Legendary drummer Dave Lombardo (Testament, Suicidal Tendencies, Mr. Bungle, etc.) will release his debut drum album Rites Of Percussion for May 5. You can check out the third single from the album "Inner Sanctum" above, which as usual is fantastic… and a little creepy both tonally and in its video. It's actually really creepy. Make it stop.
Rites Of Percussion was mixed by Lombardo's son David A. Lombardo, mastered by by John Golden at Golden Mastering, and given artwork by Luke Insect. Pre-orders are available here.
"The songs on this album invoke imagery," said Lombardo of the record. "I write from wherever my mind travels. I write how I think. I want the songs to conjure emotion. There are no lyrics, but there are many levels of intensity. In a way, I think I've found a hidden talent. That is, taking mental images and putting those images to music."
Lombardo also touched on the inspiration behind creating Rites Of Percussion, saying vocalist Mike Patton really pushed him to do it.
"[Mike] Patton originally gave me the idea as far back as 1998," explains Lombardo. "He introduced me to Tito Puente's Top Percussion album. I was already familiar with Tito and was a bit shocked that Patton was so musically diverse, and that he surrounded himself with musicians of the same mindset. That inspired me.
"I have had ideas that I've recorded on cassette over the years, but Patton kept insisting that I had to do a 'drum album.' So, the idea behind the album is years in the making. I just had to find the right time—for me—to do it."
Of course the pandemic was the prime time for Lombardo to embark on a solo drum journey, explaining that he began working on the record during all that downtime. Rites Of Percussion was recorded at Lombardo's home and Studio 606 between 2020 and 2021.
"When the pandemic hit, I thought, 'Well, I can't tour now,' I immediately started working on the record. It was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. I had my studio, all my drums. Nothing was in storage for once! My home became a place where I could be free and creative.
"On the one hand, the touring part of my livelihood had been taken away, but on the other, I finally had the time to educate myself on different software and recording techniques. It was a very educational and gratifying experience."
