Legendary ex-SLAYER drummer DAVE LOMBARDO has reflected on the brotherhood and creative dynamics among the 'Big Four' of thrash metal — SLAYER, METALLICA, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX — in a candid new interview on the Slowhands Rock Talk Show.
Lombardo, widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal drummers of all time, described how the bands in the early 1980s Los Angeles scene pushed each other forward while building their own distinct identities. "We would listen and absorb, hear what they did. 'Okay, now let's go ahead and move on. And we're SLAYER,'" he explained.
His personal ambition was unambiguous: "My mindset was to be the fastest, the heaviest, and the most brutal band on earth." Yet that ferocity existed within a context of genuine camaraderie rather than rivalry. "We were just all metalheads, and we were a big family...There was camaraderie. We all had the same vision."
Lombardo was emphatic in dismissing any suggestion of plagiarism among the Big Four, noting that each band absorbed shared influences while developing a wholly distinct voice. He also highlighted the particular openness of the drummer community, confirming he remains close friends with Gary Holt and members of EXODUS and TESTAMENT to this day.
The interview is a compelling reminder that the thrash metal movement was built not just on ferocity and technique, but on a tight-knit scene of musicians who challenged each other to reach new extremes while remaining united by a shared love of heavy metal.