In a new interview with Rolling Stone, while promoting his debut solo album, Kerry King spoke about his relationship with former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.
Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group’s Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER‘s drummer from 1992 until 2001.
When asked if he talked to Lombardo after his firing from SLAYER, Kerry responded: “No. Lombardo is dead to me.
He went on that tirade when we were on a flight to Australia, and he knew we couldn’t retort for 14 hours, and he threw me under the bus,” Kerry responded. “I was the only one keeping him in the band. Tom [Araya, SLAYER frontman] wanted him out before that, and Jeff [Hanneman, late SLAYER guitaris] had just gotten the spider bite [causing him to contract a flesh-eating bacteria, forcing him off the road], so he wasn’t playing with us much. I said, “We need [Dave]. The fans won’t get it if we replace him right now.”
“And then the Australia thing came up. He threw me under the bus, and I’m like, ‘“’I’m the guy that kept you here.” So I thought, ‘F**k that guy.’
“He’s super impressionable,” King continued. “He was listening to this woman that was his attorney at the time, and she thought we had METALLICA money, which we’ve never had f**=-king METALLICA money. So she’s just blowing s**t in his ear, and he thinks he should be getting more than he should be getting. It’s like, talk to somebody that actually knows the situation and isn’t just blowing sunshine up your ass to make money in your commission.
Following his dismissal, Lombardo revealed that he found out 90 percent of SLAYER‘s tour earnings were allocated to expenses, which included management fees, resulting in substantial losses for the band and only about 10 percent remaining to divide among the four members. Despite hiring auditors with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya to investigate the matter, Lombardo claimed he was denied access to any of the gathered information.
In February 2013, Lombardo issued a statement indicating that he had been refused access to comprehensive information and the essential supporting documents.
He said: “I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a longform contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.”
KERRY KING will release his debut studio album, From Hell I Rise, due out May 17 on Reigning Phoenix Music.
In addition to King, the album features DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda, longtime SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph, former HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders, and ex–MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel.
