When Testament announced that they had parted ways with legendary drummer Gene Hoglan last month, it left a gaping hole in the band’s lineup. But the veterans of thrash metal just revealed that they’ve landed perhaps the genre’s greatest drummer, the iconic Dave Lombardo, as their newest member.
That’s right, the Dave Lombardo, founding member of Slayer and undisputed champion of the double bass drums, is Testament’s new stickman.
Frontman Chuck Billy exclaimed, “I’ll state the obvious: We are more than overwhelmed to welcome back Dave Lombardo to play drums with Testament. We are so excited to share the stage again with Lombardo. Dave added immense power when he joined the band for The Gathering (release), and we are ecstatic to see what new flavor he will bring back to Testament.”
In his statement, Billy referred to the time Lombardo joined Testament to record their acclaimed 1999 LP The Gathering. However, he left the group before they toured in support of the album.
Lombardo chimed in, “This is a long-awaited reunion that was bound to happen. Once upon a time, we created a thrash masterpiece. I have no doubt that our musical chemistry will pick up exactly where we left off. I love the Testament family and am very excited to be joining them once again. Pure brutality awaits.”
As far as current résumés are concerned, Lombardo’s is hard to beat. He is also an active member of Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, and the reunited Misfits touring lineup. Of course, he’s still best known for his work with Slayer, playing on their genre-defining first five albums, and then rejoining them in the early 2000s until parting ways with the group in 2013.
Testament will show off their new lineup when they headline the “Bay Strikes Back Tour” featuring fellow Bay Area thrash veterans Exodus and Death Angel. The tour kicks off April 9th in San Louis Obispo, California, with tickets available via Ticketmaster.
While the tour was postponed last year, Heavy Consequence caught all three bands offer a sneak peek of the outing with a one-off show in November in Oakland.
See the dates in the poster below, and pick up tickets here.
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