As an early Faith No More fan I've also enjoyed following the fine works of Mike Patton through the ages.

Mike Patton and Dead Cross

As announced in late 2016, Mike Patton will take over vocal duties in Dead Cross, replacing the former lead singer, Gabe Serbian. Formed in late 2015, Dead Cross is an aggressive punk hardcore band with some metal and crust leanings—it's not a surprising switch, considering some of the members.

Dave Lombardo

What is possibly the most exciting part of Dead Cross (besides Mike Patton jumping in on vocals) has to be drummer Dave Lombardo. Dave is a metal and heavy music legend, the original skin man for Slayer and also is involved in Fantomas with Patton and a laundry list of awesome projects and bands like Suicidal Tendencies and others.

Dead Cross released a single previously with the old singer, ''We'll Sleep When They're Dead'', and Lombardo absolutely crushes this style of heavy music.

Dead Cross Live in 2016 with Gabe Serbian on Vocals

Retox

A big chunk Dead Cross can be traced back to Retox, a crusty hardcore punk band formed in in 2011. Gabe Serbian, the original Dead Cross vocalist, was the first singer for Retox and then replaced by Brian Evans. The band has created a good buzz, releasing their first album on Ipecac Recordings and getting signed to Epitaph. Justin Pearson, the bassist in Dead Cross along with Retox, has played in the music scene for years with a long list of bands, most notably The Locust with Gabe Serbian also. Micheal Crain from Retox rounds out the Dead Cross lineup on guitar. Retox has also toured with The Dillinger Escape Plan.

''Let's Not Keep In Touch'' by Retox

The Locust

The Locust features Justin Pearson with Gabe Serbian on drums and is a really eclectic band, part grindcore, mathcore, electronic, noise and just about every other genre term that features the word ''core'', pretty wild stuff a Patton fan just might get into this. Here is a sample of their sound.

''AOTKPTA'' by The Locust

Fantomas Slayer Medley

While we are on the subject of Dave Lombardo and Mike Patton, one of my absolute favorite moments is when Fantomas ripped through this ferocious Slayer medley, complete with full on Patton madness. It's also fun watching King Buzzo cop Slayer riffs. I included a clip below for your viewing pleasure.

Patton and Fantomas Performing Slayer

Dead Cross Debut Album

The self-titled Dead Cross release will come out sometime in 2017 with Patton's Ipecac Recordings label dropping the wax. It was also recently announced that the recording has undergone mastering, and Ross Robinson produced the album, so we should have a nice sounding product. I think Ross has done some great recordings throughout the years to boot. So, what will it sound like?

I think one thing for sure is that it will sound like a totally different band opposed to the sound of the old singer, and this is confirmed with the track ''Shillelagh'' that was recently teased by the band which sounds awesome. With Patton, you just never know what the man has up his sleeve, which is part of what makes being a fan of Mike so fun. I am eagerly awaiting what Patton is going to do with a heavy project like this on the full-length album—it will be a fun ride for sure.

Dead Cross Update

We now have a release date for the new Dead Cross album, which is August 4, 2017. Pre-orders are now available for the debut on Ipecac Recordings. The group will also play some shows this year, namely Riot Fest in September, so be on the lookout for those happenings. In early May, we also saw the release of the new track ''Grave Slave''.

''Grave Slave'' by Dead Cross

Faith No More Blog Website

Faith No More Blog

For more information on Dead Cross, Fantomas, Faith No More, and other Mike Patton topics, be sure to follow the link to the Faith No More Blog website. Lot's of great content and news on all things Patton and related artists. Support a great site!

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