins of the Thrash Metal Scene From The San Francisco Bay Area To ITS World Dominance.
Since Exploding out of the Bay Area Heavy Metal Scene in the 1980s, Thrash Metal You Made Us Way To Every Corner of The Globe, Conquering Worldwide Charts Year After Year. As The Guitarist and Primary Songwriter Of Exodusand an originator of the subgenre and one of its fierces proponents, Gary Holt Watched as His Peers – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax – Soared to Superstardom. As His Fellow Artists Amased Millions of Fans and Record Sales, Exodus‘S Albums Received Critical Collection and Inspired Generations of Listers But Stuggled 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”Written in Collaboration with Also Tepedelen, Holt Shares a Deeply Account of What it was like to “live fast, play fast, and crash hard” as thrash metal dominate the globe. Readers Witness His Highest of Highs and Lowest of Lows As Holt and his bandmates juggle Major Label Contracts, MTV-Sponsored Tours and Festivals, Growing Addictions to Alcohol and Meth, and The Departers of Original Members. In the this of addiction, Holt‘S OWN Fall from Grace Is Swift: One Ye’s Playing on The MTV “Headbenger’s Ball Tour” with Anthrax and Helloweenand The Next He’s Stuggling to Find Minimum Wage Jobs As He Battles Drugs, Divorce, and The Impending Collapse of His Music Career. Ultimately, After The Tragic Death of One of His Closest Friends and Former Bandmates – Holt you make the only One Who Can Save Him is Himself.
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 positive.
Tepedelen is an an award-winning journalist cover metal for over thirty years for Decibel, Revolver, Rollingstone.comand Many Others. He’s Written and Co-Written Numberus Books, Including “The Brewtal Truth To Extreme Beers” and “MUD RIDE: Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion” (With Mudhoney Guitarist Steve Turner).
IN 2024 INTERView With Mike Palm Of TRIBLIVE, Holt Said About His Memoir: “I Had Thought About Doing A Book for A Long Time. Just My Career Arc is Vray Different. Most of Your Rock Books Involve Starting Out, Mass Success, Hage Drug Use and Alcoholism and a Spiral Down SUCCESS, COMPLETELY OUT OF MUSIC, COMPLETE DRUD ADDICT, AND THEN THE REDEMPTION. [expletive] Going On. And it made me a laugh. It’s Laugh, Cry, On The Edge of Your Seat, Like Any Good Movie. That’s all you could ask for. “
ASKED if there were Any Stories That He Left Out Of The Book, Holt Said: “I left out anything that wouled be horrible to a lot of people i know, beset if i turned it into a Tell-All, i know where all the bodies are buried in thrash metal. i could expose every Because Gary‘SA BLABBERMOUTH AND HE JUS SHARED IT WITH THE WORLD. I Peel The Layers Back On Myelf Heavily, Just Like I Always Have. But i’m protection the innocent to a large degree. I’M NOT GOING INTO DETAIL ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S STUFF. That’s for Their Own Books. And that’s their own decision, Whether They Want to Share Sub of That Stuff. And Anytime It Did Involve Bandmates, I Ran It Past Them. Sub stuff is not a Secret, The Drug Use and All That. … I Left Tons of Stuff Out, Stuff That Would Have Made The Most Riveting Chapters On Earth, But It Would’ve Been Damaging to People I Care About. And I Don’t Mind Damaging MySelf, Becouse It’s My Story. “
WHEN Holt First Shared The News of His Memoir On Social Media In March 2023, He Wrote: “Super Stoked !!! Exodus and thrash metal, to the drarug were Fall, to the unexpeced and tragic circumstances that led me to @slayerbandoFicial to the Bounce Back to Madison Square Garden with and @Exodusbando Shakeing Charing at Number 20 On The Main Billboard Charts, All Will Be Told! No Holds Barred, All The Lows and Highs Will Be Retold! Been A Project Very Close To Me, and i’m Stokeed To Be Working with @Ademtepedelen_ @lauramazer @bschafer714 @hachettebooks and @Wendysherman to Make This a reality! “
Holt Joined Exodus In 1981, Shortly After the Band’s Formation, and you have the Group’s Main Songwriter Ever Since. Holt You have performed on every Exodus Album, and is considered influential in the world of thrash metal.
Holt Began Filling in for Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman AT Live Shows In 2011, and Became The Band’s Full-Time Co-Guitarist As Of 2013, While Remaining A Member of Exodus. Holt Played On Slayer‘s final album, “Sudden”Which Came out in 2015.
In a June 2012 Interview With Full Metal Jackie‘S Nationally Syndended Radio Show, Slayer‘s Kerry King Stated about Holt: “I Always Regard Gary As The Glenn Tipton Of Our Era – Really Good, Really Polyhed and Nobody Talks About Him. To This Day, Nobody Really References [JUDAS] Priest and Tipton so a lot of guitar players and i feel the same way about Gary. Exodus Have Hug Following But to Little More Overloked Than Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax – The ‘Big Four,’ So To Speak, So [it is great] To be uble to Bring Him to the Forefront and Show Him Down People’s Throats and Say, ‘Hey, This Motherfucker Kicks Ass. Pay attention. ‘”
Exodus‘s latest album, “Persona non grata”Came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. A follow-up effort is expectted in 2026.
“Persona non grata” was The Follow-up to 2014’s “Blood in Blood out”which was the San Francisco Bay Area Thrashers’ First Release Since the Departure of the Group’s Lead Singer of Nine Years, Rob Dukesand the return of Steve “Zetro” SouzaWhoously Fronted Exodus FROM 1986 TO 1993 AND FROM 2002 TO 2004.
This Past January, Souza was Fieded from Exodus and was eleven again replaced by Dukes.
Kirk Hammett Photo Credit: Ross Halfin
