DAVE LOMBARDO On His Drive: 'I Could Probably Go Through Any Situation And I'll Still Come Out With My Head Above The Water'

November 26, 2019

Former SLAYER and current SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Dave Lombardo has credited his determination with inspiring him to keep playing music during the difficult times in his life when things looked especially bleak.

"I could probably go through any situation and I'll still come out with my head above the water, because I have that drive," he said during an appearance on the "Brutally Delicious" podcast (hear audio below). "I've been in situations where I've been without a band, without work, without any direction — just my own instincts. And just the thought of just me pursuing life and [saying], 'Okay, I'm gonna stay positive and I'm going to prevail. I'm gonna move forward. If I need to start a new band, I will start a new band. And if I need to schlep my drums around Europe and do drum workshops 'cause I don't have a band, I'll fucking do it.' Whatever it takes. So that work ethic definitely was instilled in me.

"I just recently did an interview and they asked me, 'Hey, how do you feel about touring in a van?' he continued. "And it's, like, I started touring in a car with SLAYER, going across country, and we slowly went into a van, and then we got to finally — during 'Reign In Blood' — we got into a tour bus. Wow, that was a change. Then we started doing tour-bus tours across country and Europe. Then I found myself in a band. Yeah, we continued on tour buses. But then I found myself joining FANTÔMAS, and we went back into a van. We did tours in a van throughout Europe with FANTÔMAS, until we didn't perform anymore. But it doesn't matter — it doesn't matter how or what means there are to tour or whatever; you just get out there and do it."

Lombardo is currently promoting his debut film score, "Los Últimos Frikis", an intimate documentary portrait of ZEUS, Cuba's hard-rocking metal band, and their 30-year career spent screaming to be heard.

On the touring front, the 54-year-old Cuban-American splits his time between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS and hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS.

Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

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