Slayer, what can be said that has not been said a thousand times before? They ARE the influence in brutal, dark metal based in sleek, fast riffs. They have spawned countless Slayer babies and they still do it better than the rest twenty plus years later. World Painted Blood is the new record and an instant classic, harkening back to the days of the early records where just sitting the needle down on the record was ingrained in excitement. Metal Exiles were granted the opportunity to sit down with Slayer drummer extraordinaire Dave Lombardo on the last Slayer tour for a few minutes (and I mean few) to discuss this latest bombastic Slayer Offering.
An interview with Dave Lombardo
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: To kick this off, you guys released a sick 45 for Record Store day with Psychopathy Red. What did Record Store Day mean to Slayer and where did the concept for the song come from?
Dave Lombardo: Record stores mean a lot to us because most kids do not buy the product to get a piece of the band. It is not just a download or a mysterious megabyte on your iPod. I think record stores are great, the mom and pop stores, the Hot Topics but I cannot say a lot for Tower or Virgin.
Metal Exiles: Yes, the are gone. So where did the idea for the cover of Psychopathy Red come from?
Dave: Obviously the song is about a Russian murderer and it inspired Jeff to write a song about it, I love it. The record company dreamed up the idea for the cover, it looks old, very rustic, almost real.
Metal Exiles: World Painted Blood is great so lets start with the title. It is a normal Slayer title to me so where did that come from?
Dave: World Painted blood reflects on the paranoia and panic with December 21st 2012, the whole apocalypse. The date came from the Mayan Calendar, the world is supposed to end after 26,000 years.
Metal Exiles: What were your contributions for the new record?
Dave: My contributions were the gluing the parts together, making them flow. My job is to make things feel good. The guys in Slayer do a great job at that but when a drummer goes in there and does it himself it make it come out right. I have a sense of flow when it comes to the drums and the rhythm.
Metal Exiles: The ideas behind Christ Illusion were startling to say the least. What were some of the other ideas behind World Painted Blood.
Dave: It is not what we tried to accomplish, it is that we became more of a unit on this record. We fed off of each other, we bounced ideas off of one another, w really collaborated on thsio record other than one person controlling the writing.
Metal Exiles: Sometimes it seems like a record can be so one sided.
Dave: Yeah that’s true and it sounds like it to. WPB sounds like it is coming from all directions, it is very well balanced.
Metal Exiles: What would be the big difference between this record and the past catalog?
Dave: The fact that it reflects the classic Slayer records. This one is more like Reign, Seasons and South Of Heaven.
Metal Exiles: It was said that Greg Fidelman brought you guys out of your normalcy. What is so normal about Slayer and what did he bring to the table?
Dave: He was able to bring out the best in us and he has this approach that is great when it comes to drums. And now when I look at it in retrospect he has a great knowledge in music and the construction of music and theory.
Metal Exiles: Speaking of your drums, what did you use on this album?
Dave: I used my Tama Star Classic, maple shell.
Metal Exiles: This is the second time co headlining with Manson. What went so well last time that brought you back out with him?
Dave: I think they enjoyed being with us. They enjoyed the success we had, Manson liked being invited to the Unholy Alliance, and he wanted us on the Mayhem tour.
Metal Exiles: Any final thoughts for your fans?
Dave: The fans are going to get a bombastic record that is brutal and solid. Like I said, it reflects the old Slayer records which is the real Slayer.
In closing, World Painted Blood is worth the excitement, the buildup and the fanfare. This is the record that the metal masses want and need and if this record is not gold before the end of the year something is indeed wrong.
http://www.slayer.net/
BUY WORLD PAINTED BLOOD!!!
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