Slayer's drummer is forced out of group

Romance is dead. Slayer have essentially dumped their drummer, and chose Valentine's Day to part ways.

Drummer Dave Lombardo has revealed he was forced out of the band after he raised questions about the directions of their revenue.

In a statement posted on Facebook, he stated: "As of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I'm saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.

"Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer's tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us.

"Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best...play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates."

The founding member added: "I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the three of us original Slayer members. I look forward to seeing you in the future."

This isn't the first time Lombardo has left the group; he parted ways with Slayer in 1992, and only rejoined again in 2001.