Dave Lombardo Says Reign in Blood Still Gives Him Chills

The Adrenaline of a Thrash Metal Masterpiece

During an appearance on the Loaded Radio podcast with host Scott Penfold, uploaded on October 9, 2026, Dave Lombardo discussed the enduring legacy of Slayer’s third studio album. The record, which celebrated its 40th anniversary on October 7, continues to evoke a strong physical response from the drummer four decades after its release.

"Oh, it still, it still gives me the chills when I listen to that album. The palms of your hands get sweaty, you know? Your heart rate increases, and you're just in the moment. I've performed those songs so many times in my life on stage, and that adrenaline, just thinking about it, and when I listen to those songs, it triggers that adrenaline. I get charged. [Laughs] If I go into cardiac arrest, play “Angel Of Death” or “Raining Blood” or something, and watch me just pop up, like, “Hey, what's going on?'"

— Dave Lombardo

Lombardo noted that the intensity of the album was a result of the band's aggressive approach in the studio. He recalled the "push and pull" of the recording sessions, where the members would encourage each other to increase the tempo and energy of the tracks. He contrasted this "restless" energy with the "sterile" nature of modern music produced with current recording software.

"I enjoy thrash when I hear good thrash, you know? There's . . . a lot of really positive – or, not positive, [but] commendable attempts. But, . . . since computer software, music recording software, a lot of the music has turned very sterile. So, you kind of miss that push and pull of those albums that were almost – they were kind of, like, restless, you know? They were very just aggressive, I would say, and you could hear it! You could hear it in the recording, and I could see how that translated on to the record because when we were recording those songs, we would look at each other and say, “All right, let's go. Come on. Let's fucking kill it. Let's nail this one. Let's get this song.” “Faster?'” “Yeah, play it just a little faster.” “Okay, let's go.” Count four and the band just comes in. . . . Anger, angst, adrenaline –everything."

— Dave Lombardo

Honoring the Legacy of Jeff Hanneman

The interview also touched upon the contributions of late Slayer co-founder and guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who passed away in 2013 from liver failure related to alcohol-related cirrhosis. Lombardo described Hanneman as a "trailblazer" who helped define the Thrash Metal genre despite being a self-taught musician.

"He was a great guy. He was funny. [He was an] amazing songwriter. He was a trailblazer, man. He came to the band without – you know, self-taught, and took it from there and created some of the most amazing music of our genre."

— Dave Lombardo

Reign in Blood’s Cultural Impact and Future Events

Originally released on October 7, 1986, Reign in Blood was Slayer's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin and their debut for American Recordings. The album consists of 10 songs and famously clocks in at only 28 minutes and 58 seconds. It reached the Top 100 of the Billboard 200 and earned a gold certification from the RIAA.

The album has received significant critical acclaim over the years, including:

• No. 6 on Rolling Stone’s "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time."

• No. 31 on Pitchfork’s "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s."

• Named one of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" by NME.

• Christened "The Greatest Thrash Album of All Time" by Kerrang!.

In 2026, Slayer is celebrating this milestone with a series of live engagements. Vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King—joined by drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt—are performing the album in its entirety at select shows. Upcoming dates include performances in Mexico City on October 21, Sick New World Texas on October 24, and two sold-out headline shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on November 13 and 14. The band will also perform in Bogotá, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo to close out the year.

Furthermore, Araya and King are set to host a metal radio station called "106.6 The Chamber" in the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto VI, which arrives on November 19. Operating under the aliases DJ Tom and DJ Kerry, they will feature tracks such as Black Sabbath's "I," Pantera's "I'm Broken," and Slayer's own "Raining Blood."