Drum legend David Lombardo is best known as a co-founding member of Slayer, and is currently playing in Fantômas, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, and the Misfits. He recently guested on Conan Neutron’s Protonic Reversal for a career-spanning interview; check it out below.

During the interview, Lombardo reflected on his second run with Slayer, from 2001 - 2013:

"I was out of the band for 10, 11 years, and they decided to bring me back in, and everything was good. Everything felt fine. We had a good run. I was able to bring my own creativity or at least... it was difficult to change the Slayert path. They really liked their niche market, and they didn't wanna stray too much. But in a live sense, I was able to be free when it came to some of the drum rolls and some of the changes. I used to throw the guys in the band for a loop when I would create a really bizarre drum roll. And it makes them turn around... 'What the fuck is that?' And then I land on the 'one.' It's, like, 'There it is.' But I was getting creative, I think, because I knew the music so well, and so there was room for me to fuck around. That kind of helped, I think - helped me personally - to enjoy the moments on stage. When you're on tour and playing the same songs month after month, year after year, it becomes a little redundant. So that kind of helped me entertain myself on stage, to see if I could stump the guitar players, if I could mess with them."

Lombardo left Slayer in February 2013 shortly before the band was due to play Australia's Soundwave festival due to a contract and pay dispute with the other band members.

Lombardo recently ended his second tenure with Testament, issuing the following statement:

"We knew 2022 was going to be relatively easy, as far as schedules go, between myself and Testament. Unfortunately, 2023 has not been so easy. After months of trying to work out specific tour dates, our schedules are just conflicting too much to make sense this year.

Therefore, I will not be joining Testament for their 2023 tour dates.

We are all thrilled that we were able to share the stage last year, it’s some thing we wanted to do for a very long time. I had an amazing experience with the band and am wishing them all the best moving forward. To the Testament fans, thank you for welcoming me, making every show a killer experience, and for your understanding as we all move forward."

Lombardo has debuted a third and final single from his forthcoming album, Rites Of Percussion, with the arrival of “Inner Sanctum” and an accompanying Displaced / Replaced created video. Watch below, and pre-order the May 5 release on CD, digital and three different vinyl variants here.

The recording process for Rites of Percussion had a simple mantra: drums had to be drums. Mixed in early 2022 by Lombardo’s son, David A. Lombardo, the self-produced release features a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and a flock of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns, and cymbals.

Rites Of Percussion tracklist:

"Initiatory Madness"
"Separation From The Sacred"
"Inner Sanctum"
"Journey Of The Host"
"Maunder In Liminality"
"Despojo"
"Interfearium"
"Blood Let"
"Warpath"
"Guerrero"
"Vicissitude"
"Omiero"
"Animismo"

"Inner Sanctum" video:

"Separation From The Sacred":

"Journey Of The Host" visualizer:

(Photo - Ekaterina Gorbacheva)