Dave Lombardo, the former Slayer drummer, and Lustmord, a pioneer of modern ambient electronic music, have announced that they have joined forces on a new collaborative project called Lustmord Lombardo. The news was shared in an announcement from Ipecac Recordings, which revealed details about the duo’s upcoming debut album.
The announcement outlined the origins of the collaboration and gave a first look at what listeners can expect from the pairing.
“Lustmord, the pioneer of modern ambient electronic music, and Dave Lombardo, one of heavy music’s most influential percussionists, have joined forces as Lustmord Lombardo,” the announcement said. “Their debut album, ‘The Pulse Of Atoms,’ is out on October 2nd.”
“The two musicians met backstage at a Fantômas show, introduced by mutual friend Buzz Osborne, around the time that Lustmord and Melvins released their collaborative album,” the statement continued. “Nearly two decades later, Lombardo and Lustmord convened as Lustmord Lombardo, crafting an album that is as cold and distant as it is frantic and engaging. The Pulse of Atoms showcases an unheard side of Lombardo and brings Lustmord back to his industrial roots.”
Lombardo shared his thoughts on working alongside Lustmord for this project.
“I’m very proud of this collaboration because it’s so different from anything else that I’ve done,” Dave Lombardo said. “And to create this body of work with Lustmord – this guy is legendary! He rattles the plaster off of venues.”
Lustmord also spoke about the nature of the album and the sound the pair set out to create.
“One thing about an album like this is that you can’t really point it out as being part of any specific genre or hopefully any specific period,” Lustmord said. “Is it from last year? Is it from 10 years ago, is it from 20 years ago, is it from 5 years in the future? It’s trying to create something that has its own sound, not tapping into whatever musical language or history you’re familiar with. It goes way, way further back. This is the sound of planets dying or of stars being born. It’s about a bigger picture. It’s the sound of the birth of the universe and the death of the universe; it’s not rock and roll.”
The pairing brings together two artists whose careers stretch far beyond the genres most closely associated with their names. Their respective histories help explain why this collaboration feels so unexpected yet fitting.
Lombardo is best known as a co-founding member of Slayer, one of thrash metal’s defining bands, but his résumé extends well past that legacy. He has also played in Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, and the Misfits. He has moved fluidly between extreme metal and more avant-garde territory throughout his career. That range underscores his reputation as a drummer unafraid to step outside familiar sonic boundaries, a trait that appears front and center on The Pulse of Atoms.
Lustmord, for his part, has spent decades establishing himself as a leading figure in industrial and ambient music, known for atmospheric, often unsettling soundscapes that draw on dark, textural sound design. His body of work includes past collaborations with acts rooted in heavier music, including Melvins. This reflects a long-standing willingness to bridge ambient composition with heavier, more aggressive musical worlds.
On The Pulse of Atoms, Lombardo’s contributions lean more textural and abstract than the powerful, driving style he is best known for in metal circles. Rather than relying on the forceful drumming that made him a thrash icon, he leans into synthesizer textures and occasional percussion, aligning closely with the surging, elemental imagery the album aims to evoke.
That shift in approach speaks directly to what both musicians have described as the album’s ambition: creating a sound untethered from any specific era or genre, one that draws on something older and larger than familiar musical reference points.
