Paul Nicholas Baloff (April 25, 1960 – February 2, 2002) was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist of the thrash metal band Exodus. He was fired from Exodus shortly after the release of the band's 1985 debut album Bonded by Blood, which is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. He sang with various other bands before rejoining Exodus in 1997. Baloff died of a stroke in 2002.
Early life
Baloff was born in Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. His mother was Dutch, and he was of partial Russian descent. In life, he would spread rumors that he was a Russian immigrant under the birth name Pavel Nikolayevitch Balchishkov, and that his parents were "rocket scientists" who fled the country, creating what bandmates later called his "unofficial folklore."
Career
Formation of Exodus (1981–1983)
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 the new wave of British heavy metal. 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.
Bonded by Blood and firing (1984–1986)
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 for "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.