Dez Cadena

Dez Cadena
Background information
Birth name	Dez Paul Cadena
Born	(1961-06-02) June 2, 1961 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock, horror punk
Occupation(s)	Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist
Instrument(s)	vocals, Guitar
Years active	1980–present

Dez Paul Cadena (born June 2, 1961) is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag. Cadena currently plays guitar with the Misfits having been the bands longest serving guitarist, initially joining the band alongside Doyle, Jerry Only & Robo for their 25th Anniversary Tour in 2001. He resides in Newark, New Jersey .

Biography

Born in Newark, New Jersey, his father, Ozzie Cadena, was a well-known A&R man in the music industry, and the co-founder of iconic jazz label Savoy Records.

Early career

Dez Cadena joined Black Flag in 1980, replacing singer Ron Reyes. During the first year of touring with the band, his hoarse voice became a recognizable and often imitated style of singing in hardcore punk. Eventually, and due in part to straining his voice, Cadena decided he wanted to play guitar. Henry Rollins joined as vocalist, and for a period, Cadena played rhythm guitar alongside founder Greg Ginn, including on the seminal 1981 album Damaged.

Cadena went on to play in DC3. Before, during and after his stint in Black Flag, Cadena was a member of Redd Kross, Twisted Roots, and Ella and the Blacks, a band which he co-founded. He also made a guest appearance on Hüsker Dü's 1984 double album, Zen Arcade.

1990s

During the mid 90s, Dez teamed up with George Hurley and Tom Troccoli to form Vida. Their self-titled album was released by Blue Man from Uranus Records. The band has since dissolved. He also played with raucous Hermosa beach bar band The Jim Mellon Quartet, as well as Steve Reed and Dave Markey in Carnage Asada.Dez played guitar and sang lead vocals for the super-group Chop on their only single, which consisted of Blue Öyster Cult covers. The group also included Mike Watt, Dave Markey, Dave Peterson, and Dave Travis.

In around 1999, Cadena toured as part of ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan's solo band to promote McKagan's latest album "Beautiful Disease" which was never actually released because of the merger between Universal and PolyGram, but promoted on tour.

The Misfits

Cadena first played with the The Misfits' on the 25th Anniversary tour in 2001 initially joining the band alongside Doyle, Jerry Only & Robo following the departure of Michale Graves & Dr. Chud who had left the band to form the short-lived Graves. Only took over singing duties, although Michale Graves filled in as a guest for a number of shows alongside future Blitzkreig bandmate Marky Ramone. Robo returned to the band for the first time since the 1980s having played on the bands classic Earth A.D./Wolfsblood album alongside Jerry & Doyle. Dez had also played with Robo in Black Flag in the early 1980s. This line-up featured on one bonus track only on the Cuts From The Crypt compilation and split up when Doyle left the band after a failed re-union with Glenn Danzig later joining Danzig instead. Robo & Marky Ramone both handled drum duties for the band on this tour before Robo left once again.

In 2003 Only then pieced together a line-up for the Project 1950 covers album which featured himself, Dez & Marky Ramone. The band toured to support the album and releases one single, once again a cover of The Day The Earth Caught Fire by Japans Balzac. Cadena also played lead guitar for punk rock supergroup Osaka Popstar during this period, along with Jerry Only, Marky Ramone, John Cafiero and Ivan Julian. The band has released one album to date, Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk, in 2006.

Around 2006 Marky left the Misfits and was replaced by Robo for the 30th Anniversary Tour. In 2007 Only announced that this line-up would release an new album however this was held up due to the bands relentless touring. Eventually in 2009 the band released a new single Land Of The Dead before once again ejecting Robo from the band due to constant visa problems. Cadena was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists during this time.

The band then hired Murphy's Law drummer Eric Arce who had filled in for the band on various shows over the past ten years. The band then hit the studio to finally record their new album The Devil's Rain in 2011, with Dez writing and singing a number of songs. The album was met with mixed reviews despite debuting at number 70 on the Billboard 200. The band toured worldwide in support of the album following its release.

Between Misfits tours, Cadena is playing in the NY/NJ area as "Dez Cadena + The Broken Down Bitches". He is currently working on a solo record featuring many guest musicians and friends.

Cadena also contributed vocals to the song "From The Shadows" (appearing on the track alongside former WWE Women's Champion Amy Dumas) from Recognise, the debut album from UK band JD & the FDCs, which was released in July 2012.

Discography

With Black Flag:

• 1981 - Six Pack
• 1981 - Louie Louie
• 1981 - Damaged
• 1982 - TV Party
• 1982 - Everything Went Black
• 1983 - The First Four Years
• 1987 - Wasted...Again

With Redd Kross

• 1984 - "Ballad Of A Lovedoll," "Out Of Focus," "Ballad Of A Lovedoll (Instrumental)" from the Desperate Teenage Lovedolls Soundtrack

With DC3

• 1985 - This Is the Dream
• 1985 - The Good Hex
• 1986 - You're Only As Blind...
• 1989 - Vida (live recordings from SST)

With Vida

• 1995 - Vida

With Loaded

• 1999- Episode 1999: Live

With Carnage Asada

• 1997 - Familia Carnage Asada (7" ep)
• 1999 - Permanent Trails

With The Misfits:

• 2001 - Cuts From The Crypt (compilation album)*Live Tracks
• 2003 - Project 1950 (album)
• 2003 - The Day the Earth Caught Fire (single)
• 2009 - Land of the Dead (single)
• 2009 - Twilight of the Dead (single)
• 2011 - The Devil's Rain (album)

With Osaka Popstar:

• 2006 - Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk (album)

Instruments played

This is a list of instruments played by Dez Cadena:

• Gibson Sonex (used on Damaged)
• Gibson Flying V
• Clear red B.C. Rich Warlock called "Lollipop"
• Schecter C-1 XXX
• Schecter C-1 Elite
• A black Ibanez AR Artist called "Black Betty" (used after Damaged and on many recordings afterwards)
• Black Gibson Les Paul Standard (with the Misfits)
• Schecter Damien Solo Elite (back up/touring guitar with the Misfits)