To say that Dave Lombardo has been outspoken about Slayer since his departure would be an understatement. From financial statements to a “non-existent” relationship with his ex-bandmates, it’s obvious Lombardo is on less than good terms with the band. So it shouldn’t come as much of a shock that Lombardo doesn’t think he’ll ever rejoin Slayer.
In an interview with Radio Screamer, Lombardo was asked about his departure and the possibility of returning:
“Oh, well, I don’t think that’s ever gonna happen again. Well, the reason why… I mean, time passed. It was ten years. When I returned in 2001, it had been already ten years that I was out of the band, and it felt like it was the right time. It was water under the bridge, we didn’t have any grudges, but apparently that really wasn’t the case, because later I find out that, ‘Oh, well, he left in ’92, so just get him out again.’
I really don’t wanna get into the details, but I take this departure like any other change in life. You just go with it. I, luckily, had a band that I had put back together before this whole thing went down with Slayer. And you just move forward; you don’t look back.”
It’s easy to sympathize with Lombardo in the sense that he doesn’t want the band to think the band can just bring him in and kick him out any time they feel like it. Still, there’s the old saying “never say never”, so who knows what the deal will be with Slayer another ten years from now?
