Dead Cross, the hardcore band featuring Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits), Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox), Michael Crain (Retox, Festival of Dead Deer) and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk), released their self-titled debut album on August 4th via Ipecac Recordings. Lombardo recently spoke with CBS SF about the band. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

CBS SF: Listening to this album, it’s hard to imagine how Mike Patton fit his contributions onto the completed tracks, it sounds so fully integrated. Did he send vocal demos that sketched out his ideas first, or did he come up with fully completed vocal tracks with lyrics once he heard the music?

Dave Lombardo: "What was really exciting was when, after he received the files, we started getting — at one in the morning or two in the morning — his demos of the vocals. So they weren’t totally complete; it was just him demoing the ideas he had. And those demos were fantastic! We were like, 'Damn! If that’s the demo, I can’t wait to hear the final product!' And sure enough, a day or two later or whenever he got a chance write the lyrics and singing the actual parts to the songs that we were keeping, it sounded amazing. It was exciting. It was a really cool process. But we would hear a demo first of his ideas and then later he’d come back with the final product."

CBS SF: Did you give him notes on any of the demos, or were you pretty happy with everything you got? Were you giving him feedback or ideas that changed what he did in the final versions?

Dave Lombardo: "Absolutely none. This guy, he’s a professional. I could give him something and trust him to deliver an amazing piece. That’s the beauty of Patton and his talent and direction. He just knows instinctively what fits in and what sits well with the song."

CBS SF: If the album was essentially finished by file sharing, how much of a departure was that from both your past collaborations with Patton in Fantômas and how you’ve recorded with other bands?

Dave Lombardo: "This was the first time where the music was recorded and completed first and then sent off to a singer without having any type of conversation. So it was interesting. It was different and exciting. I’m always open to new methods of recording and sharing files and different projects coming your way in different forms. It’s always challenging, so it’s good to stay open to trying new methods.

This one really surprised me because it seems like when we wrote the music, the choruses were played the correct amount of time and we had the right amount of time applied for the verses and bridges. So everything was planned out perfectly, because the vocals and everything feel natural. It sounds like we all sat in a room together and worked the songs out. We all got kind of lucky.

So I think we’ll create music with this process again. Because we have to write some more music for the upcoming shows. This is exactly what we’re doing. Mike Craine and Justin Pearson and myself get together and we write some songs and send it to him and he sends us some demos and those demos sound great."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Dead Cross recently premiered their video for “Obedience School”. The clip is available for streaming below.

Dead Cross will .

The tracks “Grave Slave” (streaming below) and “Seizure And Desist” are available as instant downloads with album pre-orders, available here.

“”Grave Slave” is S&M for your ears,” says Lombardo. “Patton’s vocal range and intensity are on full blast throughout this entire album. This song is a two-minute example of what it's like to travel through the depths of his brain while JP, Crain and myself commandeer the vehicle. It's jarring, aggressive and unsettling. We're coming at you hardcore, but leaving you with a kiss.”

“As the song states, we can blow out the candles on the urinal cake,” adds Pearson. “A track like this only makes complete sense in this climate... absurdity, pigs, neo-fascist authoritarianism... the American dream is alive and well. Well, when the suits and white hoods screw the planet, you get this slab.”

Dead Cross tracklisting:

“Seizure And Desist”
“Idiopathic”
“Obedience School”
“Shillelagh”
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
“Divine Filth”
“Grave Slave”
“The Future Has Been Cancelled”
“Gag Reflex”
“Church Of The Motherf*****s”

“Grave Slave”:

“Seizure And Desist”:

Joining Dead Cross on the bulk of their North American tour is Secret Chiefs 3. The San Francisco-based outfit, who describe themselves as “an ever unfolding musical vision,” features Patton’s former Mr. Bungle bandmate, Trey Spruance.

“I have no idea what kind of chaos it will conjure on stage or in the audience,” said Lombardo of the five-week outing, continuing, “but I know it’s going to be a hell of a good time.”

Dates:

August
21 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
23 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
25 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
26 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
27 – Portland - Wonder Ballroom
29 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades

September
8 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
11 - Boston, MA - Royale
12 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
13 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
15 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall
16 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest *
17 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
19 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
20 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
23 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre

* - Secret Chiefs 3 do not perform

(Photo - SAWA)