(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "INITIATORY MADNESS")
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
You're listening to a legendary drummer's debut solo album. This track is him getting back to his Cuban roots. He's banging on a bata there. But throughout the record, he explores percussion from around the world. Cool story, right? I mean, yeah. Of course it is. Now wait till you find out who he is.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WAR ENSEMBLE")
SLAYER: (Shouting) Sport the war.
MARTÍNEZ: Dave Lombardo is a founding member of Slayer, one of the fastest, most punishing metal bands of all time - pure screaming chaos. But let's take away the amplifiers for just a second so you can focus on a musician with serious chops.
(SOUNDBITE OF SLAYER'S "WAR ENSEMBLE" DRUM TRACK)
MARTÍNEZ: Lombardo's new album is titled "Rites Of Percussion," and he calls it a journey through his rhythmic mind.
DAVE LOMBARDO: It's something I've always wanted to do because I've been influenced by so many other drummers and percussionists that weren't metal or thrash, you know? The great Tito Puente, Latin jazz percussionist, he was - like, he was awesome. I wanted this album to be in a different mood than anything I've done. It's not about aggression or playing fast or playing hard. It's about setting up a feeling or a groove.
MARTÍNEZ: So speaking of tone and mood, I wanted to play one of the songs that stood out to me in "Rites Of Percussion." That's "Warpath." Let's hear a little of "Warpath."
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
MARTÍNEZ: So, Dave, take us through what's happening in "Warpath." Because when I saw the name of the song, I was expecting - you know, when the warriors go to war in the movie? I was kind of expecting that kind of aggressive thing.
LOMBARDO: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: But it wasn't. It was like the warriors have a little flair and style to them.
LOMBARDO: (Laughter) Yeah. With "Warpath," it harnessed the excitement or the adrenaline of, let's say, you know, warriors or soldiers fighting with someone.
MARTÍNEZ: And what were you using in "Warpath"? What kind of things are we hearing?
LOMBARDO: In "Warpath," you're hearing djembe - layer upon layer of djembes.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
LOMBARDO: Oh, the bottle.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
LOMBARDO: Drum set.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
LOMBARDO: Shakers.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
MARTÍNEZ: What about right there? What's going on right there?
LOMBARDO: It's, like, a sample drone that I found.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "WARPATH")
LOMBARDO: There was a lot of moments that I felt I needed to bring in at least some kind of ambient or drone sound, you know, because I felt that it just - it was a little naked.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "MAUNDER IN LIMINALITY")
MARTÍNEZ: You were born in Cuba. You left when you were pretty young.
LOMBARDO: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Where do we hear Cuba on this album? Because you've really tried to reconnect with Cuba recently.
LOMBARDO: It's all over the place. This album is inspired by my roots, and I didn't know how inspired I was until probably '85 or '86 when I was recording Slayer's "Angel Of Death." And the double bass kept going, and I hit my tom-toms...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ANGEL OF DEATH")
LOMBARDO: ...In a way, like, Tito Puente would hit his timbales. You know, Tito Puente has a song called "Ran Kan Kan." You know, so it's dun, dun, dun, dun-dun.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RAN KAN KAN")
LOMBARDO: I did that unknowingly.
MARTÍNEZ: Dude, that musical moment was in your DNA then. It was...
LOMBARDO: Exactly.
MARTÍNEZ: You were born with that.
LOMBARDO: I know. I know. That's what later I realized.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
LOMBARDO: And when I went to Cuba in 2018 and started playing congas, the other metal musicians that we were performing that night with - they looked at me. It's like, it's in your blood, man. You could tell. It's in your blood - from what I was exposed to. When I was a kid, my mom and dad used to go to these - in America - to these Cuban clubs, and they would have a family that would cook dinner. They would have matinees for kids. And then at nighttime, there would be a Cuban dance band to come in for the parents. And so we were there practically all day. And I would always sit and watch the drummers. They're just sweating, and people dancing and enjoying themselves, and the horn section comes in. And just the power - it was phenomenal. I'll never forget those days.
MARTÍNEZ: In 2018 when you did visit, though, did you get to jam with people there?
LOMBARDO: I didn't.
MARTÍNEZ: You didn't? Oh, wow.
LOMBARDO: No, I didn't. I paid a visit with my wife and my mom. I took her, and I'm very happy that I was able to take her back. Her memory - I mean, she was probably 85 at the time - was so on point. She said, go down this street. We were able to go to the house I was born in. There's a photograph I have of her pregnant with me. And so when we walked up, I said, ma'am, excuse me. We're just going to take a picture right here, if you don't mind. And the lady inside the house comes out and says, China? My mom's nickname in Cuba...
MARTÍNEZ: Oh, boy.
LOMBARDO: ...And in the States was China. And so she said, China? And my mom was shocked. I - she said, I knew you'd come back someday. So she had us come in. We had some coffee. And it's fascinating.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Wow.
LOMBARDO: It was a great experience. I'm glad I gave my mom that gift before she passed.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "SEPARATION FROM THE SACRED")
MARTÍNEZ: What does this music - what you're putting out now with "Rites Of Percussion" - what does this say about the type of musician you are today?
LOMBARDO: I like for it to say that I'm open-minded. I haven't painted myself in a corner. It's challenging. You have to challenge the listener. If it rattles their innards, if they're like, oh, dear, why would he do that, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
MARTÍNEZ: We all need our innards rattled. I mean, it's a good diuretic. We all need that.
LOMBARDO: (Laughter) And, you know, if it does that, I think, you know, you've done something.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "SEPARATION FROM THE SACRED")
MARTÍNEZ: That is drummer Dave Lombardo. His first solo album is called "Rites Of Percussion."
Dave, congratulations on the first solo album, and thanks a lot.
LOMBARDO: Thank you. Thank you for listening, and it's an honor to be on NPR.
(SOUNDBITE OF DAVE LOMBARDO'S "SEPARATION FROM THE SACRED")
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