Earlier this month, drum virtuoso Dave Lombardo — he of Slayer, Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament and any number of Mike Patton-fronted projects, from Mr. Bungle to Dead Cross — announced his first-ever solo album, the aptly titled Rites of Percussion, and unleashed its jaw-dropping lead single, "Journey of the Host."
Today (March 29th), he's followed that up with a second taste of the LP, the equally stunning and even more concussive and head-spinning "Separation from the Sacred." Blast it above via YouTube.
The 13-track Rites of Percussion was recorded with a simple mantra — drums had to be drums — and it features a massive range of instruments: a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and an array of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns and cymbals.
"Patton originally gave me the idea as far back as 1998," Lombardo explained of the album's origin story. "He introduced me to Tito Puente's Top Percussion album. I was already familiar with Tito and was a bit shocked that Patton was so musically diverse, and that he surrounded himself with musicians of the same mindset. That inspired me. I have had ideas that I've recorded on cassette over the years, but Patton kept insisting that I had to do a 'drum album.' So, the idea behind the album is years in the making. I just had to find the right time — for me — to do it."
Rites of Percussion is due out May 5th via Ipecac Recordings and available for pre-order now. Lombardo also recently announced another new project: the grindcore band Empire State Bastards, a supergroup with members of Biffy Clyro.
