Kirk Hammett Joins Exodus on Stage at Paul Baloff Anniversary Show

Exodus singer Paul Baloff died of an unexpected stroke 10 years ago at the tender age of 41, passing away on Feb. 2, 2002. The thrash legends decided to honor Baloff with a special anniversary show on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Metro in Oakland, Calif.

During the show, dubbed 'Bonded by Baloff: A Decade of Remembrance,' nodding to 'Bonded by Blood,' which is largely considered their best album, they brought former members of the band on stage, such as guitarist Rick Hunolt and bassist Jeff Andrews, to perform. They also had former founding member and the man who named the band come up and shred, this guy you may have heard of named Kirk Hammett of Metallica.

The members of Metallica never forget their roots and Hammett sure hasn't. He took the stage amid a chorus of cheers, as you can witness in the fan-filmed footage below. He addressed the crowd and spoke fondly of his former bandmate and friend Baloff, saying, "He did f---ing rule. He was a smart guy, he was always aware of what he was doing even though he acted like he didn't…he played the most aggressive sets. Paul, rest in peace, man."

A touching statement indeed. Hammett then proceeded to perform classic tracks like 'Whipping Queen' and 'The Impaler.'