Fans of metal gods, football, and patriotism will be delighted to learn that Mike Patton has agreed to sing the National Anthem before the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys’s NFC divisional round playoff matchup tomorrow. The game starts at 8:15 p.m. ET on FOX.
It’s anyone’s guess how the impressively piped Patton will approach the song, but it will likely be more interesting than the Rams blowout to follow.
Patton has of late devoted his energy to the supergroup Dead Cross, formed in 2017 with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and others. The band released a self-titled EP last May. Faith No More‘s latest LP Sol Invictus was released in 2015.
Patton also announced this week that he will perform at Chris Cornell’s tribute concert on January 16 in Los Angeles, where members of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave are slated to play music from the late singer’s storied catalogue. Metallica, Foo Fighters, and others will also perform.
Update (1/12): Patton announced on Facebook today that he “woke up feeling horrible” and will not sing the anthem. Greg Beacham of the Associated Press reports, “A violin player filled in and sounded fine, but we’re pretty sure he skipped part of the song.”
