Dave Lombardo Discusses First-Ever Solo Album, Favourite Drummers, Many Tasks

Photograph Credit score: Eketarina Gorbacheva

With out query, one of the progressive metallic drummers stays Dave Lombardo – whose groundbreaking double bass work, speedy hearth fills, and relentless power actually left an indelible mark on different timekeepers. A number of a long time into this profession, it’s only now although that he has gotten round to issuing his first-ever solo album, the all-instrumental drum showcase, Rites of Percussion. Which (spoiler alert) is not a metallic smorgasbord, however fairly, experimental, avant-garde, and even soundscape-y at instances…but nonetheless shows his distinctive expertise.

First rising to prominence as a member of Slayer, Lombardo performed on the group’s finest albums, together with the metallic masterpiece Reign in Blood (amongst numerous different titles). Moreover, he has contributed to a wide range of different tasks over time – Fantômas, Lifeless Cross, Mr. Bungle, Misfits, Testomony, Suicidal Tendencies, and lots of others.

Lombardo spoke with AllMusic shortly earlier than the discharge of Rites of Percussion, and mentioned the making of the album, his favourite drum recordings, upcoming tasks, the trendy state of rock drumming, plus Slayer’s most intense tune.

AllMusic: What made you resolve to launch your first-ever solo album now?

Lombardo: “It has been behind my thoughts for years. I’ve all the time needed to do one thing like this. I used to be impressed by drummers like John Bonham – who created a tune known as ‘Bonzo’s Montreux,’ that was launched on Led Zeppelin‘s Coda album after he handed.”

“Additionally, Tito Puente – a Latin jazz percussionist. I knew he had created these little drum songs prior to now, however I by no means attributed it to a selected album. And Mike Patton – again in ’98 or ’99 – discovered that I used to be into Tito Puente, and stated, ‘Oh Dave, you have to take heed to High Percussion.’ I would by no means heard of that album. And he turned me on to it.”

“So, I knew of different drummers who had created one thing like this however by no means a whole physique of labor…properly, I feel later I heard that Hal Blaine had created one – however nothing to this extent, with this route. It has been some time, and at last it is right here and I am actually excited.”

AllMusic: Which tracks are you most pleased with?

Lombardo: “One that stands out is ‘Interfearium’ – the place there was a spontaneous second within the recording studio. Not in my private recording studio the place I recorded the majority of it, however once I went to Studio 606 and recorded the majority of the overdubs, I had only a fleeting concept of opening up the piano, placing a sandbag on the maintain pedal, and reaching inside the piano field – not touching the keys – and grabbing some mallets and enjoying the piece that you just hear.”

“It was only a thought – ‘Oh, I am going to do this and see what occurs.’ And I had one of many assistants dim the lights within the room within the studio, I lit a candle, and simply began enjoying. That is how that piece got here up – and that is one in all my favourite items.”

AllMusic: How did you go about composing the songs? Did you begin with a beat after which construct on it from there?

Lombardo: “Yeah – that is principally the way it began. I’d simply begin with a selected drum sample. And typically it is not the drum sample that you just hear start the tune. Typically, it might simply be a easy rhythm performed on a desk prime with my palms recorded by my cellphone, after which I’d obtain it into Professional Instruments and develop it from there. After which what you are listening to is a totally completely different rendition of the tune – the ultimate piece is completely completely different to the way it began.”

AllMusic: I perceive that your son, David A. Lombardo, blended the album.

Lombardo: “Properly, I’ve labored with him on a pair different albums prior to now. We’re each gearheads…truly, each of my sons and I really like music gear. We’ll sit and chat about all of it day lengthy if we had been in a position to. And my oldest son, David, he used to assist me when he was a extremely little child. I used to inform him, ‘OK. Punch me in when the machine says 0124.’ And he would try this.”

“After which when he was 18, I gave him a Professional Instruments MBOX, and we recorded a few albums collectively. He was recording his brother’s band, demoing their songs, and ultimately bought a job at a recording studio. And now, he is mixing film trailers for Netflix, United Artists, and Common.”

AllMusic: What are a few of your favourite drum albums of all-time?

Lombardo: “Mickey Hart‘s Planet Drum, Babatunde Olatunji had a few actually cool albums that had been very percussion-based. I actually like Smithsonian Folkways – their compilations of actually deep African drum rhythms. Haitian Vodou drum rhythms. These are all on Smithsonian Folkways, I imagine. Hossam Ramzy, a Persian percussionist – he is wonderful. I actually like Milford Graves – a percussionist out of Brooklyn.”

AllMusic: What are your ideas on modern-day onerous rock and heavy metallic drummers, by and huge?

Lombardo: “By and huge it is fascinating the way it’s advanced. I take pleasure in a variety of it. They’re proficient and youthful and youthful as we age. Their chops are on level.”

“There’s a variety of nice drummers – one in all which is Daru Jones, who performs with Jack White. Very distinctive. Ian Chang who performs with Son Lux – he is additionally a tremendous drummer. New, upcoming avantgarde drummers that work with a variety of my buddies in New York Metropolis – Kenny Grohowski, who performs in a band known as Imperial Triumphant. He is wonderful. Additionally, Ches Smith from Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant.”

“There’s numerous – it is only a matter of discovering and sifting the mass quantities of drummers which are on the market and selling their work on-line.”

AllMusic: Planning on enjoying reside reveals in assist of Rites of Percussion?

Lombardo: “No. That is merely a chunk of artwork. It could take a lot work and bringing in the suitable musicians, and I’d actually have to consider orchestration. It is not unimaginable, however I am unsure if I need to deal with that – at the least proper now. It’d change, you by no means know – if the suitable supply comes alongside that may change my thoughts.”

AllMusic: Any discuss of recording a brand new studio album with Mr. Bungle?

Lombardo: “No, that hasn’t been mentioned but. We have not exhausted this album that we simply launched, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny. However it might be doable – I would not doubt it.”

AllMusic: How is Mike Patton doing? I learn some time again that he was coping with psychological well being points.

Lombardo: “He’s significantly better. He is doing so properly – I am actually pleased with him, the steps that he is taken. We did a South American tour final December and he kicked ass. He was in nice spirits, he was on level, he was in his conventional ‘Mike Patton kind.’ I am so pleased for him and I am wanting ahead to this upcoming tour.”

AllMusic: Talking of Mike Patton, Rites of Percussion was issued through his label, Ipecac Data. What made you resolve to go along with Ipecac?

Lombardo: “Mike Patton’s love and assist from day one. I couldn’t – wouldn’t – give it to anybody else. There isn’t a different report firm that may perceive one thing like this and the way vital a physique of labor like that is than Ipecac.”

“Mike Patton, the primary report he put out on Ipecac was the primary Fantômas album – that I used to be part of. That firm and his assist has been an integral a part of my drive to finish this physique of labor. I bear in mind telling Patton, ‘Hey man, I am virtually achieved!’ And once I despatched him the file with all of the songs, he got here again, ‘Lastly! In any case these years!’ I simply needed to discover the suitable time and I needed to be in the suitable headspace mentally. And we had been in a position to seize it.”

AllMusic: Which different tasks do you could have developing?

Lombardo: “Properly, I simply launched a single from Empire State Bastard, a brand new band I am working with from England [which also includes Biffy Clyro members Simon Neil and Mike Vennart]. They’re massive followers of hardcore music they usually put some music collectively and introduced it to me with a demo again in 2020 – across the identical time I used to be recording my drum report. I did not need to take every other tasks on – I used to be simply actually targeted on Satanic Planet [another band Lombardo plays in], on my drum report, I feel I would recorded ‘Colours’ for Physique Rely, and there have been different tasks.”

“And once I heard Empire State Bastard, I used to be like, ‘OK. I’ve to do that. This simply has my title written throughout it. I can get behind this.’ So, that [a full-length album] goes to be launched hopefully on the finish of the 12 months. We launched a brand new single known as ‘Harvest’ and we performed a couple of showcase reveals in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. I feel we is likely to be doing one thing within the States – touring.”

“I am within the means of enhancing a video for a really sluggish, down tempo love ballad venture [Venamoris] I put along with my spouse Paula. She sings and writes a variety of the music. We’re going be releasing a video quickly – I do not know precisely when, inside most likely the following month – for the final tune on the report, known as ‘So Good.’ And I’ve some excursions developing – Mr. Bungle, Misfits, and Empire State Bastard.”

AllMusic: How would you describe the music of Venamoris, the venture along with your spouse, Paula?

Lombardo: “We simply launched an album and several other movies. No touring – it is only a singer-songwriter duo, creating some darkish…they name it ‘journey hop.’ It is virtually like Portishead, somewhat little bit of Halsey in there. However it’s probably the most left flip I may have taken, musically. I play brushes, I play with rimshot, I play the slowest tempos you would ever hear from me. And her voice is beautiful – her voice is beautiful, it is wonderful. Stunning harmonies. Nice songwriting. It is one thing hooked up to the Lombardo title which you can play in your mother and father or your grandmother. It is one thing very, very chill.”

AllMusic: Lastly, do you agree that Slayer’s “Angel of Loss of life” stays probably the most intense metallic tune of all-time – each musically and lyrically?

Lombardo: “Sure. That tune is intense. If there is a image or a tune to associate with that description, yeah, that may be the tune. I may see that. I am unable to disagree on one thing that I am so pleased with – that may be sacrilegious. It is some nice stuff proper there.”

See what Lombardo is presently as much as through his Twitter web page.