Dead Cross. Photo by Robin Laananen.
Metal legend and former drummer for Slayer Dave Lombardo is coming into town with a brand new project.
Called Dead Cross, the “brutal punk” outfit formed in a matter of days when Lombardo saw his band Philm fall apart on the eve of its U.S. tour with Mexico’s Descartes a Kant last month. Undeterred, he reached out to acquaintance and bassist Justin Pearson of The Locust. Mutual enthusiasm netted in recruiting Retox guitarist Mike Crain and The Locust’s drummer Gabe Serbian for vocals. Life had handed him lemons and Lombardo made a supergroup out of it.
Following the band’s debut shows at San Diego’s The Casbah, West Hollywood’s The Roxy and Pomona’s The Glasshouse, Dead Cross will make a stop at The Gaslamp in Long Beach this Sunday.
Opening for the group are La Palma-based thrash metal band Lord Marshall and Long Beach’s own Anger the Giant, an alternative metal group with a story of its own.
Anger the Giant was formed by members of the now-defunct rock group LIVID, who in the late 90s shared the stage with the likes of System of a Down, Papa Roach and Machine Head. A successful reunion show at Fullerton’s Slide Bar in 2012 lit a fire under vocalist Grant “Sizzo” Vanderboom to get back into the game, but he wanted to start fresh. With LIVID guitarist Jim “Vayps” Galinato and drummer Jim Anderson, he recruited friend, coworker and Long Beach native Douglas Powers on bass.
Anger the Giant. Photo by Shawn Yeager Photography.
Since its birth, the group has supported the likes of Puddle of Mudd, Queensryche and Armored Saint and played sold-out shows at the Glasshouse, the Coach House and Huntington Beach’s Karnival of Kaos Festivals. They’ve been known to pack the house with enthusiastic fans—one show in particular counted 150 people over capacity.
Born and raised in Long Beach, Powers said he’s been involved in the local music scene since high school. He considers members of local groups This Wild Life, Flatbush and Smart Patrol as close friends. Prior to Anger the Giant, Powers played music with members of Long Beach-based group The Ponderosa Aces, a hard shift from country music to alternative metal.
Anger the Giant has taken its time releasing new material, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been working in the studio. So far, the group has four singles available worldwide, but come this fall, they anticipate the release of its debut full-length album.
The group has much cause for excitement, but opening for Dave Lombardo’s new band is a new high, Powers explained.
“I have been a fan of Slayer since I was a teenager,” he said. “One of the best bands of all time…I hope we make him proud. I’m sure we will get the crowd hyped before they hit the stage.”
The Gaslamp in Long Beach will present Dead Cross, Lord Marshall and Anger the Giant on Sunday. Doors open at 6:00PM. Presale tickets are $10; $15 at the door. For more info, click here.