Original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo recently addressed allegations of plagiarism among the Big Four thrash metal bands. He clarified his band’s approach to music creation in an interview with Slowhands Rock Talk Show.
Lombardo confirmed that Slayer paid attention to what Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax were doing musically. However, he emphasized there was no intention of copying their work.
“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,'” Lombardo said. “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.”
The drummer also reflected on the relationship between the Big Four bands during their formative years.
“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 continued. “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.”
Lombardo’s comments provide insight into the collaborative spirit that existed among the pioneering thrash metal acts during the genre’s formative years in the 1980s.
Wikipedia noted that Dave Lombardo is a Cuban-American drummer best known as a co-founding member of Slayer. His drumming style became instrumental in defining the aggressive sound that would distinguish Slayer from their contemporaries in the Big Four.
The drummer’s career has been marked by his pursuit of musical diversity beyond Slayer’s boundaries. Metal Injection reported that Lombardo has spent decades pushing the boundaries of percussion across multiple projects. These include work with Fantômas, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard, and Misfits.
Lombardo’s relationship with Slayer has been complex throughout the years. Ultimate Guitar documented that he left the band briefly in 1986, departed again in 1992, returned nine years later, and eventually left once more. This highlights the tensions that can exist even within the most successful metal partnerships.
Despite these departures, Lombardo’s influence on thrash metal drumming remains undeniable. His thunderous, genre-defining work with Slayer helped establish the template for extreme metal percussion that countless drummers would follow. This cemented his legacy as one of the most important figures in heavy music history.
