Despite an unceremonious split with Slayer toward the end of the band’s career, founding member Dave Lombardo still holds the iconic metal act in high regard. In fact, the legendary drummer insists that Slayer were the best of the “Big Four” thrash bands.
Slayer certainly have some stiff competition when it comes to the rest of the Big Four, namely Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. But as Lombardo told Metal Hammer in a new interview, he feels Slayer were a cut above the rest.
When asked directly to name the best “Big Four” band, the drummer immediately responded, “Slayer.” And though he followed the answer with a little laugh, he went on to explain, “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 was also asked whether he felt some competition when death metal started to arise in the late ’80s, to which he responded, “We’d watch a lot of those bands from side-stage. … I remember whispering to [late Slayer guitarist Jeff] Hanneman, ‘We’re better,’ or ‘We’re faster,’ ha ha! It wasn’t necessarily arrogant, but it was inspiring if we watched a band that couldn’t deliver the ferocity we were because it made us feel amazing, like, ‘Oops, failure!’ It was a youthful approach – you want to be better than the guy before you, you want to blow everyone away, and that was our mantra.”
Slayer called it a day at the end of 2019 after completing a farewell tour, while Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax are still going strong. Fans can debate which band is the best all day long, but there’s no question that Metallica are the biggest. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are set to continue their massive “M72 World Tour” next month, with another leg happening next year (pick up tickets here).
Lombardo, meanwhile, has been a busy man since his exit from Slayer in 2013. He has drummed for the Original Misfits, Testament, Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard, Dead Cross, Suicidal Tendencies, and more. He’ll be embarking on a UK/European tour with Empire State Bastard beginning in November, with tickets available here.
Watch Heavy Consequence‘s exclusive video featuring members of Rage Against the Machine, Disturbed, Lamb of God, and more paying tribute to Slayer below.