MIKE MUIR: DAVE LOMBARDO Takes SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' Sound 'To Another Level'

Vocalist Mike Muir of Venice, California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES spoke to Jump Metal about the band's recent addition of former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo. He said: "It's been incredible. It's something that I've always, always… Going back… One of my friends reminded me that twenty-something years ago , I was talking, and I said, 'Oh, man. I would love to hear Dave playing on SUICIDAL songs.' And he's just been one of my favorite drummers, and I've always known him and been friends, but never eally were close or that type of thing. And recently I was talking to a friend about him and said, 'Oh, man. I've always really loved Dave's drumming,' like most people. And he said, 'Give him a call.' And I'm, like, 'Well, there's two problems. One, I don't have his number, and two, I don't wanna put him on the spot.' But I ended up calling him up and we started talking. So we did the [North American] tour with MEGADETH [earlier in the year], and we just got back from Europe, and we are finishing up the new SUICIDAL record. And everything has been amazing. He's an incredible drummer and a really, really good person. So it's been just a heck of a lot of fun."

Asked about Lombardo's musical contribution to the upcoming SUICIDAL TENDENCIES album, Muir said: "It's interesting, because a lot of people, obviously, associate [Dave] with the SLAYER sound. On some of the SUICIDAL songs, it's different musically, and you can see how really a tremendously diverse drummer that he is. I think some of the songs, obviously, people that love his drumming, they're gonna hear it and they're gonna really, really, I think, enjoy it. He's really excited about it. He's getting to play some different kind of things, and it just brings a whole different intensity and rhythmic feel to the band. And he's definitely got the Cuban thing going on, that Latin flavor, where he gets to do a little bit more in SUICIDAL than he did in SLAYER. I think you hear it and you definitely know it's Dave, but it definitely takes us to another level."

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES has set a September 30 release date for its as-yet-untitled new album. The follow-up to 2013's "13" disc will be the band's first to feature Lombardo and guitarist Jeff Pogan, who replaced Nico Santora last month.

Lombardo recently told Metal Wani about ST's forthcoming CD: "I think it's very typical and very traditional SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. It's that style. It's [SUICIDAL TENDENCIES frontman] Mike Muir and he was a very special style in which he writes his music and his lyrics and his structures. And I love it; I love it. It takes me back to how it all started, which was that punk attitude. I'm very happy to be a part of his organization. I feel very welcomed. I feel very much appreciated, and there's a lot of respect amongst the musicians, and camaraderie. We have a really good time together. We hang out as a band, which is important; I feel it's very important."