Dead Cross
September 23, 2017
Ogden Theatre, Denver
"Hello, we are Dead Cross and we are not gluten-free." - Mike Patton
Usually by the end of a tour, a band can seem a bit rote. A bit tired. A bit cranky. But despite Dead Cross saving the last date of their North American tour for Denver on Saturday, they displayed none of these traits. Patton dove off the stage within 3 seconds of set and album opener Seizure and Desist, catching the crowd off guard almost to the point of not catching him. Make no mistake - Mike Patton is one of the greatest frontmen to ever touch a mic. Putting aside even his incredible vocal ability and range, his career has always kept surprising fans, whether it's his ever growing body of soundtrack work, or his varied projects like Nevermen, Fantômas or his newest, Dead Cross. In theory, Patton, now almost 50, joining his first hardcore band sounds like an odd choice to say the least. But in practice? Hearing the album and seeing it live on stage, it makes perfect sense.
Originally conceived by drummer Dave Lombardo - another Fantômas alumni, Dead Cross is hardcore to the uhh....core. Brutal, vicious and combative. Lombardo and Patton, along with bassist Justin Pearson and guitarist Mike Crain plowed through a tight-as-fuck set lasting less than an hour, but leaving the crowd of about 1000 people wholly satiated.
Every song on the album was represented - along with a couple of new songs. The band has been teasing a Slayer cover all tour and Saturday was no exception - as the familiar thump thump thump of Raining Blood echoed throughout the Ogden. Of course, cock-teases that they are, only the first few bars of the song are played along with Patton's perfect tag of "you want it aaalll, but you can't haaaave it" from Faith No More's Epic to lay it to rest. The band however did finish the encore set with GG Allin's Suck My Ass It Smells and Dead Kennedys' Nazi Punks Fuck Off.
As with any Patton project, there's really no way of knowing how much more there is to come, that's why when you see them coming to your town, best jump on those tickets because you're always sure to get a show you won't forget.
