Metal Hangar 18 recently caught up with drummer Dave Lombardo (Philm, Slayer) to discuss a number of topics. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: With whom you would mostly like to collaborate?

A: "My dream artist to play with would be Jimmy Page. I think he’s an amazing producer and guitar player. I would love to sit in a room, playing, just to improvise and play what we feel.

Q: Like jamming or recording?

A: "Yeah, jams. But recording them, haha."

Q: What is your favorite song – as a fan and as a drummer?

A: "What I like to play? There are some classic rock songs that are fun to play from, like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath – "Paranoid" or "Iron Man"... I learned them when I was a kid. Bill Ward is an amazing influence and an amazing drummer. What else.. AC/DC, I love them – and it’s very simple. There’s a constant cycle. My inspiration is the love I have for music. I really do love my job. It doesn’t matter where I play, I always enjoy being on stage whether there’s 8000 people or 500 – I still play with the same passion. So what keeps me motivated is being creative and being on stage."

Q: What you like the most in playing at smaller venues – we know you’ve been performing on very big stages, on very big festivals, even the Big 4 one in Sofia, 2010?

A: "On the big stage you really don’t feel the connection. But in the club, at a smaller venue you feel the heat, the love and you can hear the people screaming and enjoying themselves. I like playing in smaller places, honestly! Big festivals are great, I love them – big production, big stage, big lights. But the other way you connect better with the fans. Definitely one of the best memories from the big stage is playing with the Big 4 here, in Sofia, that’s epic and filming the show was amazing. And I always meet crazy fans. I was in Brazil few months ago, doing workshops. And this fan, he had a Slayer flag, he put it on the ground,got on his knees, and started crying and bowing to me. That’s 35-40 year old man, but he says that my drumming has inspired him, that was a very emotional moment. It was nice but weird."

Read more of the interview at this location.

Speaking with That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk on his official podcast, Lombardo discussed the possibility of returning to Slayer at some point in the future.

Lombardo: "Would I go back? For the fans, and to retire that band correctly, I'm not gonna close any doors. Like I said before, when all this went down, my door's open, and that's basically all I have to say."