The music industry has changed drastically over the years, and few artists have witnessed its evolution as closely as legendary drummer Dave Lombardo. From his time with Slayer to his work with Fantômas, Testament, Mr. Bungle, Misfits, and Dead Cross, Lombardo has navigated the industry’s shifting landscape firsthand. In a recent interview with the RRBG Podcast, he shared his perspective on the digital age and the rise of AI in music.
“We all know the negative part of it — obviously, the change we’ve had to witness. But, hey, that’s evolution. That’s life. We’re gonna be viejitos (little old men) if we start complaining about it. It’s, like, ‘Oh, you know, back in my day,’ this and that. It’s, like, no — you have to go with the flow,” Lombardo said (via Blabbermouth), embracing the inevitable progress of technology.
While many veteran musicians lament the decline of physical album sales and the traditional music business model, Lombardo sees advantages in today’s industry. “I think there’s a lot of advantages in today’s industry. One, you could put music out — anybody could put music out and anybody could record it at home. And there are just so many advantages. The research that you can do online to clear up any questions, if you have an idea, if you have a problem. All those are brilliant advantages, and I think we should embrace them, and use them to our benefit,” he explained.
Rather than focusing on the negatives, he encourages musicians to take advantage of the tools available to them. “I think also if we sit around and complain about things, you’re really missing the point. You’ve been given all these great tools, and I think it’s just better for us all around. Yes, I can go down the path and complain and nitpick all these little things, but, man, I don’t view life that way. If something’s holding it back, if you fall, get up, brush yourself off, keep moving forward. If something happens, ‘Fuck. That hurt. Well, let’s go. Come on.’ So that’s just my personality.”
Lombardo also addressed the growing role of AI in music, a hot topic among artists and fans alike. While AI-generated music is becoming more prevalent, he remains skeptical about its ability to replace live performance. “Actually, I’d like to see AI perform it live. The human element, the feeling of having a Marshall stack being played in front of you and some subwoofer and low end from a drummer on a real drum set, there’s nothing like that,” he said.
He acknowledges that as technology advances, live music could become less central to the industry, but he remains hopeful that it will always have a place. “It could be possible that people will forget, something will come in and take its place and people will forget what that feels like, but hopefully not. That aspect, live music, I think people need that, people need to get out and see and experience that, a live performance, so I don’t see that going away. And AI definitely can’t replace that.”
Lombardo recently released To Cross or to Burn, the sophomore album from his Venamoris project, in which he collaborates with his wife, Paula Lombardo.
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