Following the shock news that drummer Dave Lombardo has been fired from their Australian tour, Slayer have released a statement detailing their side of the story (or the parts they think we need to know, anyway).
Lombardo had written on his Facebook page that the firing came as a result of a difference of opinion with Kerry King over a new business model for the band; a claim refuted by the band's statement, which reads as follows:
SLAYER confirms that Jon Dette will drum for the band on its Australian tour that starts this Saturday, February 23 in Brisbane. As regards Dave Lombardo's Facebook post, SLAYER does not agree with Mr. Lombardo's substance or the timeline of the events, except to acknowledge that Mr. Lombardo came to the band less than a week before their scheduled departure for Australia to present an entirely new set of terms for his engagement that were contrary to those that had been previously agreed upon. The band was unable to reach an agreement on these new demands in the short amount of time available prior to leaving for Australia. There is more to the account than what Mr. Lombardo has offered, but out of respect to him, SLAYER will not be commenting further. SLAYER is grateful to its Australian fans for their understanding of this unfortunate last-minute change, and very much looks forward to seeing them at these shows.
