About
Ukrainian American guitarist known for being a longtime member of thrash metal band Exodus and for being the founding guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Heathen.
Before fame
He became interested in rock and metal music after moving to the United States as a teenager. He co-founded Heathen in the mid 1980s. He and Heathen released their debut album Breaking the Silence in 1987 followed by Victims of Deception in 1991, both of which became cult classics among metal fans. He moved to Germany after Heathen disbanded in 1992. He spent much of the 1990s performing with industrial metal band Die Krupps while also working with Angel Witch. Heathen reunited in 2001 and eventually released The Evolution of Chaos in 2010 and Empire of the Blind in 2020. He joined Exodus in 2005 and made his debut on Shovel Headed Kill Machine that same year.
Trivia
He was considered for a guitarist position in Megadeth in 1990 but declined. He is known among gear fans for endorsing ESP guitars and high-gain amplifiers suited to thrash's fast and precise riffing. He is a fan of ice hockey and is particularly a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team.
Family life
He was born Leonid Altus. He was born in in Odesa, Ukraine. He moved to the United States when he was 15 years old.
Associated with
He has performed alongside Gary Holt in Exodus. He has performed onstage with Kirk Hammett on multiple occasions through Exodus related events and special appearances.
