Bay Area Thrash-Metal Heroes Testament Announce Return of Drummer Dave Lombardo to Line-Up
By Dave Pehling
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Bay Area thrash-metal band Testament on Tuesday announced that powerhouse drummer Dave Lombardo would be returning to the line-up for the upcoming spring dates of their rescheduled "The Bay Strikes Back Tour."
The band made the announcement on Sirius FM's Liquid Metal radio station live on the air Tuesday afternoon. Testament had previously gone public in January with the news that longtime drummer Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Death, Strapping Young Lad, Dethklok, Devin Townsend) was ending his over ten-year stint playing with the band, parting on amicable terms. Hoglan played his final date with the band at the Fox Theater in Oakland just after Thanksgiving last November, one of the few "The Bay Strikes Back" that wasn't postponed by rising COVID case concerns.
Lombardo is best known for his time as a member of legendary thrash-metal icons Slayer, though his last final departure from that band in 2013 over a contract dispute was far from friendly. Slayer finished a final extended farewell tour in 2019. Lombardo -- who spent time in Testament in the late '90s, recording the celebrated 1999 album The Gathering -- has played in a wide variety of bands ranging from singer Mike Patton's experimental quartet Fantômas to leading his own groups Grip, Inc. and Philm. More recently, he has expanded his collaborations with Patton in the band Dead Cross and with a thrash-minded reformation of Patton's first band Mr. Bungle as well as serving as the marquee drummer with Suicidal Tendencies and the Misfits.
"I'll state the obvious: We are more than overwhelmed to welcome back Dave Lombardo to play drums with Testament. We are so excited to share the stage again with Lombardo," Testament singer Chuck Billy said. "Dave added immense power when he joined the band for The Gathering, and we are ecstatic to see what new flavor he will bring back to Testament."
"Having Dave Lombardo join us again feels like we are picking up where unfinished business had left off," Testament guitarist Eric Peterson added. "There is a silver lining to every cloud, and working again with Dave calls for us to celebrate with our horns held high!"
"This is a long-awaited reunion that was bound to happen. Once upon a time, we created a thrash masterpiece. I have no doubt that our musical chemistry will pick up exactly where we left off," Lombardo said. "I love the Testament family and am very excited to be joining them once again. Pure brutality awaits."
Still rightfully revered by many as one of thrash metal's touchstone bands, Testament has carried the torch for Bay Area headbangers for over three decades. Founded in the East Bay town of Alameda by guitarist Eric Peterson using the moniker Legacy in 1983, the band crafted a sound that touched on newer British metal bands like Venom, Motorhead and Iron Maiden while also following the lead of new Bay Area residents Metallica (Peterson had a cassette of the band's first No Life Til Leather demo).
Testament will be relaunching "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" in San Louis Obispo on April 9. There currently is not a return date for the tour scheduled since the November show was not impacted by the postponement, but the tour does stop in Sacramento on May 25.
