There is an old saying/tradition when it comes to drum solos during a gig; “It is time to head to the bar!” Unless it is a phenomenal talent like the late, great, Neal Peart, Mike Portnoy, Mike Mangini or Danny Carey, or it is an intricate display adding to the set or a track like Sepultura’s tribal drum orchestra sections, drum solo spots are often overlooked, ignored or sighed at. This isn’t the stringed instrument bias from myself as sometimes, the spotlight extended guitar or bass solo segments are just as tedious at times and also make for great points to slip away to top up a beverage or two. Now the question is, does this hold true for a Percussion-based solo album?
Dave Lombardo, the legendary drummer of Slayer and Fantômas needs little introduction. His hard hitting style has influenced many drummers and he is rightly considered as one of the greatest metal drummers of all time, especially with his performances on the likes of ‘War Ensemble’ and ‘Post Mortem’. With having downtime due to the global pandemic, like many musicians, Dave decided to put his creativity to the test and after setting up his vast array of percussion instruments, set to work on recording his own solo work; “Rites Of Percussion”. Drawing from all his musical influences, as well as the bands he has performed in, we will see if this legendary drummer can keep the masses from slipping off to grab a beer or two.
The first thing to note about this solo album is that it is near enough a purely percussive endeavour. There are no guitars or bass to compliment the drum work so if you’re after a catchy melodic hook, you won’t find it here. There will be plenty of catchy rhythmic hooks however, no doubt it will have you tapping your foot and drumming your fingers against your thighs in time to the beat, ranging from Latin America inspired to pseudo-tribal to punk, prog and metal, adding in some more quirky and exotic percussive instruments to boot, just to spice things up.
As interesting as this is sound wise, the lack of accompanying instruments to compliment Dave’s drumming does make this a difficult listen. Whilst the rhythmic work is captivating and hypnotic, the lack of a thundering or funky bassline to compliment the drum rolls and crashing cymbals makes it feel a touch empty despite the variety of tones on offer from various percussive instruments not normally heard outside of the rock and metal genres. It is this total focus on drums (with minimal effects and some piano arrangements) which makes this a difficult listen for those not fully appreciative of drums. Whilst it is fun to try and count along to the meter and to see if there are any intriguing elements in the composition, if you are like me who has zero grasp of rhythm or any inclination to timing, it is a very confusing listen without something there to complement the drumming.
Did I possibly bite off more than I could chew by agreeing to give this album a few listens so I could write about it? Yes. Without a shadow of a doubt! “Rites Of Percussion” is a confusing and captivating musical composition which I can appreciate from a technical level, but as for actually understanding it… My poor string orientated mind cannot get to grips with it on so many levels. As I mentioned previously, a simple bass accompaniment in parts would have made the album a bit easier to listen to and follow. It would have given it a little more weight and if it was used minimally, it wouldn’t detract from the presence of Lombardo’s drum work. If you came to this album expecting 12 tracks of Slayer-esque cuts, then you came to the wrong place. Rites is more expressive and explorative compared to the familiar work of Lombardo, and whilst it is a tough nut to crack, it is certainly worth a listen or two so you can appreciate just how good Dave Lombardo actually is!
(6/10 Fraggle)
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