Photo: Dean Karr
Dave Lombardo, drummer for Suicidal Tendencies and Dead Cross, is making his film scoring debut this weekend with the premiere of the upcoming documentary Los Ultimos Frikis.
According to a press release, Los Ultimos Frikis:
“captures an intimate portrait of Zeus, a heavy metal band from Havana, Cuba. After fighting for two decades for the right to play their once-forbidden music, Zeus embarks on a journey across the island for their first national tour. While on tour, the band confronts their own fragile place in the country’s shifting culture as a new generation turns to newer, sexier sounds. Returning home to Havana on the cusp of their 30th anniversary, the band comes to terms with how they’ve dedicated their lives, as the film becomes a reflection on time, art and life’s purpose.”
Director Nicholas Brennan said of the film:
“‘Los Ultimos Frikis‘ is the culmination of a cross-border collaboration between Cuban and American filmmakers, musicians and artists who have worked together over the past decade to share this unheard story from Cuba with the world. It’s an important example for our current times of how collaboration and friendship can overcome our political differences.”
Lombardo made the following statement:
“When Nick told me his vision for this documentary I was immediately intrigued by the story because it could have been mine. When he asked me to score the film, I didn’t hesitate to accept. It couldn’t have been a more perfect match for my debut at a new form of musical expression.”
Lombardo is taking this as a way to produce something bigger than himself:
“I have been on a path of making music solely for myself and various bands for 37 years. This is for the people of my birthplace. This is for my blood and for healing.”
Said Brennan about working with Lombardo:
“Partnering with Dave Lombardo on this film has been one of the pinnacles of my creative career. Dave has brought a deeply personal and creative weight to his music in this film, informed both by his Cuban roots as well our shared time together in Havana over the past few years. With the film’s original score, Dave pours his heart into the music, blending Cuban rhythms, a deeply emotional sensitivity, and his metal instincts to echo the powerful, impactful story of Zeus as it unfolds on screen.”
Los Ultimos Frikis will premiere during DOC NYC on November 10 at the SVA Theatre. Brennan, producer John Logan Pierson and cinematographer Javier Labrador are expected to attend the premiere. The film is in Spanish, presumably with English subtitles. Tickets are available now.
