Dave Lombardo Has Nothing But Nice Things to Say About Kerry King and Tom Araya

Planet Mosh has a new interview with Dave Lombardo, the legendary drummer who was kicked out Slayer last year due to a financial dispute, and during the course of the conversation, Lombardo makes it pretty clear that it’s all just water under the bridge now. Take, for example, this part where Lombardo is asked about the circumstances under which he was fired:

“I wasn’t asking for anything other than to be treated equally.  I’m sure I’ve made mistakes along the way, but my intention was never to leave.  Who would do that in the golden years of a band?  Where we stand now disgusts me.   Jeff didn’t want this – and neither did I.”

Or how he responds to Tom Araya’s recent claim that Lombardo was merely “a working member of the band” and not a “partner” in Slayer:

“It’s sickening.  I left the band in ’92 to be at home for the birth of my son, period.  One show changed the course of this band.  Tom has forgotten history… swallowed the stories that have been created throughout the years to sell tickets.  If it weren’t for me, Slayer would not exist.  I approached Kerry to start this band. Somehow they have forgotten that.”

Or when he talks about Jeff Hanneman’s memorial celebration:

“I was shocked that Tom didn’t show up to the memorial.  It was uncomfortable for me to be there, given what was going on with the band, but I still showed up.  I was equally shocked at Kerry’s self-centered stories.  None of his stories described the kind of human being Jeff was.”

Ouch. Can’t really fault Lombardo for being pissed, though. It seems like the worst crime of which he might be guilty is taking lousy business advice.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Thanks: Tom J.