Dead Cross, Self-Titled, A Review (2017)

Dead Cross, Self-Titled, A Review (2017)

By: Ghost Writer

Rock N Roll Animal

History tell us that ex Slayer's drummer Dave Lombardo was crazy about this extreme band called The Locust, I heard them a long time ago, and I had some of their records, but I was really never interested in them a lot, they were kind of close sounding to the mighty Lighting Bolt, Melt Banana or perhaps The Dillinger Escape Plan, but not as good, so Dead Cross was born with The Locust members Mike Crain on guitars, Justin Pearson on bass and Lombardo on drums, although Lombardo did some crazy things with Fantomas (showing more than one that he was not just another metal drummer, but an awesome boundless musician), well, perhaps more than crazy, you wouldn't have heard him this intense since his Slayer days, add to that craziness and intensity the fact that Dead Cross singer is none other than ex Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and Fantomas singer Mike Patton, and you know how things will end up, no, this isn't as out there as Lighting Bolt, or as crazy as Fantomas or The Locust, is definitely hardcore punk but in a really surrealistic way, Crain and Pearson obviously add their dissonant and hyper weird riffing dynamics, and Lombardo is totally awesomely athletic behind the drum kit in totally hardcore frenetic fashion, and then you got Patton who does his thing with several styles of voices and also adding a nice touch of gothic arrangements to make Dead Cross even more unique and powerful, first track Seizure and Desist is pure hardcore punk frenzy carried by Lombardo´s impossible drums and Patton exquisite skills in creating memorable melody lines, for Idiopathic, Patton´s brand of schizophrenic vocals, astonishing tempo shifts and again Lombardo´s menacing drumming help to create a too volatile mix, totally enjoyable, Fantomas? No, better and with Patton´s trademark scatological lyricis). 

For Obedience School, we are received with Slayer like Angel of Death sort of beats, Patton remarkable ability to create a whole variety of personas depending on the line he is singing is superb (Axl Rose was another guy who tried to do this, but with obvious less talent), and totally engaging, displaying his enormous capabilities when it comes to creating choruses, detailed arrangements and adding touches of gothic wizardry (perfectly displayed on the now classic Angel Dust by FNM), his voice becoming a too colorful instrument giving an almost psychedelic dimension to what at times could be mistaken as straight ahead hardcore, using some infamous “sprayed vocals” to even display even higher doses of intensity on songs like Shillelagh, want some more? Well, there´s a testosterone infused Bela Lugosi´s Dead cover by the might Bauhaus, a perfect place for Patton to unleash his gothic instincts that made FNM, Mr. Bungle and Fantomas so good at moments, with Crain using his razor-sharp guitars to add extra texture and at times even throwing weird-jazz like riffs that reminds me of Canada´s great band Voivod.

Dead Cross sounds like some of the best maniac frenzied extreme music form the 90s, with The Locust, Slayer and Mr. Bungle-Fantomas elements popping here and there, one would expect another all-out effort precisely like Fantomas, but the band sounds incredibly focused leaving just at small moments the realms of hardcore punk (with Patton´s melodies undecided if creating a radio ready jingle or a movie soundtrack), guitars are unique at all time and the fierce rhythm section of Lombardo and Pearson bring out some of the best thrash metal beats you have ever heard, in general Dead Cross never disappoints, although there are a couple of tracks not as good as the majority, but is never a waste of time listening to the impressive dexterity of Lombardo on drums, a total delight for fans waiting for him to return to Slayer (after colossal stints with Suicidal Tendencies and The Misfits) and a Mike Patton revitalized and sound as intense and inventive as his best times.