Exactly a year has passed since Slayer’s co-founder Dave Lombardo received the shocking ‘you’re out’ before their Australian tour. The drummer has talked with Planet Mosh about his split from the band and the ‘non-existent’ relationship with Slayer’s members.
It is well known that last year was a tough one for metal legends Slayer; the major line-up changes including the mentioned Lombardo dismissal followed by the hiring of Paul Bostaph as replacement, paired with the differences between the former drummer and the rest of the band (read MXDWN’s Kerry King article) was topped with the most important and shocking news of all: Jeff Hanneman’s death.
As posted by Blabbermouth, this is what Lombardo had to say about his most recent split with the band
This could have been an easy fix. I wasn’t asking for anything other than to be treated equally. I’m sure I’ve made mistakes along the way, but my intention was never to leave. Who would do that in the golden years of a band? Where we stand now disgusts me. [Late SLAYER guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] didn’t want this — and neither did I.
When asked about the recent comments by bassist/vocalist Tom Arraya who portrayed Lombardo as a hired gun and not a formal band-member :
It’s sickening. I left the band in ’92 to be at home for the birth of my son, period. One show changed the course of this band. Tom has forgotten history… swallowed the stories that have been created throughout the years to sell tickets. If it weren’t for me, SLAYER would not exist. I approached Kerry [King, guitar] to start this band. Somehow they have forgotten that.
Lombardo also had some words regarding Arraya’s non-attendance to Hanneman’s memorial:
I was shocked that Tom didn’t show up to the memorial. It was uncomfortable for me to be there, given what was going on with the band, but I still showed up. I was equally shocked at Kerry’s self-centered stories. None of his stories described the kind of human being Jeff was.
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