Drummer Dave Lombardo Names His Favorite ‘Big 4’ Thrash Band

One of many largest ongoing disputes in metallic is which of the “Massive 4” of thrash – Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer – is really on the prime of the checklist? Effectively, former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has weighed in, and unsurprisingly, he feels that he performed with the very best of the bunch.

Within the newest challenge of Metallic Hammer, Lombardo shares his temporary however enough causes for why Slayer was essentially the most excessive ­and commendable of the quartet. “Ha ha ha! Who else may I decide?! We had been brutal man, we had been on prime of our sport, and in the event you watch the movies we had been on hearth. We actually confirmed everybody else the way it must be carried out – we tore everybody a brand new one,” he boasts.

Elaborating on the band’s ambitions and accomplishments within the face of different thrash – and demise metallic – acts, Lombardo continues [via Metal Hammer]:

We’d watch a variety of these bands from side-stage anyway. I keep in mind whispering to [Slayer guitarist Jeff] Hanneman, “We’re higher”, or “We’re quicker”, ha ha! It wasn’t essentially conceited, but it surely was inspiring if we watched a band that couldn’t ship the ferocity we had been as a result of it made us really feel superb, like, “Oops, failure!” It was a youthful method – you wish to be higher than the man earlier than you, you wish to blow everybody away, and that was our mantra.

That stated, he additionally admits that whereas Slayer was undoubtedly “competing” with the opposite three within the “Massive 4” – along with just about each different in-your-face ensemble on the time – it was by no means “in a damaging means.” He explains [via Metal Hammer]: “We wished to be the very best, we wished to be the heaviest, the quickest. So our rivals had been any band that’d open up for us – we’d be like, ‘Let’s blow ’em out the water!’ I can’t consider a single band we had an actual damaging relationship with.”

READ MORE: The ‘Massive 4’ Bands of 27 Rock + Metallic Subgenres

To his credit score, he’s provided loads of reward to his style siblings through the years. This previous August, for example, he overtly condemned individuals who disrespect his “excellent buddy” Lars Ulrich:

I noticed Mario Duplantier just lately speaking about Lars, saying some variety phrases. I really feel Lars is a vital a part of [Metallica] – anyone else and it simply gained’t sound the identical. I admonish the individuals who speak shit about him, I don’t like that. It’s important to embrace who Lars is, and his contribution to Metallica’s sound. They’re such an inspirational band, and everyone needs to be as huge as they’re, and you’ll solely try this by taking dangers.

Final week (Oct. 16), Lombardo took to X (previously Twitter) to assist fire up Grammys consideration for his first solo album, 2023’s Rites of Percussion, and for Useless Cross’ 2022 LP, II. You may see these posts beneath:

So, do you agree with Lombardo’s evaluation of Slayer? Tell us!