Rob Dukes (right) with Exodus, 2005
Rob Dukes (born 1968) is the current vocalist for the thrash metal band Exodus, and vocalist/guitarist for his side project Dukes.[1]
Early life
Dukes was born in Florida on March 9, 1968, living in Queens before moving to Nyack, north of Manhattan. [2]. He describes his parents as being "kinda hippies"[3] who regularly played records by artists such as The Doors, Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix, which was the music he grew up on.
Influences
Dukes has stated in interviews that punk rock was his gateway into music: "I liked punk and hardcore, I really could identify with their angst and attitude and it wasn't complicated music like metal was,"3 chords and scream...I can do that". He also plays guitar, claiming that he was "mediocre" but "having fun" at first, with Randy Rhoads as a huge influence, although it took him a month to learn Rhoads' acoustic piece 'Dee' from Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Ozz album. On his beginnings as a singer, Dukes says: "I found out I could sing sitting in my room with an acoustic. I liked Maiden and Priest but could never sing that well, then I found Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, S.O.D., Anthrax, Misfits and thought, "I can sing like that""
Dukes says that being a musician, he enjoys many kinds of music, but also regularly listens to stand-up comedians: "I have about 30 CDs of different comedians -- Bill Hicks, Pryor, David Cross... When I write music or lyrics, I don't listen to music. That's how I got into listening to standup."[4]
Career in Exodus
After being fired from a band he was part of in New York, Dukes rode his motorcycle on a 5 month, 11,000 mile trip to California, with no idea of career prospects: "I just wanted to surf and live at the beach".[5]
Despite considering a career as a scuba diving instructor, Dukes ended up working as a guitar tech after living in Hollywood for two months. He met and befriended Jeff Hickey, a long time friend of Exodus, at a show in the Key Club. Hickey got Dukes several gigs in the area, eventually getting him a job as a guitar tech for Exodus. Working for Exodus, he played a demo tape created in 1996 to Gary Holt, Rick Hunolt and Tom Hunting. After Steve Souza departed the band, Dukes was offered the vocalist position and made his first appearance on the 2005 release 'Shovel Headed Kill Machine'. To date, he has appeared on two studio albums, with a third scheduled for release (along with a re-recording of Exodus's debut album Bonded by Blood).
Discography
With Exodus
Other Related
Feature Interview in the Independent Documentary, "Riphouse 151: Could've Been's & Wanna Be's", which premiered on March 27, 2008 at Riverspace Arts in his hometown of Nyack, New York. [6]
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