Kerry King of Slayer. (Ricky Swift/WENN.com)

Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has been replaced on the band's upcoming Australian tour after taking issue with his meagre pay cheque.

The heavy metal group is set to kick off its trek Down Under in Brisbane on Saturday, but Lombardo won't be there following a financial spat with his bandmates. Rocker Jon Dette will take his place.

A statement from Lombardo reads, "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.

"In my opinion, this is not the way a band's business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my bandmates know, and Tom (Araya, bassist) and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary backup documents.

"I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year's sweat and blood.

"On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a longform contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review...

"I sat down with Kerry (King, guitarist) and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model... (but) 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."

And he went through with his threat.

Concluding his online note, Lombardo writes, "I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums... I'm saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation."