Drummer Dave Lombardo believes his former band SLAYER were the best of thrash metal’s “Big Four” bands
In a recent Metal Hammer interview, Dave Lombardo, the original drummer of SLAYER, was posed the question of which of the legendary “Big 4” bands from the 1980s thrash metal scene, which also inclided METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX – he believed to be the best.
Dave responded: “SLAYER. Ha ha ha! Who else could I pick?! We were brutal man, we were on top of our game, and if you watch the videos we were on fire. We really showed everyone else how it should be done — we tore everyone a new one.”
Lombardo previously spoke with Revolver in a 2011 interview about sharing the stage with the other “Big Four” bands for a number of shows in 2010 and 2011, “There’s camaraderie in this camp. In the metal world, there’s camaraderie. I think it’s really cool that it’s come to that. Loving a style of music and doing a big festival like this really promotes the positive energy all these bands have to offer. Although some of us are a bit on the dark side — like, I’d say SLAYER, musically. But there is some good to the music.”
Lombardo, who has been diversifying his musical endeavors in recent years, collaborating with crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS, and MR. BUNGLE, departed from SLAYER under circumstances involving his absence from the group’s Australian tour in February/March 2013.
This absence was due to a contract dispute with his fellow band members, which ultimately led to his effective dismissal. He was subsequently succeeded by Paul Bostaph, who had previously held the position of the band’s drummer from 1992 to 2001.
SLAYER bid farewell with their last performance in November 2019, marking the end of an era with their final show at The Forum in Los Angeles.
The “Big 4” of thrash refers to the four most influential and prominent bands in the thrash metal genre that emerged in the 1980s.
Together, the collective of bands not only played a pivotal role in shaping the thrash metal genre but also left an indelible mark on the entire heavy metal landscape. Their influence continues to resonate with fans and aspiring metal musicians around the world.
