State of the Patton etc

[alan nagsworth]

Just a pun on the "state of the boards" tags that float around random threads, does anyone think that Mike Patton is finally losing his creativity? Peeping Tom was boring in my opinion, not just because it's not as freaky as his other releases because I'm not like that, simply because I didn't feel it worked as an album. Something didn't click and I don't know what it is. Suspended Animation by Fantomas was awesome, but every other Fantomas record was trying something completely different, whereas SA seemed to be a re-hash of Amenaza Al Mundo but with circuit bending. The new Tomahawk clinces it for me though, totally dull Native American conceptual bollocks.

What with absolutely no reunion of Mr Bungle on the cards and Patton just hopping on any old bandwagon to do guest vocals, only to have the odd one surface as remotely interesting, like Patton vs X-Ecutioners, is there any hope of him regaining his prime, or is he over the hill? Or do you completely disagree and think that he's still the reigning champ of music as much as he is the reigning champ of obnoxious, racist homophobia?

In fact you don't even see any of that any more. Whatever happened to him telling the crowd to shut the fuck up? Calling the Cajuns "coon-asses"? Pulling out a fake cock and pissing on a photographer?

[Cardinal Tit Storm]

Tomahawk have always been a bit patchy. They have some good songs, but taken as a whole the first two albums are nothing special. However, Patton is supposedly not the main driving force behind that band so maybe it's not entirely fair to blame him for that (his stamp is all over it mind you). As it happens I saw quite a lot of genuine Native American music (and dance) this summer, and the new Tomahawk album comes off very poorly by comparison. I keep listening to it hoping it just hasn't clicked yet, but actually I think it's not much cop. Also, I can't help but wonder if those guys have any right to be making Native American music at all - it isn't a bit of light-hearted genre-hopping like Mr. Bungle used to do. I'd be interested to know the thinking behind it.

I agree with you about Peeping Tom. That album had some interesting bits but most of it was disappointing, and some of it was downright cringeworthy (Getaway). I'll wait and see what the new Fantomas album is like before deciding if Patton has lost it though - that's my favourite of his projects (in the absence of Mr. Bungle). If Dave Lombardo is still on the drums, it can't go far wrong.

[Rolf Harris]

Tomahawk is Duane Denison's baby, so you can't necessarily 'blame' Patton for their output - although I thought 'Anonymous' was their best album yet. I loved pretty much every song, and think that as a whole it flows better and fits the band name than any previous record.

I actually really liked Peeping Tom, saw the live show twice and thoroughly them both times.

I'd have loved to have seen new material from Mr Bungle, but that's never going to happen, obviously. I always liked the fact that he jumped from project to project, because if I didn't like one, then chances were that he'd do something different in a few months that I might enjoy. As far as I'm aware, he seems to have settled down a bit to a roster of a few bands/projects.

Anyone got details of what he's actually working on right now?

[niat]

There's always the potential that Patton will come up with a great record, but I agree that his recent output is patchy. Peeping Tom is OK, but didn't live up to the demos, with some bizarre changes made to songs that had really excellent demos. I really can't get into the new Tomahawk CD. Thought it might take a few listens but it just isn't growing on me at all.

The new Fantomas is supposed to be entirely electronic, isn't it? That could be interesting, but the only Fantomas album I find myself going back to again and again is The Director's Cut, which is fantastic.

Not sure what he's got coming out soon, but I'm sure I'll check it out.

[alan nagsworth]

Yeah, I'm not blaming him entirely for Anonymous, but you know what Patton's like, he always has a heavy hand in what goes on because he's a control freak. Also I absolutely love the first two Tomahawk albums, so this has put a real bitter taste in my mouth. The prospect of an entirely electronic Fantomas record is very interesting, although I'm not quite sure how they'd pull it off with three members that are strictly a drummer, guitarist and bassist. Unless Lombardo busts out some breakcore on an electronic drum kit. Oooh.

Also, I hear Patton is doing voiceovers for computer games these days, can anyone confirm this?

[Famous Mortimer]

He's the voice of The Darkness in "The Darkness". Other than that, dunno.

[trotsky assortment]

Just spotted this thread, sorry...

Peeping Tom - boring?  Sure, it wasn't greatly inventive, but it was so good to hear Patton trying his hand at actual songs, rather than see-how-clever-I-am-avant-garde-yelping-noises.  I like the Fantomas, but that's mostly due to the tightness of the rhythms.  Patton has an amazing singing voice and post Faith No More, he's kind of pushed it aside in favour of barking etc.  I've tried bits of 'Adult Themes For Voice', or whatever it's called.  What's that about?

[Don_Preston]

For someone with a voice as rich and versatile as his, why he's wasting it doing stupid voices I have no idea.

[trotsky assortment]

That's kind of how I feel.  He could do so much more.  I heard rumours he was making an opera album.  That was years ago.  Did that, or anything similar happen?  I thought 'Adult Themes For Voice' might be it...and then the bits I heard involved Patton making a bunch of noises and disappearing up his own arse in a performance art styleee.

[alan nagsworth]

Adult Themes For Voice is so unbelievably shit. Recorded in a hotel room, presumably in one night, while fucking a hooker with a John Zorn mask on. It'd be well-suited played to five year-olds who like making their armpits fart.

[trotsky assortment]

So, still no opera album then?

[samadriel]

He's the voice of The Darkness in "The Darkness". Other than that, dunno.

He's doing the voice for the new Bionic Commando title, and according to Wikipedia he did the 'Anger Sphere' voice in Portal (which just spits, snarls and growls at you...... but which is a bit scary.)

[The Region Legion]

I really liked Peeping Tom, and the X-Ecutioners collaboration album is cool although its debatable how much of that is him or if he just turned up to do weird noises along side the scratching.

I do wish he'd go back to singing properly instead of the endless stream of screaming that he's been doing recently. Some of it is actually very good (Astronome, a recent collab with John Zorn, for example, although I think many here would dismiss it as garbage) but he definately does too much of it for my tastes.

[alan nagsworth]

Agreed. Mike has a fucking exceptional voice as displayed on his slower, more accessible numbers such as Retrovertigo, Easy (Like Sunday Morning), Desastre Natural etc, and he's constantly on form even if he's flinging himself across a stage tripping over all his bloody wires.

[Rolf Harris]

He's doing the voice for the new Bionic Commando title,

This is his voice on the trailer...

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/15568

[Glebe]

CHUD.com - MIKE PATTON IS LEGEND.

MTV Movie News - Mike Patton Voices 'I Am Legend' Baddies.

[Identify Christmas Ahoho!]

Fuck 'I Am Legend', Mike voiced the seminal artwork of the ninties that is 'The Real Thing'. Fuck all else.

[Lord Summerisle]

Tracks like 'Pink Cigarette' on the Bungle album 'California' showcase what he's capable of, but yes - too much shrieking and avant garde business going on. Someone mentioned opera here, isnt 'The Omen' from the Fantomas album 'Directors Cut' sort of operatic?

[alan nagsworth]

It operates my love muscle, if that's what you meant.