Ex-Slayer Icon DAVE LOMBARDO Shares What He Really Thinks About Today’s Metal Drummers

Summary

• Ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo praises the new generation of metal drummers, while stressing the need for a human feel over heavy editing.
• Kerry King remains openly critical of modern bands, insisting most lack originality compared to Slayer’s legacy.
• Gary Holt offers a balanced view, acknowledging strong talent in the scene but noting today’s industry hurdles for rising metal acts.

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo remains a pillar of the metal community, and in a new interview with Brazil’s Rádio Kiss FM 92.5, he offered an optimistic take on the current generation of metal drummers and the genre’s future.

When asked for his opinion on the new wave of musicians, Lombardo responded diplomatically, sayng:

“Well, there’s a lot of great musicians out there. I’m not gonna say anything negative, unless I wanna get shot or something. But there’s a lot of great music, great bands out there. I’m looking forward to seeing what more comes out. Let’s see, it’s been about a year since we’ve been on tour, so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s out there, watching some new bands at festivals and stuff like that.”

While Lombardo’s recent comments are positive, he has previously gone deeper into the specifics of modern drumming technique and technology.

In a 2021 interview with the “Drummer’s Resource” podcast, he elaborated on the importance of a natural feel, something he finds lacking in some contemporary players who rely heavily on studio technology.

“You lose the human element when you start editing every single note on the grid,” Lombardo explained. “Music needs to breathe. A drummer’s feel is what makes them unique. When everything is perfectly aligned and sample-replaced, it can sound powerful, but it can also sound robotic. The slight imperfections, the swing… that’s the human part. That’s the soul.”

Lombardo’s former bandmate, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, has historically taken a much harder, more critical stance on the state of modern metal.

Known for his unflinching opinions, King expressed his general dissatisfaction with many newer bands in a now-infamous 2015 interview with Metal Hammer.

“I’m a hater of a lot of new music,” King declared at the time. “A lot of it just doesn’t do anything for me. When people say ’they’re the next Slayer,’ I’m, like, ’no, they’re not.’ It’s a different world. We had our own sound because we weren’t trying to be anybody else. A lot of bands now, you can hear their influences so much that you just think, ‘Why don’t I just listen to the original band?’”

Even after the band’s farewell tour, King’s perspective didn’t seem to soften.

Speaking to Dean Guitars in 2020 about his post-SLAYER plans, he implied that his new music would be a direct reaction to what he sees as a deficiency in the current scene.

“I’m not gonna be dragging my feet much longer,” he said. “Let’s just say it’s gonna be some very familiar territory. If you like what SLAYER did for the last 40 years, you’re not going to be disappointed.”

Providing a more measured perspective is SLAYER’s final guitarist, Gary Holt.

As a veteran of EXODUS, Holt has a unique vantage point, having been both a peer and a member of the thrash titans.

In a 2022 appearance on the “That’s Not Metal” podcast, Holt acknowledged the talent in the modern scene while also recognizing the challenges.

“It’s a different world now for bands,” Holt stated. “It’s harder for bands to break through, and the whole industry is a different beast. But the talent is out there, for sure. You just have to dig deeper. There are some killer bands playing real, aggressive metal, but they don’t have the same machine behind them that we had. I try to keep an ear out, and there’s definitely no shortage of monster players.”

So maybe the differing opinions may be part of why SLAYER decided to call it a day in 2019?

Frontman Tom Araya, in a 2019 interview with Consequence of Sound ahead of the band’s final shows, spoke about the physical and mental toll of decades of touring, suggesting the decision was more about personal longevity than the state of the music world.

“The time is right,” Araya said. “I’m tired. It’s just time to go. We’ve been doing this for so long. The travel, it’s just getting harder and harder. It was just time. It was a long, long run, and I’m grateful that we’ve been able to do it for this long. But I’m ready to be home.”

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