Lombardo open to Slayer return

Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo is open to the idea of rejoining - to “retire that band correctly.”

He was fired last year over a contractual dispute and later declared he’d never return to the thrash outfit he helped form.

Slayer replaced him once again with Paul Bostaph and they’ve been working alongside Exodus guitarist Gary Holt on the follow-up to 2009’s World Painted Blood, expected in 2015. It’s their first album without late guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Lombardo tells the Eddie Trunk podcast: “Would I go back? For the fans and to retire that band correctly. I’m not gonna close any doors. Like I said before, my door’s open.”

Asked if he has had any contact with his former bandmates since Hanneman’s funeral, the drummer says, “That was really hard – and, no, there hasn’t been any communication between the guys and myself.”

Lombardo maintains he can still handle the pace of Slayer’s music as he approaches his 50th birthday in February. “I haven’t had any problems playing that style,” he says. “Even when I was in Slayer up to 2013, I felt great. Energy, my limbs, my muscles, my joints – maybe I‘m eating the right things, maybe I’m doing the right stretches and exercises. Honestly, I feel great.

“I hope to continue performing this way and playing heavy style of music and aggressive music. I feel more comfortable playing at higher speeds than I do playing slower ballads; that’s where I thrive.”

Meanwhile, Lombardo is busy with Philm, a former side-project now described as his main band, who released second record _Fire From The Evening Sun _earlier this year. He reports: “We’ve been doing some scattered shows around the world and we’re working on releasing another album, I hope around April or May of next year. It’s very exciting.

“I really enjoy performing with these musicians and writing and hanging out with them – it’s a good vibe and a very creative environment.”