10 Best Metal Drummers Of All Time
2. Dave Lombardo
When you look at the way metal drumming evolved throughout the years, there should be a category of what was before Dave Lombardo and what was after. As the thrash metal scene began taking shape in the mid-80's, Slayer was the perfect example of metal madness that would send any mother screaming.
The way that Dave Lombardo pummeled his kit is something that metal fans had not seen up to that point. There had been double-bass playing in metal before, but Lombardo was the one who seemed to write the instruction manual on how to make that maniacal kick drum sound exciting. As the band created metal classics like "Angel of Death" and "War Ensemble," Lombardo's incendiary grooves took the band's riffs into the stratosphere.
Lombardo's power, combined with his "to-hell-with-it" attitude, led the band to create frenetic headtrips with each record. While Slayer has moved on in recent years with him, Lombardo's presence is something that is sorely missed when the band takes to the road. Instead of laying down a strong simple backbeat, Dave Lombardo turned the listener into his punching bag as he delivered a bludgeoning assault on your senses with every release.