Drummer JON DETTE On Possibility Of Rejoining SLAYER Permanently: 'It's Baby Steps Right Now'

Heavy magazine conducted an interview with heavy metal drummer Jon Dette, who recently finished filling in for ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante and SLAYER's Dave Lombardo for both bands' Australian shows. In an interesting twist, Dette played back-to-back headline sets with both legendary thrash groups on February 25 in a true test of endurance. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On whether there is a possibility that he will rejoin SLAYER permanently:

Dette: "It's baby steps right now. I think it would be too early for me to make a comment like that at this time, but all I can tell you is that we're having a great time [during the Australian tour]. It feels great on stage and everybody that's actually at the shows and seen the shows, not just the fans, but even the crew on the side of the stage all have smiles on their faces so I must be doing something right and I guess we'll see what the future brings."

On SLAYER fans' uproar over the fact that Dave Lombardo was replaced for the Australian tour:

Dette: "Lombardo has been such an integral part of SLAYER and it's only natural for fans to feel upset right now. I mean, I'm a SLAYER fan first and, of course, I… paused a little bit when I heard the news, but… you're never going to please everyone and the only thing that I can do… is give it the integrity that the music deserves then I feel that I've done my job and that's all I can do. If the fans accept it then they accept it, if they don't, they don't, but that's out of my control really."

On whether there is any animosity between Lombardo and him over the fact that Dette played the Australian shows with SLAYER:

Dette: "I don't know how Dave feels. I haven't spoken to Dave in a few weeks. I saw Dave back in January at the NAMM convention, which is a large music convention in California that happens every year, and… I've known both of those guys for years now, obviously. I certainly don't hold anything against them. There's nothing to hold against them for the fact that they've recorded albums. There's no reason to hold a grudge on anything like that, and as far as my history with SLAYER in the past, it's just something that was so long ago. You know, it's funny because when people start asking me questions about it again because of all of this has happened so suddenly I'm trying to remember because it was literally 16 years ago when I was in the band… I think that, obviously, [Paul] Bostaph has done an amazing job with his time in SLAYER and he's done an amazing job in TESTAMENT as well and it's great that he's still on there playing and I'm sure regardless of what happens with Dave, if he comes back to SLAYER, great, if he goes on and does other things, I'm sure whatever he does will be phenomenal as well."

On his favorite band that he has ever played with:

Dette: "My favorite band… I have to default and say SLAYER. Just for the fact that they're one of my favorite all time bands… and I think again it's just something about being on stage with SLAYER and playing SLAYER songs that's just a magical feeling for me… there's just something amazing about being on stage with SLAYER that's just an amazing experience."

Read the entire interview from Heavy magazine.