Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has commended Exodus guitarist Gary Holt for his impeccable performances as Slayer’s fill-in guitarist over the better part of the past eighteen months.
Holt has been Slayer’s touring guitarist since the beginning of 2011, when Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted necrotising fasciitis from complications of a spider bite.
Speaking with Loudwire, Lombardo said that Holt, who is a longtime friend of Slayer’s, was his first pick to step-in for Hanneman. “We’ve known Gary since ’83-’84, and he’s always been really a good guy and an excellent player and he was like the first one really that came to my mind for a guitar player and we had just seen him recently and were impressed by his performance, so he was like the perfect choice.”
Lombardo added that right from that start, Holt made it clear he was the perfect choice for Slayer. “It was immediate. His playing from the get-go was great. He did all his homework, he stepped up and did a fantastic job and still is. I couldn’t have seen anybody else do his job.”
Hanneman has endured a long and arduous recovery-period and is only now starting to get back to match fitness. “He’s doing great. Well, he’s not doing great, but he is recovering is what I meant to say,” Lombardo said. “He’s definitely recovering and doing as best as he can to move forward and heal as fast as possible.”
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