Michael Crain (Dead Cross, Retox)

All right, coming up today we have Michael crane of the band Dead cross dead crosses, basically a super group that also includes Justin Pearson, Mike Patton, and Dave Lombardo, Justin and Michael were both in the band retox. And all four of these guys have been in tons of different bands. They're all very talented musicians. And Michael is here today to tell us all about that cross plus his health issues, the future for Mike Patton, and

Yeah, it's a little all over the place. I agree.

Does that how you I mean, it's such an interest. I don't even know how to describe this to people. It's a I think Wikipedia says a frantic paced mix of hardcore and punk.

That's what it says we could be doing so yeah. You know, I mean, yeah, I could see that. i Yeah, makes sense. With I don't know about the hardcore part. Though. There's nothing really hardcore. In our music. People use that term. Really? liberally. You know what I mean? Hardcore to me. Is that more like Agnostic Front, or something like that? You know what I mean? Like, the more bro stuff the tough guy hardcore that always to me seem to be hardcore. Everything else is

I'm hearing like to me. I don't know. I don't know how I would describe it. But I hear like, definitely some speed metal stuff. Definitely some punk. And then also just kind of like some psychedelic like Mike Patton kind of stuff like Mr. Bungle kind of weird, just like weird noises and shit and screaming and

yeah, definitely. He's got his whole own. He's got his completely own sound. You know, he's got his own thing all together. That guy. He's, he's a genre in and of themselves. Right.

Right. Yeah. How does that work with the songwriting? Because you, do you? I'm assuming you did a lot of the riffs yourself, and then you just pass it off to Patton. And he does his thing writes some lyrics. And

basically, yes, that's so with this band. And he's explained it to me. He's the he does it. He's done it differently in every band, right. So typically, he's very involved in all the writing, you know, he's, like, with faith, no more at Fanta moss. I know. He wrote everything literally. With Deb cross, he likes it because I'll come up with all the riffs me, Justin and Dave will jam from you know, get a loose structure together. And then we'll pass them off the demo.

How did you get him involved in the in the first place? Did you guys already have relationship or did you just reach out to him to just to know him or?

No, Dave. Dave reached out to him. Okay, he's the one who had a relationship with them.

Dave Lombardo the amazing what probably one of my favorite drummers hunting uh, how did you know him then?

So how I started was Justin and I were doing retox at the time. And one day, Justin, call me Oh, and Justin had done. headwind city he was doing head We're in city. And Hadwin city worked with Ross, because Cody and Jordan and blood brothers had worked with Ross in the past. So they had a relationship with Ross. That's how we met Ross, essentially. Okay. And one day Justin called me out. I was I was at work and he's like, Dude, are you text me? He's like,

A huge Slayer fan though. So we're a little bit starstruck to like, meet Dave Lombardo. Yeah,

for sure. For sure. I was like, Holy shit. Holy shit. And I had a slayer tattoo. And he thought He's like, he's all nice tattoo, bro. And I was like, and I started laughing. He's like, actually drew that logo was like, no shit. That's so cool.

Wow. That's weird. That's like full circle.

And it is. It is literally is and I had that same I had that same thought I was like, God, if my 16 year old self could see this. You know what I mean? Like, that would fucking mind blown. You know?

Have you had a lot of those moments? Throughout your musical career?

I have. I have had. Yes. I have had a few. Absolutely. Yeah. Where I was like, really? This is incredible. You know?

Yeah. Not only that, you get to meet them. But you get to actually play with him. I mean, because I get to do the podcast. So I get to meet some really interesting people, but I don't I don't get to create something with them. That would be a totally different level.

Yeah, yep. Yep, absolutely, man. There's been several times where I'm like, it's like fuck, I'm on a tour bus with Patton and Lombardo and we're going to headline a stage at Hell fest. Which that was like the highlight of my of my career thus far. Honestly. That show in particular that tour. I was like, this is this is the fucking dream. This is

another day at the office for them now,

literally. You know. I remember also this is this is an interesting story. That was the European summer festival circuit we were on right so we're hitting all the metal fans. stubbles and on I forget which one it was, we played a lot of them. But that's when Patton had started to express that. He didn't want to tour. You know, he really was. He'd been doing it so long he needed a break a mental break. And I remember thinking to myself, why why would you ever not want to do this this fucking

So how's he doing? Because I think I heard you say something about he was struggling with the physical and mental health or is he just burned out? Or it's just more

mental stages. I think COVID really got to COVID exacerbated any other underlying pre existing stuff he had going, you know, like it like it did for a lot of people. So he's just interesting.

So it didn't because it sounds like if you wanted a break, I mean, that would have been the chance to have that break.

Yeah, the isolation and stuff.

So he just didn't have as much access to people. No, no. Cuz he seems like I'm more of a loner. Like maybe like, is a couple close friends or a girlfriend or?

Yeah. Was my dogs. Let's go play outside. He is. I mean, that was different. Oh. Yeah. I mean, I don't know what we're talking about something. I don't know. You know, that's I wouldn't be able to get into details, obviously, because I don't know.

Yeah. So what's the status then? Obviously, you guys are not having any tour dates or anything? Because he's just not filling up the tour at this point.

Correct. That's it.

So you're just doing promotion for the album, then would you do touring that? With your? Are you going to do touring with any of your other bands?

Yeah, I'm playing lead guitar in Fiddler right now. So that's keeping me busy. And I have other passion projects. You know, I have always got a band or two. Then I got cowards. We recorded that album. We didn't put it out yet. What else? We got another new project. We don't have a name for it yet. That's enough right there. I'm trying to not do so many bands, honestly.

Is music is are you able to do it as a full time thing? Or do you have to do other stuff on the side to help pay the bills? After you

do other stuff on the side? It depends how much I'm touring. When God Christ is active, I don't need to do anything else.

Okay, that's cool. Well, let's Yeah, so let's talk about the Armistead cross two. So some of the songs are actually completed in 2018. Right. And then others were riffs that you had just collected.

So yeah, some of the songs were completed in 2018. But we rearranged them completely with Ross. He's he was very involved in the arrangements in the writing. And yeah, the material we were short, we went through my phone and just grabbed riffs and parts and you know, Frankenstein together other songs and did some writing in the studio. We do that a lot with Ross.

Yeah, so this Ross I just for some reason, I guess I'm kind of like new to this. I didn't know Ross Robinson, I'm looking him up. I'm like, Oh, this guy discovered corn Slynt this Olympic Olympic kid and Slipknot. I'm like, I've never heard of this guy before. Like, and he must be a really good producer and arranger.

He's a really good fucking producer and arranger. Oh, yeah. I think if you were around In the 90s and then the metal more you definitely know he was, you know, but he's also he's done the cure. He's done. He did at the drive in separator they guys don't a lot of really good really was that one band glass jaw? Yeah, they're fucking incredible he did those records. He's a badass,

does he but because it said like he discovered Korn and Limp biskit and Slipknot? Did he does he find them? Like do people send him demos? And he picks him and wants to work with? Yeah,

I think so. Or he hears about Manny and he goes and checks them out live. And he's like, do Let's fucking do a record. Let me do your first record or whatever. I think that's the typical as far as I know,

right? Yeah. So he must have like a really strong passion for music then.

Oh, yeah. 1,000% He's, he's the real deal.

But it sounds like a very different producer than say like a Rick Rubin who's very like hands off. And it's all about the vibe. This guy is more like helping with actually arrange the music and right.

Yeah, well, I think Rick Rubin does had to, I think they have a similar process. They're, they're, they're all about performance. I've never worked with Rick Rubin. So I couldn't speak to that. But the documentaries I've seen or footage I've seen, He's the same. He's involved. Like, hey, you know, put the heads switch from the crash to the hats there. Or, let's lose that part and do that part twice. Instead, like Rick does all that stuff, too.

Okay, maybe Maybe I was wrong. Then. I thought I saw that documentary. It seemed like he was more hands off than than usual. But I'm sure yeah, he has to do some of those things.

I yeah, I don't know. I've heard different things to you know, maybe vintage recruitment was more hands on maybe it depends on the band. Maybe it did true. I have no idea.

Yeah, cuz he was a musician. I think at one point, I

think so. Yeah, it was always Ross Ross.

Yeah, so talk about some of the non musical things that influenced because a lot of this record was influenced by things that you went through like your cancer then mental health, the pandemic, all that stuff, right?

Yeah. Pandemic No, but I didn't give a shit about that. As far as artistically I had just come out in cancer. So I was I was loving life during the pandemic, no traffic. I was fucking driving everywhere taking my dogs hiking every day. But yeah, coming out of cancer. Well, you know. So this is the timeline 2018 We started writing you know everyone, everyone got busy. I had my other project. So we started doing that. I produce that. And then I think around that time Mike and Dave's did

of 2019

Yeah, treatments were started in October and they ended Thanksgiving the treatments were really brutal. I thought I was gonna die from those

Yeah, was it three rounds of chemo but 31 rounds of radiation. So what is the difference with I don't understand

two different two completely different treatments. Radiation is actually shoot you with a laser with radiation, okay. To destroy a tumor or cancerous cells, and, and chemo just fucking wipes you out that that's everywhere. You know, that's an IV takes about six to seven hours each year.

Listen, can you listen to music or movies? Yeah,

you can do whatever have people visit you Let's see. So yeah, so anyways I mean, I just threw up for weeks and weeks nonstop all day every day. I couldn't I couldn't get any I couldn't. There's nothing I can do. I just lost all my everything okay, trying to remember and I'm trying to keep these dogs quiet at the same time. Yeah. So then after that, so yeah, during treatments when I thought I might die. I also when I realized, okay, I realized I was going to recover and I was going

So music I mean, it helps save you though. This this album, like really? Like kind of saved your life. It gave you something to look forward to push actly.

Yeah, yep. Exactly. Yeah. So that yeah, that's what happened. And then we got together and it was, that's what we need. That's what really helped me recover that that's what sped up my recovery. Got off the pain meds got off everything. You know, I just stood there and fucking pain that studio every day and tracked and row arranged and rearranged. And take after take after take. Yeah,

yeah. How does that work? So you just push through the physical pain because I know, you have a history with substances. So you have to be careful. You don't want to get take too many pain pills, because then you can get addicted and stuff. So like, you just have to kind of tough it out.

No, no, no, I've had to take a lot of pain medication. For surgeries. You don't have a choice. Yeah. I mean, I'm active in a 12 step program. I fortunately, haven't had that problem yet. Where I was like, oh, hooked again. You know, just take them as directed. And when it's time to get off on the Get off them.

Because you had to get off on when you're recording. Right. You had to you were off at that point. So you just have

no no, I was getting I was getting awesome while recording.

Okay. Yeah. The phasing it out. So that helped you phase it out, though.

Yeah, it was still isn't completely unpleasant. Horrible. But yeah. Yeah.

That's crazy. So how does that work? Like if you're a musician? Like do you have health insurance or the like, do

I have to pay for it myself? It's privately. Okay,

that's friggin expensive. Yeah. And then they do they still give you a bunch of bills? Or do it was a cover? 100%?

No, I got it all. I still had my premium. I still had a monthly bill. But I got a lot of charity care. And yeah, they were good. It was if I didn't get all the help. It is insanely expensive and brutal. There's no way there's absolutely no way chemo and radiation are really fucking expensive.

Yeah, so then you get through that. So it's changed. Has it changed your perspective on life? At all? I mean, it must have changed some things.

Yeah, but it's hard to keep the perspective change. You don't I mean, coming out of that, yeah, you're like a whole new lease on life. Never wait, never waste. Yeah. But then, you know, life catches up and builds and things and eventually you start to the perspective starts to kind of drift a little bit.

Gotcha. Yeah. So if you think back to that still, you

know, like that you can be grateful. Yeah, you'd be like, try to stay as grateful as possible and not waste anytime you have cuz you don't know when your time is gonna be really?

Absolutely. No, that's cool. I hope you guys are able to do some shows like I think that would be cool. Especially if that's like that can be a thing where that can be your main moneymaker. Job is. That sounds like a fun job to tour with Doug Krause.

best job ever. Yeah.

Is that the most fun you've had in a band?

Um, I don't know. I've that's a lot of fun. Yes, but dude, I've been in management whole life. So you know what I mean? is they're all different. All different experiences. Yeah. You can't say comparing apples and oranges sometimes, you know?

Yeah, absolutely. Well, you got some other projects that you're working on right now too. So,

yeah. Be busy.

Do you like touring more or recording? And creating,

they both satisfy different ages? You know what I mean? It's, I like them both. A lot.

That's good, though. Because like, there's so many bands right now that just they just tour and they don't make any music. I don't understand that. That seems like you're missing a huge piece of being a musician in my opinion.

Yeah, I mean, dude, people do it all different ways. You know, for me, I like the whole I like the whole experience. It's a lifestyle. The whole package you know, I mean,

yeah, even though there's chaos, right? I mean, it's gotta be chaotic. Being a musician. You never know. Like, are you getting a gig? Are you not gonna have any gig there's dry spells and then there's hot stream salutely

Yeah, you gotta get used to all that. It all comes with the territory

Yeah, and then eventually I mean, I think that's common like what Mike Patton is going through where you just get kind of burned out at some point

I'm surprised that doesn't happen Yeah. But finisher his firewood will reignite, you know? Yeah, that guy.

Well, yeah, cuz it doesn't hurt his throat though to to scream like that. Like, I would imagine. I was thinking about that today. And I was listening to the dead cross. It's like, it's gonna hurt to do these vocals sometimes, like when you're just screaming.

I don't know for him. I can't speak for him. But I know when I scream it hurts. I can't do that very long. But he's also he's also Mike Patton. So true. There's that?

Yeah, like I mean, I know like Steven Tyler can still sing pretty pretty on point and he's getting up there in age and he still sounds pretty good. So there's some people were just freaks and those

guys Yeah, some of those guys man. Fucking great at it. Definitely. Yeah.

Yeah. Cool. All right. Well, dead cross two. It's out. The album is on now. I believe right. And vinyl copy of it, too. Or hardcopy? Yeah,

everything. Okay. Cassette, CD, vinyl digital.

Very cool. Well, yeah, I'll put the website in the show notes. Oh, and then is there a charity that you want people to donate to if they have some extra money after they buy your album?

Anything that helps dogs?

Dogs? Yeah, I know. You've mentioned that. That's kind of been another saving grace. Besides music has been having dogs that helps with your like mental health helps you deal with the world. I think you said Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Okay, they bring you they they give you a perspective. You know, they, they keep it real simple. That's the best way to put it, you know?

Yeah, absolutely. No, I feel the same way. I'm a cat person. But yeah, I have a cat. It's just It's where I never had. I never pets grown up. I wasn't allowed to. And then I got a cat. And I was like, Oh, this is what people talk about with pets. Like, I didn't understand it until I had one myself. It's kind of cool. Yeah. Very cool. All right. Well, thanks so much. I appreciate it. You bet later. Okay. Thank you again to Michael crane. The new album is dead cross two. It's