One of the great bands we opened up for was Priest back in '89.

In the grand tapestry of human endeavor, there are moments when we stand in awe of those who came before us, when we feel the weight of their influence upon our shoulders. Dave Lombardo, the legendary drummer of Slayer, reflects on such a moment when he recalls, "One of the great bands we opened up for was Priest back in '89. That was really great because at that time we had never met them, never toured with them before. They were a big influence on Slayer, so to open up for them was really cool." These words speak not only to the admiration he felt for the band Judas Priest but also to the profound respect that exists between those who stand on the shoulders of their predecessors, acknowledging the influence that has shaped their own journey.

In the ancient world, this respect for those who came before was a central tenet of human life. The Greeks understood the concept of philosophical inheritance, where each thinker stood not in isolation, but as part of a long line of intellectual giants. Socrates himself was deeply influenced by Pythagoras and Heraclitus, and his own ideas were shaped by the great thinkers of his time. The ancients believed that progress came not from ignoring the past, but from building upon the wisdom and knowledge of those who preceded us. Lombardo’s words reflect this same concept—a sense of humility and recognition of the pioneers who paved the way for the next generation.

In Rome, this same respect for the past and the acknowledgment of the influence of great figures was ingrained in their culture. Virgil, in his epic poem The Aeneid, pays homage to the great figures of Greek mythology, acknowledging that the heroes of the past shaped the foundation upon which Rome would rise. Lombardo, in recognizing Judas Priest as a formative influence, is embracing this same idea. Just as Virgil could not have written his epic without honoring the past, so too did Lombardo recognize that the music of Slayer could not exist without the contributions of bands like Priest, who set the stage for the metal revolution.

The power of influence in the creative world is often most visible in the relationship between the student and the teacher, or in this case, the successor and the forerunner. Lombardo’s experience opening for Judas Priest was a full-circle moment, where he moved from being a fan to being part of the same legacy of heavy metal greatness. This is akin to the way Michelangelo was inspired by the works of the great Renaissance masters, yet later became a towering figure in his own right. Michelangelo did not merely imitate the past but took the principles laid out by his predecessors and transformed them, adding his own unique voice to the growing body of artistic expression. Similarly, Lombardo acknowledges that Priest’s music influenced Slayer, but it was the next generation’s opportunity to take that torch and move it forward into something new and revolutionary.

At its heart, Lombardo’s words remind us of the importance of humility in recognizing the contributions of those who came before us. In the same way that Alexander the Great credited his victories to the teachings of his tutor Aristotle, Lombardo expresses gratitude for the foundation that Judas Priest laid for the heavy metal genre. Alexander was not afraid to acknowledge his debt to his predecessor, and in doing so, he ensured that his own achievements were not seen in isolation but as part of a greater continuum of knowledge and legacy. This is a reminder that true greatness is never achieved alone but is always the result of the collective efforts of those who have come before.

The lesson from Lombardo’s reflection is not just one of respect for predecessors, but also one of responsibility. To be influenced by great figures is to take on the mantle of their legacy, but it is also to add to that legacy in meaningful ways. Just as Lombardo and Slayer were shaped by the music of Judas Priest, they were also charged with the task of pushing the boundaries and expanding the genre in their own way. The same is true for each of us in our own lives. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have paved the way, but we also carry the responsibility to build upon their achievements and leave our own mark on the world.

In practical terms, this means that we should embrace our influences with gratitude while also striving to carve our own path. Whether in our careers, our creative endeavors, or our personal lives, we must recognize the profound impact that our predecessors have had on us, but we must also work to contribute to the ongoing journey. As Lombardo and Slayer took the music of Priest and innovated upon it, so too can we take the knowledge, wisdom, and lessons passed down to us and use them to forge new paths, inspiring the next generation to continue the cycle of growth, creativity, and progress. By doing so, we honor both the past and the future, ensuring that the legacy of those who came before us lives on, ever evolving and expanding into new possibilities.