Interview with Justin Pearson, (Bass) from Dead Cross

Interview: John Wisniewski

Photos by: Jonathon Sippel

MGM: Justin, could you tell us how Dead Cross formed?

JP: Ross Robinson called me asking if I would be interested in playing on a session with Lombardo and then asked of Mike from Retox would also like to take part. So Lombardo, Crain and I were working on a singer-songwriter’s material which initially put the three of us in the studio together. Following that, Gabe Serbian joined, then quit. And now Mike Patton is the vocalist of the band.

MGM: How did you meet the other members?

JP: I met Crain in the parking lot of Zed Records when The Crimson Curse was playing with his band. He was in Festival of Dead Deer, which was very impressive then, and now. I met Patton through Kid 606, and we eventually toured together with The Locust and Fantomas, as well as Retox and Tomahawk. Both The Locust and Retox released albums on Ipecac to further sweeten the deal. Of course, Lombardo as part of Fantomas was the way him and I became friends, when on tour.

MGM: Had you been a fan of Slayer and Mike Patton?

JP: Of course with Slayer, it was essential to any shitty kid’s survival in this world. I smoked pot for my first time, when I was 12, at a house party that Tom was at, which was fairly surreal.

MGM: Are you involved with any other side projects that you could tell us about?

JP: Planet B and Retox are both active projects that I am part of at this juncture. I also play in The Locust and Head Wound City, who are both on hiatus.

MGM: Any favorite all-time albums and bands?

JP: Off the top of my head, all albums by the following bands: Drive Like Jehu, Infest, The Birthday Party, Arab On Radar, and Warsawwasraw.

MGM: Do you see metal music moving in any new directions?

JP: I’m not sure I really care what metal music does, so I have given this very little thought. However, I think everything moves in new directions eventually, which is why you see a lot of people grasping for nostalgia.

MGM: What is your favorite musical genre?

JP: Annoying.

MGM: What may inspire you to perform and write music?

JP: This world that I live in.

MGM: What was the first band that you were in?