Lee Altus is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitarist. Altus first came to public attention in the mid-80s with his original band,
HeathenHeathen is an American thrash metal band originating from the Bay Area San Francisco, founded in 1984 by guitarist Lee Altus and drummer Carl Sacco...
, where Altus displayed his highly technical
neoclassicalNeo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performanceExact quote from the french text: "L'arrivée du néoclassique remet au goût du jour la virtuosité et le travail de l'instrument", « Les secrets du metal-...
guitar playing style. He was a principal songwriter and founding member of Heathen as well, playing on all three of their LP's,
Breaking The SilenceBreaking The Silence is an Israeli Non-Governmental Organization established by Israel Defense Forces soldiers and veterans who collect and provide testimonies about their military service in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem during the Second Intifada, giving serving and discharged...
,
Victims of DeceptionVictims of Deception is the second album by the US thrash metal band Heathen released in 1991 by Roadrunner Records.It was re-issued by Metal Mind Productions in 2006 as a digipak in a limited amount of 2000 numbered copies....
and
The Evolution of ChaosThe Evolution of Chaos is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Heathen. It is their first album in 19 years since 1991's Victims of Deception...
. During this time he was considered for the vacant position in
MegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
filled by
Jeff YoungJeff Young is an American guitarist. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!...
, but declined due to Megadeth's potentially dangerous drug heavy life style, and the job was given instead to
Marty FriedmanMarty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...
.
After Heathen broke up in 1992 Altus moved to
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
along with his fellow ex-Heathen members
Doug PiercyDoug Piercy is an American heavy metal guitarist. He played in the cult classic San Francisco heavy metal band Anvil Chorus in the early 80's. Playing in Control briefly, he eventually moved on to his best known project, Heathen in 1985...
and Darren Minter. Altus and Minter played in the
industrial metalIndustrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
group
Die KruppsDie Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...
for much of the remainder of the 90s. He also participated in a reunited version of
Angel WitchAngel Witch is a British heavy metal band which formed in London, England in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.-Biography:...
.
Returning to America around 2001, Altus reunited Heathen along with Minter, vocalist
Dave WhiteDavid R White is an American heavy metal lead vocalist who is best known for singing in the thrash metal band Heathen. Having stints in underground thrash bands Blind Illusion and Laughing Dead, he joined Heathen in 1985...
, bassist Mike Jastremski and guitarist Ira Black. The band put out a new album
Recovered made up of rare material and are currently, with a new second guitarist and bassist, working on a new album. In 2005 Altus replaced
Rick HunoltRick Hunolt is an American heavy metal guitarist who is best known for being the long time guitarist in thrash metal band Exodus. He joined the band in 1983, replacing Mike Maung who had been hired to replace original guitarist Kirk Hammett who left to join Metallica...
in San Francisco thrash metal band
ExodusExodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, with whom he still currently plays, performing on their
Shovel Headed Kill MachineShovel Headed Kill Machine is the seventh studio album by the American thrash metal band Exodus, released on October 4, 2005 through Nuclear Blast. This album contains a huge shift in the lineup for Exodus...
and
The Atrocity ExhibitionThe Atrocity Exhibition is an experimental collection of "condensed novels" by British writer J. G. Ballard.Originally published in 1970 by Jonathan Cape. A revised large format paperback edition, with annotations by the author and illustrations by Phoebe Gloeckner, was issued by RE/Search in 1990...
albums.
Lee currently endorses
ESP Guitars, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
, though he used to play
Jackson King VThe King V is an electric guitar made by Jackson Guitars based on the Gibson Flying V. The Jackson King V was originally designed for Robbin Crosby of Ratt and he popularized the guitar throughout the 80s. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine eventually became the guitarist most identified with using...
guitars. He has been a long time user of Mesa/Boogie Amplifiers as well.