Original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo recently discussed the early days of the 1980s thrash metal scene, detailing how the band observed and interacted with the other members of the “Big Four”—Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.
During a recent appearance on the “Slowhands Rock Talk Show“, the drummer was asked if Slayer actively paid attention to the musical output of their peers as the genre was forming. Dave Lombardo confirmed that they did, utilizing the exposure to fuel their own extreme direction.
“ Oh, yeah. Absolutely. We would listen to it. We would listen and absorb, hear what they did. ‘Okay, now let’s go ahead and move on. And we’re Slayer.’ There wasn’t any plagiarism or any kind of — anything like that. What I think — well, at least what my mindset was to be the fastest, the heaviest and the most brutal band on earth.”
Addressing the perceived rivalry among the foundational thrash metal acts, he clarified that the relationships were rooted in mutual respect and shared goals rather than hostility.
“At the time that we were doing it, we were all so established in our own worlds that there was no need for any competition or any childish behavior that could spring up in the early days,” he explained. “And even back then, even in the early days, we didn’t have any kind of this feeling towards each other. We were just all metalheads, and we were a big family, like you see us all now. There was camaraderie. We all had the same vision and same drive to get to that one place, and that’s on stage. That was it.”
When the interviewers noted the impressive longevity of the bands from that era, the musician agreed, highlighting his ongoing friendships within the metal community.
“That is. And a lot of us, we still keep in touch with all of them, which is great. I’m still friends — Jeez, with, of course, Gary Holt, the Exodus guys, the Testament guys. We’ve known each other forever, and it’s so awesome. And I even have friends that I grew up with in the neighborhood that were roadies for me in the early club days, when Slayer was playing on Sunset Boulevard, the Troubadour. And I still communicate with them. And it’s so awesome to have that.”
In an October 2023 interview with Metal Hammer, Lombardo was asked to name the best band among the 1980s “Big Four.”
He answered without hesitation: “Slayer. Ha ha ha! Who else could I pick?! We were brutal man, we were on top of our game, and if you watch the videos we were on fire. We really showed everyone else how it should be done — we tore everyone a new one.”
Dave Lombardo‘s tenure with Slayer ended in early 2013 following a contract dispute that resulted in his absence from an Australian tour. He was subsequently replaced by Paul Bostaph, who previously drummed for the group from 1992 to 2001. In the years since his departure, Dave Lombardo has remained a prolific figure in heavy music, performing with acts such as Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits, Dead Cross, and Mr. Bungle.
