DAVE LOMBARDO speaks on "challenge" of playing Lars Ulrich's parts in METALLICA
18-03-2025
During an appearance on the latest episode of “The David Ellefson Show” video podcast, former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo reflected on how he and SLIPKNOT‘s Joey Jordison filled in for METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich when he was unable to appear at the Download festival in England in June 2004. Ulrich later blamed his non-appearance on exhaustion, caused by an unrelenting tour schedule and the break-up of his seven-year marriage to Skylar Satenstein. Jordison played eight tracks from the 11-song set, with Lombardo and Ulrich‘s then-drum tech Flemming Larsen helping with the remaining cuts.
Lombardo said: “Well, fortunately Joey, he had a METALLICA cover band when he was young, before SLIPKNOT or maybe even during SLIPKNOT. And so he was very familiar with a lot of their newer albums. I was into, obviously, the first three four — I think up until ‘Master Of Puppets’. And then while at first I wasn’t into the ‘Black Album’ eventually the Black Album grew on me, ’cause it is a masterpiece. And so I was more familiar with their earlier stuff. And so when I saw the setlist, I was, like, ‘Okay, well, I could do these,’ which was ‘The Four Horsemen’ and ‘Battery’… So, when they told me, I said, ‘Look, I can do the two. I could probably figure out some of the other ones.’ But they had me just go up and do the first two, and then Joey, and, obviously, Flemming went up and finished the rest of the songs. So I was grateful. I was awesome. I have a picture in a frame, personalized frame, with all their names and everything, saying how grateful they were that I came up, I stepped up and helped them.”
Lombardo continued: “One of the real special moments was in the rehearsal. We were in one of those — I guess it was a small portable rehearsal room. They have a drum set in there, they’ve got their amp, they jam, get warmed up, get ready. And we were in there, and I could see their excitement when I was playing the song. They were really into it. And I kind of sped everything up a little bit, just kicked them in the ass a little. And it was fun, man. It was that moment that was really special. Then we went on stage. And obviously professional mode steps in, and you really have to focus and make sure that everything’s right and you kick ass for the moment. But it was a challenge — exciting, fun, grateful moment in history that will never be repeated again.”
Elaborating on the feedback he received from the METALLICA guys for his performance, Dave said: “Some of Kirk‘s (Hammett, METALLICA guitarist) commentary, which I’ll keep private, was really, really funny and very complimentary and very kind from them.
“I have nothing but respect for those guys,” the drummer added. “I have absolute respect.”
Back in January 2021, Lombardo told the “Speak N’ Destroy” podcast about his 2004 performance with METALLICA: “I remember being approached by SLAYER‘s manager, and he just basically said, ‘Hey, Dave, we have a bit of a crisis. Lars can’t make the show.’ And I was, like, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ And they asked if I’d be interested. I don’t know if he said if I’m interested in doing the (full) set or a few songs — whatever — but I took one look at the setlist, and I wasn’t very familiar with their later material, so I agreed to the two opening songs.
“I met up with the guys, and we hung out in their little rehearsal room, dressing room, and we jammed the two songs that I was familiar with, and then shortly after that, we went on stage,” he continued. “We had a great time in the room. I love those guys. I’ve never had any beef with them or anything. It’s always been amicable and kind. They’ve always been great towards me, and I have likewise. So we had a great time.
“And I’ve known (METALLICA bassist) Robert Trujillo since the SUICIDAL (TENDENCIES) days. And I actually performed with Trujillo on a cover of ‘Battery’ (for the 2001 album ‘Metallic Assault: A Tribute To Metallica’). Yeah, that’s out there. So we played that (at Download), and then, of course, ‘The Four Horsemen’ — we did that as well.
“It was a lot of fun,” Dave added. “It was a moment in history, a moment in time, and I loved it — it was amazing. Especially when I went into the double-bass section in ‘Battery’, at the end, and James (Hetfield, METALLICA frontman) was, like, ‘Fuck!'”
Back in 2014, Lombardo was asked during a clinic in Italy to comment on the fact that Ulrich‘s drumming skills are constantly questioned. He replied: “I think Lars is a good drummer. He’s a good arranger. He arranges… Without Lars, there wouldn’t be a METALLICA. So you have to give him credit for what he does for the band.”
Lombardo continued: “It’s very important… When you have a chemistry within a band. There’s four members of the band. When there’s chemistry, like a special interaction between musicians, if you take one musician out, it’s not the same. If you take Lars out of the equation, it won’t be the same.”
While speaking with U.K.’s Rhythm magazine back in 2009, Lombardo was a bit more critical of Lars‘s drumming abilities, saying that playing with METALLICA at Download in 2004 was a great experience, but adding that it was good to “show ’em how it’s done!” Dave continued. “No disrespect to Lars, because Lars is great and he’s a very nice guy, but he needs to spend a week at my house and we need to sit down and play. I could show him — ‘No, Lars, like this!’… ‘Let’s chill, let’s relax, have some coffee and let’s play!’ (Laughs)”
A few months later, Lombardo was asked by Noisecreep if Ulrich had ever accepted his offer of drum lessons. “Oh man, no, he hasn’t,” Lombardo said laughing. “Yeah, but that was all done as a joke. It’s just me having fun.”
Lombardo added: “Of course someone asked me about Download festival. It’s like, ‘Yeah, show him how it’s done.’ But I don’t need to show him, he’s amazing, but there’s always that kind of rivalry, that fun rivalry.”
In a 2005 interview Ulrich stated about his non-appearance at the 2004 Download: “It was the first-ever METALLICA gig I’d ever missed.”
He continued: “You wanna try laying in a hospital in Germany while Dave Lombardo — the greatest drummer on the planet — is playing with your band. That’s not easy.”
Lombardo released his debut solo album, “Rites Of Percussion”, on May 5, 2023, via Ipecac Recordings.
Watch “Separation From The Sacred” below.
The 13-track collection, previously previewed with the release of “Journey Of The Host”, is the result of a 40-year career that saw Lombardo rise to prominence as a co-founder of SLAYER, earn two Grammy Awards, and expand his repertoire across genres. The Cuban-born Lombardo‘s resume includes outings with the acrobatic, Mike Patton-led FANTÔMAS, the critically revered John Zorn, experimental hip-hop artist DJ Spooky and the resurrected punk icons MISFITS.
Watch the previously released “Journey Of The Host” below.
“Mike Patton originally gave me the idea as far back as 1998,” explains Lombardo. “He introduced me to Tito Puente‘s ‘Top Percussion’ album. I was already familiar with Tito and was a bit shocked that Patton was so musically diverse, and that he surrounded himself with musicians of the same mindset. That inspired me. I have had ideas that I’ve recorded on cassette over the years, but Patton kept insisting that I had to do a ‘drum album.’ So, the idea behind the album is years in the making. I just had to find the right time — for me — to do it.”
“When the pandemic hit, I thought, ‘Well, I can’t tour now,'” he says. “I immediately started working on the record. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. I had my studio, all my drums. Nothing was in storage for once! My home became a place where I could be free and creative. On the one hand, the touring part of my livelihood had been taken away, but on the other, I finally had the time to educate myself on different software and recording techniques. It was a very educational and gratifying experience.”
The recording process of the film score-like album had a simple mantra: drums had to be drums. Mixed in early 2022 by Lombardo‘s son, David A. Lombardo, the self-produced release features a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and a flock of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns, and cymbals.
“Rites Of Percussion” track listing:
01. Initiatory Madness
02. Separation From The Sacred
03. Inner Sanctum
04. Journey Of The Host
05. Maunder In Liminality
06. Despojo
07. Interfearium
08. Blood Let
09. Warpath
10. Guerrero
11. Vicissitude
12. Omiero
13. Animismo
Album orders, which include CD, digital, and three vinyl variants: standard cigar smoke, indie retail exclusive blood sacrifice, and Ipecac-exclusive purple haze, are available now.
Dave Lombardo was born in Havana, Cuba, relocating to Los Angeles when he was a mere two years old. He began playing drums as a teenager, and co-founded SLAYER (and created the band’s logo) in 1981. Rolling Stone, in their list of the “100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time,” dubbed him the “Cuban speed demon, ” Modern Drummer proclaimed him “The King,” and Drummerworld gave him the title of “The Godfather of double bass.” Lombardo‘s eye-popping resume includes over 100 studio albums/recordings and includes both recorded and live stints with GRIP INC., FANTÔMAS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEAD CROSS, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DJ Spooky, John Zorn, TESTAMENT, and most recently creating the soulful duo VENAMORIS, with his wife Paula.
Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group’s Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER‘s drummer from 1992 until 2001.
Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER‘s tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.
SLAYER played its last-ever show in November 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles.
