For Which of His Many Recordings Would Dave Lombardo Like to Be Remembered?
Barring some miracle scientific breakthrough in the next twenty or thirty years, someday Dave Lombardo will go to that intimidatingly massive drum kit in the sky. And when that day comes, Lombardo revealed during a recent interview with Team Rock, he hopes they play Beethoven at his funeral:
“There are various classical pieces that really free my spirit. I love Liszt and Chopin, but I’ll say Beethoven – the music is so dark. He has a little twist in his music, unlike Mozart which is very happy music. Beethoven’s music breathes a bit of darkness and sadness, and I like it when musicians dabble in those kinds of tones.”
Lombardo has kids who, if all goes according to plan, will outlive him, so hopefully they’re taking notes.
Even more interesting than Lombardo’s choice of funereal soundtrack is his selection when asked which album he hopes he’ll be remembered for:
“‘Reign in Blood’ would be a good choice, but then that holds me into the metal genre. I love ‘The Gathering’ by Testament too – that album is amazing. But I’ll say ‘The Director’s Cut’ [by Fantômas], because that album shows the variety of different ways I play. I have amazing memories of making it. All the records I made with them were a blast.”
From an artist’s perspective, Lombardo’s logic makes complete sense… of course he wants to be remembered for his diverse talents. And The Director’s Cut is a great fucking record.
For better or worse, though, there’s really no doubt that Lombardo will be remembered first and foremost for his work with Slayer — specifically, the Holy Trinity of Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, and Seasons in the Abyss. Those are the albums that made him famous, and without consulting any actual sales figures, I’d bet Kerry King’s right hand* that those are the highest-selling albums on which Lombardo has appeared. Furthermore, Lombardo wasn’t just the drummer in any old popular metal band… he was THE drummer in a band that has played as large a role in metal history as any other. So for him to be primarily remembered for his other work, Lombardo would have to crawl out from under the world’s biggest, darkest shadow. Which seems unlikely.
I’d guess Lombardo is ultimately aware of this, and hopefully not upset by it. He can take pride knowing that he’s done so much recording with so many different projects, and the vast majority of it has been top-notch. Some musicians will never have that kind of legacy, period.
*Yeah I still gotta hedge my bets. Sorry, Kerry.
[via The PRP]
