This is basically the shittiest news EVAR (of the day). Slayer is not exactly at 100% currently, with guitarist Jeff Hanneman sidelined for over a year due to an infection caused by a spider bite. Now, it seems as though the band will be down to 50% of their original lineup, as Dave Lombardo announced on his Facebook page that he is out of the band.
Lombardo posted a long update on his Facebook page explaining the situation and apologizing to fans. It basically all comes down to money, and Lombardo not being able to see where his share was going. Here is his statement in full:
Statement From Dave Lombardo Regarding Slayer Australian Tour 2013
I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums.
So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.
Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom [Araya] and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents.
I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form 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.
Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry [King] and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates.
I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members.
I look forward to seeing you in the future.Sincerely,
Dave Lombardo
This is like watching your parents fight, you can't pick a side, you just wish they'd stop fighting. This is basically how I feel right now. This sounds like it's not going to get better anytime soon, and Lombardo going public with this is clearly a sign that this is going to stick, at least for a little while.
UPDATE: Slayer have issued their own statement responding to this. Read that here.
This of course is not the first time Lombardo left Slayer. Lombardo quit the band in 1992, wanting to be home with his wife for her pregnancy.
Drummer Jon Ditte has been called to fill in for Lombardo. He has previously toured with Slayer and Testament, but never recorded with either. Here are Slayer's upcoming Australian tour dates:
2/23 – RNA Showgrounds – Brisbane, Australia
2/24 – Olympic Park – Sydney, Australia
3/1 – Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Australia
3/2 – Bonython Park – Adelaide, Australia
3/4 – Claremont Showgrounds – Perth, Australia
For the betterment of all of metal, we hope both sides can quickly and easily resolve this issue, and Slayer can continue melting faces with Lombardo behind the kit. What does this mean for Slayer's new album? Kerry has said he and Lombardo have about 11 songs written. The band has yet to record though, would they record without Lombardo?
Let's take a deep breathe and look back at happier times with some Slayer animated GIFs.
UPDATE: Slayer have issued their own statement responding to this. Read that here.
[via MetalSucks]
