Christmas definitely came early as one of the Motor City’s hottest bands came strolling through the Metroplex last month. Not ones to let the cancellation of a little tour supporting Machine Head get between them and their fans, Battlecross simply saw it as an opportunity to do more. They gathered Wretched and War of Ages and formed the Winter Warriors Tour. Not only would this give them a chance to get back out on the road and melt the faces of rabid BX fans across the nation, the month long tour would also allow the band to honor those who are or have served our country. For those who are familiar with the band of course this is not surprise, but for those finding out about Battlecross for the first time….yeah, these guys are more than just a bunch of musicians out for fame and money. Music is merely a platform that allows them to do more.
When this show was first announced I was concerned because being an outdoor venue in December you just never know what kind of weather you’re gonna get. Fortunately the cold weather seemed to be holding off. Of course that didn’t keep the precipitation from rearing its ugly head. So as I’m counting the hours to the show I’m constantly checking the forecast because it’s been a little over a year since Battlecross played this area and I sure didn’t want rain to spoil that. I was finally getting to see them headline a show and most importantly getting a chance to see the guys again. They’ve had a pretty stellar 2014 which saw them embark on their first European tour as well as a return overseas in the summer for some festival shows such as Graspop, Rock am Ring and Download Festival. Mix in some US treks and the boys have been quite busy.
After finishing the work day and grabbing a bite I hit the venue and meet up with Hiran Deraniyagala, who along with Tony Asta, provide the blistering licks and fiery riffs to the Battlecross sound. Hiran and I catch up a little bit before the rain chases us into the venue where we make our way up to one of the rooms that the band is occupying for the time being. Bassist Don Slater is recording his newpodcast as we enter the room, one which Hiran and Tony compete to see who the bigger Pantera Fan is. (Hiran edged Tony out on that one). It’s great catching up Hiran and hearing how the past year has been, talking about dogs and rescue shelters, family and touring life, the bands trip earlier in the day to Dimebag’s (Darrell) grave and favorite albums of 2014. He also expressed the excitement over their newest member - Alex Bent (drums). They band has enlisted the help of several drummers over the past year and a half since I first saw them but Alex looks to be that missing piece.