Dave Lombardo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Lombardo
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Lombardo in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Lombardo |
| Born | February 16, 1965 Havana, Cuba |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1979–present |
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer. He is most famous for being a co-founder of the thrash metal band Slayer. He currently plays drums with several bands, including Fantômas, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, and Misfits.
Lombardo played drums on nine Slayer albums. These include Reign in Blood (1986) and Christ Illusion (2006). His music career has lasted over 40 years. During this time, he has worked on 35 commercial recordings across many music styles. He has also played with many other bands, such as Grip Inc., Philm, and Fantômas.
Lombardo is known as a powerful heavy metal drummer. People have called his drumming "amazingly creative." Drummerworld even named him "The Godfather of Double Bass." He has greatly influenced the metal music world. Many modern metal drummers, especially those in extreme metal, look up to him.
Contents
Biography of Dave Lombardo
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
David Lombardo was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 16, 1965. His family moved to South Gate, California, when he was two years old. He still speaks Spanish today.
His interest in music started early. When he was eight, he played bongos along to a Santana song. Lombardo joined his school's band and played the marching drum. When he was ten, his father bought him a five-piece drum set. Lombardo bought his first record, Alive! by Kiss, to play along with. He learned to play Kiss' "100,000 Years" by listening to it over and over.
Lombardo took drum lessons, but he found them boring. His friends introduced him to disco music. He liked its funk, Latin, and soul sounds. He even worked as a temporary DJ. In 1978, Lombardo went back to playing rock music. He met other musicians in South Gate. He played Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" at his high school talent show. He said the crowd's reaction during his drum solo was amazing. Soon after, he formed a band called Escape. Later, they changed their name to Sabotage.
Lombardo's parents wanted him to focus on school. He promised his mother he would graduate high school, which he did in June 1983. After graduating, he got a job at Diesel Energy Systems Company. Around this time, his music career was about to really begin.
Dave Lombardo's Musical Journey
Playing with Slayer
When Dave Lombardo was 16, his friends told him about a guitar player named Kerry King. Lombardo went to King's house and told him he played drums. They quickly found they liked the same music. After practicing, King introduced Lombardo to another guitarist, Jeff Hanneman. They then found a singer and bass player, Tom Araya. This completed the band Slayer.
Slayer recorded their first album, Show No Mercy, soon after. Lombardo worked with producer Rick Rubin for their third album, Reign in Blood (1986). Lombardo left Slayer for a short time during the Reign in Blood tour. He felt he wasn't earning enough money. Tony Scaglione replaced him for a bit. However, Rick Rubin asked Lombardo to return, and he did in 1987.
Lombardo recorded two more albums with Slayer: South of Heaven (1988) and Seasons in the Abyss (1990). He left the band again in 1992 because he wanted to be there for the birth of his first child. He had told his bandmates he wouldn't be able to tour in late September. But the band booked a festival, and Lombardo chose to be with his family.
Ten years later, in 2001, Slayer called Lombardo to play some shows. Jeff Hanneman wanted him back, and even Kerry King, who was unsure at first, was impressed by Lombardo's drumming in rehearsals. Lombardo decided to rejoin. His first show back was in January 2002. He toured with Slayer for big festivals like Ozzfest and the Download Festival. At the 2004 Download Festival, Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich was sick. James Hetfield asked for drummers to fill in. Lombardo, Joey Jordison, and Flemming Larsen volunteered. Lombardo played two songs, "Battery" and "The Four Horsemen."
Lombardo recorded drums on Slayer's 2006 album, Christ Illusion. Critics praised his return. Chris Steffen from Rolling Stone noted Lombardo's great drumming. Don Kaye of Blabbermouth said Lombardo's influence was clear and that he was essential to Slayer's sound. He called Lombardo one of metal's best drummers. Lombardo recorded another album with Slayer in 2009, World Painted Blood.
He left the band again in February 2013 due to disagreements about contracts and pay. Slayer played their final concert in November 2019. Lombardo was busy with his own music and did not attend. In 2022, he named "Captor of Sin", "Ghosts of War", and "Beauty Through Order" as his favorite Slayer songs.
Other Bands and Projects
After his first child was born in 1993, Lombardo formed Grip Inc. with guitarist Waldemar Sorychta. They released their first album, Power of Inner Strength, in 1995. Critics often praised Lombardo's drumming on their albums. He recorded four albums with Grip Inc. and said the band helped him become more creative.
In 1997, Lombardo started an experimental band called Philm. They played shows and worked on music until Lombardo rejoined Slayer in 2001. Later, Philm reformed and released their first album, Harmonic, in 2012. They released another album, Fire From the Evening Sun, in 2014. Lombardo left Philm in 2015.
In 1998, Lombardo joined Fantômas with Faith No More singer Mike Patton. Lombardo said Fantômas' music was the hardest he had ever played. He compared it to what Picasso might create if he were a musician. He recorded four albums with Fantômas.
In 2015, Lombardo announced a new band called Dead Cross. Rolling Stone described their music as "ruthless, hardcore punk." In 2016, Mike Patton joined as the singer. Their first album came out in 2017.
In August 2016, the Misfits announced Lombardo as their drummer for their reunion shows. He has continued to drum for them at every reunion show since 2016.
In 2019, Lombardo became the drummer for the Mr. Bungle reunion shows. In 2020, the band re-recorded their 1986 demo with Lombardo on drums.
Lombardo also played drums on the Testament album The Gathering in 1999. He rejoined Testament in March 2022.
Special Collaborations and Projects
In 1999, Lombardo worked with Italian classical musician Lorenzo Arruga. They recorded Vivaldi – The Meeting, where Lombardo added drum improvisations to Vivaldi's classical pieces. He also released a book and video called Dave Lombardo: Power Grooves, which teaches drumming techniques.
He has appeared on albums by John Zorn and played with DJ Spooky on Drums of Death in 2005. Lombardo also recorded six tracks with the Finnish cello metal group Apocalyptica on their 2003 album Reflections. He continued to play on some of their later albums.
In 2009, he recorded a cover of "Stand by Me" with Lemmy on vocals and bass. Lombardo has also contributed to music for TV shows and films. These include Dawn of the Dead and Californication. In 2023, he was announced as a touring drummer for Empire State ....
Dave Lombardo's Drumming Style and Influence
Lombardo has named drummers like Bill Ward, Mitch Mitchell, and John Bonham as his early influences.
He is famous for his fast and powerful drumming. He often uses the double bass drum technique. This is why Drummerworld calls him "the godfather of double bass." Lombardo prefers using two separate bass drums instead of a single drum with a double pedal. He says this allows the drum heads to "breathe" and gives him a better feel. When playing double bass, he uses the 'heel-up' technique and angles his pedals.
Kerry King of Slayer once said that Lombardo is naturally talented. He doesn't need to warm up much before a show. Lombardo has also shared that he always starts drum beats on the bass drums with his left foot.
Lombardo's drumming has influenced many rock and heavy metal drummers. Drummers from bands like Arch Enemy, Suffocation, and Cannibal Corpse have said he is a major inspiration. Many drummers were especially impressed by his playing on Slayer's Reign in Blood album.
Dave Lombardo uses Tama Drums, Promark Drumsticks, Paiste Cymbals, and Remo Drumheads. He is left-handed but plays a right-handed drum kit.
Artistic Creations
In 2014, Lombardo started creating his first art collection, called "Rhythm Mysterium." He worked with the art team Scene Four in Los Angeles. The collection has 13 pieces of art. They are made using a new method called "rhythm-on-canvas."
In 2015, Lombardo released a book and vinyl set called LOMBARDO. The book shows his artwork, which is based on rhythm. The vinyl record has Lombardo's improvised drum performances for each art piece in the book.
Discography
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Images for kids
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Lombardo performing with Slayer in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Dave Lombardo para niños
