FEELING SUICIDAL Dave LombardoBY DAVID JARNSTROM

don’t keep track of Slayer,” Lombardo—54 years young in days—which suits his spontaneous Dave Lombardo says over the February—is headed in the opposite disposition perfectly. “It’s invigorating “I phone matter-of-factly. “I have too direction, cracking the throttle on his going from one project to another,” much to deal with over here.” Currently storied career. he says. “I finished a six-week enjoying some well-earned downtime at Splitting time between crossover Dead Cross European tour this his Southern California home, the ever- pioneers Suicidal Tendencies, horror- summer, hopped a plane in Amsterdam genial drummer couldn’t care less that punk icons The Misfits, and hardcore the next day and started a Suicidal the legendary thrash metal band he supergroup Dead Cross (featuring tour in New York the day after that. co-founded as a teen is in the midst of a co-conspirator Mike Patton of Faith No No rehearsal, just straight to the stage. two-year farewell tour. While Slayer More and Mr. Bungle on vocals), I’d done my homework and was on point. slowly rides off into the sunset, Lombardo barely has time to think these Music is music, you know?”

24 DRUM! Spring 2019 DRUMmagazine.com MILOSZ BAUZA PHOTO Lombardo claims it was a “no-brainer” drums. There’s so much that contributes Lombardo is also looking forward to when Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike to playing with real feeling. It’s something writing new Dead Cross material this Muir asked him to join the band, which— that can’t really be taught—some people winter. “With those guys, I can create the like Slayer—originated in Los Angeles in just have a certain soul with their hardest, fastest music that I want. Our 1981. “I’ve known Mike for many years, I’m instrument.” first album, that’s what I wanted to do. a fan, and I love the music,” Lombardo In addition to being a lefty playing on a That’s exactly what was on my mind explains. “Also, it was a great opportunity right-handed kit, the Cuban-born and in my heart. Just so much anger and for me to venture into the crossover Lombardo stresses that hand percussion aggression that I needed to release at scene; implement some funk grooves, get and improvisation have played an that time. I hope I can still dig up some more swing into my playing. I’m able to important role in developing his unique of that for the next one. Who knows, it dabble in different styles, which is style. “Listen to all types of music and might be a whole different album—but I beneficial for any drummer.” take a bit from everything,” he advises. doubt it.” On Suicidal Tendencies’ latest LP, “Take a course in hand drumming and Lombardo made his bones by being STill Cyco Punk After All These Years, apply what you learn to the drum set. So one of the most brutal drummers on the Lombardo’s drumming jumps out of the often we restrain ourselves as players. planet, and his projects still demand speakers with raw, uninhibited energy so Don’t be afraid to just let it flow. the utmost in physicality. At The Misfits’ often absent in modern recordings. Improvising cleanses the mundane. It long-awaited homecoming show in New Playing live with the band, sans click doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong, just Jersey in May 2018, the ageless track, helped facilitate this immediacy, he get it out. I’ll tell my bandmates, ‘If you powerhouse pulled double duty with says. “I feel you don’t get the organic hear me start a roll in an unusual place, Suicidal Tendencies filling a support slot. performance, the excitement that a song don’t worry about it—just be sure to land “I try and take care of my body as best as I needs, when it’s recorded to a click. That’s on the 1. I’ll be there.’” can,” Lombardo says. “I take my vitamins. why so many drummers sound similar Though he’s spent decades crafting his I drink a lot of water. On tour the majority today. They’re consistent, but there’s no own indelible drum parts, Lombardo is of my diet is fruits, vegetables, and salad. identity, no originality. Dead Cross never now tasked with interpreting timeless I stay away from red meat. I eat more fish. I uses a click. All the early Slayer records tracks originally performed by other do my daily push-ups, get on the treadmill were done without a click. People connect drummers. It’s not a responsibility he when I can, that’s pretty much it. I’ve to those songs not just for the lyrics and takes lightly. “There are nuances that are never had any injuries and I’m so grateful music—it’s the emotional feel, the human so signature to these compositions,” he for that. On the contrary, when I do get element. Beat Detective? Quantizing? That notes, “and I have to hit those, otherwise pain in my joints, it’s usually because I’m shit’s evil.” I’m doing the fans a disservice. Maybe I’ll not playing drums.” Lombardo’s extreme BPM mastery on throw in a little extra spice now and then, He adds, “People at my age talk about those classic Slayer albums may have but I’m not changing much, especially retirement—that’s not even in my playing inadvertently influenced a generation of with The Misfits. I’m not going to mimic or cards. When you’re given something like metal drummers whose primary focus is copy the mistakes, because on the early this, where you get to do something you speed, often at the expense of power, recordings, there’s tempo issues, there’s a love so much, you don’t disrespect it. I groove, and passion. “You can’t give a lot of random ‘clams,’ as Buddy Rich says. feel most alive when I’m onstage, when typewriter feelings,” Lombardo laments. I just make sure to give it the respect of I’m working. In 25 years people will be “Some drummers I see online, they’re like the original recordings and clean it up, saying, ‘That’s Dave Lombardo? He’s still typewriters. It’s like I’m hearing somebody make the band sound like a fine-tuned playing? Who’s he playing for now? Who type, not somebody actually playing machine.” the hell is that?’”

QUICK LICKS Transcription by Andy Ziker “Lost My Brain...Once Again” “Lost My Brain...Once Again” 196 q = Dave Lombardo is one of the architects of 0:04 thrash metal drumming (Slayer), but shows œ y Y Y Y y Y Y Y y Y Y Y j j œ y his versatility with hardcore overlords 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Suicidal Tendencies. Here, Lombardo gives ã 4 œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ œ œ us a lesson in how to create a hard-driving punk feel. In the first five bars, he plays y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y fills with the bass player and builds tension œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ with open hi-hat quarters and crashes on ã œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ the & of 4. The phrase starting in measure six features eighth-notes on a pingy ride, syncopated bass drum, and finishes with a y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y œ œ y rapid-fire flourish in measure 13. jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ã ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

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