Dave Lombardo, a highly talented drummer known for his work with Slayer, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard and others in addition to his solo career, shared his thoughts on the location and Slayer’s role in it “Big Four” of Thrash Metal (consisting of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax).
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Lombardo was asked which of thrash metal’s “Big Four” bands was the best, to which he answered without hesitation: “SLAYER! [Rires] Who else could I choose? We were brutal, we were at our best and if you look at the videos we were on fire. We really showed everyone else how to do it – we blew everyone away.”
Lombardo was fired from Slayer in 2013 due to a contract dispute with the group’s other members. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously Slayer’s drummer from 1992 to 2001.
Slayer played their very last show in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles, marking the legendary collective’s retirement.
Lombardo, for his part, released his first solo record, Rites of Percussion, on May 5 via Ipecac Recordings.