Before Christmas 2001, Paul Bostaph decided to leave the band because of an elbow injury that affected his ability to drum. He would later reveal that the actual reason for him leaving was because "Musically, I wanted to do something else". Since Slayer was without a drummer to finish their "God Hates Us All" tour, King contacted original drummer Dave Lombardo and asked if he would want to play the remainder of the tour. Lombardo accepted and played the remaining 21 shows. He did not take a permanent position with the band.