Fantômas Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Although they have always had a signature sound (grounded in the heavy, manic, precise, and strange), Fantômas have been fairly adventurous from album to album. So it's a little surprising that -- after hopping from the metal-horror spastics of their debut to an album of film music covers on Director's Cut to Millennium Monsterworks (an almost traditional metal album in collaboration with the Melvins) and, finally, to last year's epic single-track Delirium Cordia -- Fantômas would arrive back at the start. Like their self-titled debut, Suspended Animation is a concept album. The debut was a 30-song soundtrack to a comic book, with each song taking a page number as its title. This disc appears to be the soundtrack to April of 2005, with each song titled after one of the month's 30 days -- which brings us to the monumental artwork that accompanies the CD: a glossy elaborate 30-day calendar illustrated by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. The intersecting innocence and mischief of Nara's punk munchkins match the tone of Fantômas, at least for this album. The heavy use of samples that has been a steady part of the Fantômas sound is here, but instead of the horror-movie shrieks that their first album leaned heavily on, it's a litany of bonks and whistles straight from classic cartoons. Mike Patton, who once again wrote all the music, is more focused than ever here. The songs (or sections, as Fantômas albums often feel like one long composition chopped into bite-size chunks) are shorter and even more frenzied; there's less brooding menace and more giddy insanity -- without ever giving way to total chaos. For all of his eclecticism, Patton has always had a clear vision and worked within a defined set of themes, from his work with Mr. Bungle to the present. Anyone who wonders what that vision and those themes add up to should look no further than Suspended Animation, which offers one of the clearest and most potent distillations yet. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The third release by Fantômas, Delirium Cordia, turns a bit of a different direction from the band's previous releases. Delirium Cordia is one track clocking in at 74 minutes. The record is always haunting; giving one a sense of the grizzly images of the insert booklet -- photos of surgeries in action. The music has film score qualities, a feeling of being lost in a hospital at night, a hospital much like that of Lars Von Trier's The Kingdom, while Hellraiser demons watch and wait from afar. Where Director's Cut was a variation of different '70s film themes, Delirium Cordia is a score to Patton's own horror-filled imagination. Fantômas are open and free, but always maintain a rhythmic through-line, whether a bass, samples, or percussion. Many styles weave throughout the disc: '60s easy listening, dark metal, Gothic chanting, and world inflections. And all of these styles now come to mind when thinking of Mike Patton's projects, from Mr. Bungle to Faith No More to Fantômas. Clicks and glitches lie at various levels in the mix, created by percussion or samples to taunt the listener, giving a tension and dissonance that really never gets resolved. Fantômas use many instruments to create layers of unease, everything from full metal-band instrumentation to whistling and backwards whispering with piano and bells, ringing the same melody creating chills up the back with the death chimes and chants. In the many turns that twist in surprise and mood, the metal -- that could be attributed to familiarity of the members of Fantômas -- Buzz Osborne of the Melvins, Dave Lombardo of Slayer, Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle, and, of course, Mike Patton -- creeps into the mix every once in awhile and is totally tight, appropriate, and on-point. As soon as one begins to feel comfortable with their unease, Fantômas always puts the listener in check, mingling atmospheric and terrifying levels in the music. The end of Delirium Cordia sounds like a looped groove of a vinyl record with no one to mind the needle, setting us up for a sequel. Mike Patton and crew give us another great work, leaving us to wonder what lies around the corner. ~ David Serra, All Music Guide
'Millennium Monsterwork'
Release Date 4/2/2002
Tracks 19
Label Ipecac Recordings
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bringing weirdness to a new level, Mike Patton and Buzz Osborne have formed an unexpected working relationship that has resulted in some of the most interesting metal music to come out in some time. Utilizing the brilliant vocal abilities of the former and the sludge guitar mastery of the latter, the two musicians managed to bring together the members of their Fantomas project and the Melvins for one huge concert involving both bands. To say this is high-concept stuff is to underrate how bizarre this actually is, with one-minute noise experiments sitting next to some of the Melvins' more commercial material with no attempt to reconcile the two. Featuring the savage twin drum attack of former Slayer skin basher Dave Lombardo and Melvins anchor Dale Crover (a dream pairing for many drum enthusiasts), the band is a roaring force of energy that surges and grows more complex with every step. Patton's multiple personalities erupt throughout the album, combining his death metal wail, his clear-throated croon, his Tom Waits-esque grunting, and his obsession with Merzbow noise collages into something resembling a Warner Bros. cartoon from the lowest depth of hell. Although it appears to be his affair, the star of the show is Osborne, who has a commanding roar when he gets on the microphone and continues to play incredible guitar parts from start to finish. The only real complaint is the sound quality, which is rather thin and takes the punch out of the percussion, something that will probably bother fans of the two bands. This is definitely an experience that should be absorbed in a concentrated sitting, and not everyone is going to like it, that is a promise. But to daring metal listeners, there is a lot here to appreciate and the lineup is absolutely stunning. Although the phrase may be used too often, this is truly a supergroup from hell, and the results are as confounding as the pairing. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
'The Director's Cut'
Release Date 7/10/2001
Tracks 16
Label Ipecac Recordings
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fantomas stand with their feet planted horizontally across the soft dimensions of your face, warping the shape of your skull and shoulders with their off-color explosions. With expectations withering on the floor, leaving a viscous stink, nothing in their hands is concrete. As a follow-up to their 30-song debut, throughout which vocalist Mike Patton never formed a single actual word, Fantomas offer these 16 new creations, all realigned versions of film soundtracks, ranging from the notorious theme to Rosemary's Baby to the obscure and peculiar wank of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. While there are many similarities to the dispersed flip-flopping styles of their earlier work, The Director's Cut breaks new ground with a thick jagged axe. First, most noticeably, are the even more varied vocal stylings; Patton's sweet croon on "Experiment in Terror" is nothing you've heard before from him on a Fantomas recording, along with many of the other croaking, spitting, pissing, screaming noises he excretes. Yet another testament to the unabashed genius of Mike Patton and his co-conspirators, leaving those caught up in the rapture with mouths even more full with thick drool. ~ Blake Butler, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The first project Mike Patton worked on after the April 1998 breakup of Faith No More was the all-star Fantomas. Heavy metal fans everywhere salivated at the lineup of Patton on vocals, the Melvins' Buzz Osborne on guitar, ex-Slayer Dave Lombardo on drums, and Mr. Bungle's Trevor Dunn on bass. But as longtime fans have come to learn long ago, always expect the unexpected with Patton-related projects. The band's self-titled debut (the first for Patton's record label, Ipecac) is far from your conventional rock; composed and produced entirely by the singer, the songs serve as a soundtrack to a comic book's story line. At nearly 43-minutes in length, Fantomas is comprised of 30 chronologically numbered "pages"' instead of songs. While it's an unconventional album, it's also a completely original one, especially when compared to the blah and predictable alt-rock of the late '90s. Patton uses his voice as an instrument with often amazing results (singing nonsensical syllables instead of words); few singers have the talent or know-how to pull off such highlights as "Page 1," "Page 19," "Page 21," and "Page 29." If you're expecting an album comparable to either Faith No More or Mr. Bungle, you may be confused and disappointed. But if you're looking for something completely original and cutting edge, Fantomas is highly recommended. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
