Fantomas - The Director's Cut
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Free Music Notes for The Director's Cut
Free Music Review: The quintessential Fantomas album
Hit: 5 Stars
Director's Cut: The version of a film in which the editing process is overseen, executed, or approved by the director, usually including footage not included in the standard release.
This is the case with Fantomas' The Director's Cut, a compilation album of sixteen movie themes which Mike Patton and the amazing band behind him re-interpret in their dementedly creative musical vision. With drum god Dave Lombardo behind the skins, and two other friends of Patton's: guitarist Buzz Osbourne from the Melvins and bassist Trevor Dunn from Mr Bungle, the quartet offer their take on some of the most interesting movies we've seen. Since none of these pieces were originally composed by Mike Patton, you have to bear in mind that some of the songs still carry with them the fingerprints of the original composers, which include Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, and Nuno Rota. However, the versions on this disc differ vastly from the ones on the original movies, hence the appropriate title The Director's Cut.
Some of the material on this 39-minute disc barely qualifies as "songs" per se, ranging from as little as a few seconds to the maximum of three-plus minutes. Out of the sixteen cuts, the average song length is around 2:00 minutes, alternating between insanely chaotic and brutal to almost childish. "The Godfather" is a prime example of the former description, starting in a creepy manner, picking up a deep bass riff, and delving deep into a fast and heavy sonic explosion. Patton screams, shrieks, growls and grunts. Like a soul possessed by demons, his "singing" is paranoid and unlike anything you've heard from him, given you're only familiar with his work with Faith No More and Mr Bungle. In the blink of an eye, a muted riff arises beneath Patton's vocals to complement Lombardo's sickeningly fast double bass drums and leaves the listener completely baffled. Again, without being able to grasp what's going on, the music quietens down and retreats to the original "The Godfather" theme, as if nothing has happened. And this is only the beginning.
"Der Golem" is pure death metal battery, portraying Mike Patton as one of the most prolific vocalists ever. Dave Lombardo gets to show his jazz inspirations with ever-ringing crash cymbals and head-spinning drum rolls. Effect-laden soundscapes push the aggressive piece into a much unexpected realm, featuring Patton's beast-like grunts and tortured screams in a mini-second. As if that's not enough, Lombardo, Osbourne and Dunn quickly team up to create a Meshuggah-like ending, so precise yet so heavy.
It's not all extreme vocals though. On the contrary, "Experiment in Terror" and "Spider Baby" are just two of the songs that put Patton's more humourous side to the fore. Epic and calm, the former has him singing (happily) almost like a woman; whereas the latter is centred entirely around Dunn's majestic bass and comprised of predominantly spoken vocals (some of which are hummed) and eerie keyboards. Patton also displays more of his versatility on "Charade", complete with church organs, African rhythms (Lombardo playing hand drums?), and more woman-like singing. The cinematic quality of "Rosemary's Baby" is most prevalant, considering the crying babies, odd backing harmonies that contrast Patton's child-like and then deeply ominous vocals respectively. On top of that, there are marching guitar riffs filling the song along with bells and even acoustic guitars.
The other songs feature very few vocals, if any at all. "One Step Beyond" is another study in death metal minus the growling. Instead, Patton chooses to scream over the piece, while Lombardo comfortably breaks his kick-drum speed record amidst cascading crescendos. "Night of the Hunter" and "Cape Fear", while following each other on the album, are so different it's not even funny anymore. The first one is just organs and sound effects while "Cape Fear" is the album's daring piece, laced with distant vocals, big drums, and a sweet, addictive guitar theme. The remix of "The Devil Rides Out" has Patton basically crooing as the suspense increases each passing second. Likewise, the drone sounds on "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is absolutely stunning. It begins in silence. All you can hear is a single drum beat every ten seconds. Then, the bass and guitars introduce themselves, creating utter chaos, yet in a strangely beautiful way. Traces of Patton's Mr Bungle stylings come through on "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion", which would be the darkest song had it not been for the deliberately thrown humourous elements. The last twenty seconds of this piece are downright paralyzing.
If you've never heard any Fantomas before, despite its extreme and avant leanings, I'd suggest you start with The Director's Cut, as their first album is even more difficult (with no lyrics, just randomly "sung" made-up words) and their last one is a single-track composition of 74 minutes. Still, both albums are must-haves if you're a fan of experimental, avant garde, and extreme music. This is not for the typical Faith No More fan I'm afraid.
Free Music Review: Welcome to the world of Fantomas!
Hit: 5 Stars
Having finally gotten around to picking up Delerium Cordia, I still find the The Director's Cut is the most interesting and mind-blowing release of Patton's post-Bungle work. Thus far. If you're a fan of Bungle's darker material but tend to furrow your brow at Patton's more esoteric vocal albums, well, this is definitely for you.
These renditions of famous cult film themes belong in a dimension all their own. From the opening notes of 'The Godfather,' (quiet Italian melodies that quickly burn away into a precision battery of Death Metal prowess...) to the earthy and turntable-fied take on Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire walk With Me,' you get all pistons firing and all facets shining of Fantomas's demented and hair-raising theatrics.
The meat of this is Lombardo's drumming (anyone from Slayer is beyond reproach, in my book) and Patton's voice. As always, the man is unbelievably protean- few lyrics on this, but his vocal dynamics swing (effortlessly) from blood-curdling (The Golem) scream to ominously childlike- little-girl childlike at that- sing-song(Rosemary's Baby). In 'Cape Fear' he uses his shrieks as the string section of that film's classic theme- it works PERFECTLY! At times Patton works lines from the film into the music to add to the all-out creepy aesthetic, like where he chants "IT's EITHER YOUR OR THEM... you or them..." On the atmospheric rendering of 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,' and the obvious terror of, "What have they done to it's eyes!?!" from Rosemary's Baby.
Osbourene and Dunn are capable and consistent as always. But this is Mike and Dave's show, I think. Other instruments are used from tmie to time to flesh out the tunes. Now- There are a few tracks that fall short, where the theatrics come off as corny rather than threatening. 'Vendetta' sounds more like a Scooby Doo chase sequence. And 'Spider Baby' brings Rob Zombie to mind... ugh...
Their take on the Ave Satani in 'The Omen,' is blistering speed metal. Der Golem is slower sluggish metal crawl- which works considering the subject matter. 'Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,' really grows on you, with it's circular progression and cries of "BLAGH!" it reminds me of Disco Volante. 'Charade,' is an excellent closer that veers from eloquent singing to jittery medicine-man gibberish and madness.
It's a short monstrosity, the Cd itself clocks in around 39 minutes... Wish they had done more. Wish there was a volume 2 with more covers of Ennio Morricone. Pick this up. It's so much better than anything you'll hear on the radio.
By the by, all of these films are well-worth seeing/owning. Check em out if you haven't.
Free Music Review: Perhaps the best of the Fantomas material.
Hit: 5 Stars
In many ways, "The Director's Cut" is the most accessible Fantomas album-- certainly it has more coherent song structures and actual lyric singing as opposed to soley vocalizations (although there's a healthy dose of that too). Its also in many ways the best of the rather intriguing Fantomas catalog. Brainchild of vocalist Mike Patton, Fantomas is a band in the style of John Zorn's Naked City-- effortlessly moving between genres and sounds with a hardcore metal feel to hold things together, but like Naked City's "Radio", this one opts for more coherent feels on a per track basis. This allows a listener unfamiliar with this sort of style the chance to find something to latch onto-- one of the things that can make Fantomas' work difficult is that the style shifts when you're getting the hang of it, this one is a bit more coherent, style shifts have more palpable melodies to work with-- the opening track best demonstrates this, "The Godfather" theme, stated on an accordian, then reprised in spectacular death metal fashion, moving into a relatively straightforward waltz with a reprise of hardcore noise. Throughout, Patton shows us his vocalization abilities, alternately screaming and humming as appropriate.
If you're looking for something more coherent, check "Der Golem", a fairly straightforward piece with a sludge metal feel and great grunted vocal, Patton's croon over the swinging "Experiment in Terror" or the totally bizarre (and yet extraordinarily catchy) "Spider Baby".
One other thing about Fantomas that bears mention-- they're traditionally an over-the-top band, with theaterical elements in the music heavily emphasized, this album is no exception, take the middle of the album, with the totally over-the-top "Cape Fear", "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Devil Rides Out" covers. And Patton skips track 13, just in case sonic theatrics was not enough. Although nothing will probably compare to the intonation Patton pulls out for "The Omen (Ave Satani)"-- so theatrical as to border on goofy, but somehow it manages to work.
Overall, this is a superb (if a bit short) album, definitely worth checking out.
Free Music Review: Fantomas proves their versatility and creativity once again
Hit: 5 Stars
While the Director's Cut may seem like a new direction for Fantomas, their second full- length album is actually a perfect fit for the band's unique sound and identity. Having proven themselves capable of playing mood music of the most extreme caliber on their first album, making an album of soundtrack re-interpretations, a form of music that is used to create moods more than any traditional strains of rock, is a brilliant way to channel and add focus to the band's creative style. Opting to primarily cover themes from horror and thriller movies, a good choice for a band as dark and mysterious as Fantomas, Mike Patton expands the atmosphere of each song in every way possible. Interpreting loud, tense passages as brutal guitar onslaughts and the soft, melodic passages as gentle crooning backed by subtle keyboard, Mike Patton takes every song to it's absolute limit making them fit his own maniacal visions of fear and suspense. Most importantly though, Mike Patton knows what he's doing. Upon first listen, The Director's Cut may seem much less high brow or complex than most artsy, avant-garde film music albums, but Patton treats all of the songs with a deep respect, from the classic "Godfather" to the schlocky "Spider Baby", and actually enhances them through the use of a standard 4 piece rock lineup, instead of just shoving them all through a blender. Through clever use of dynamics and exaggerated loud/soft alternations, The Director's Cut achieves its goal again and again by presenting 16 soundtrack covers that not only capture all the intensity and fervor of the originals, but add completely new dimensions of sound and a modern edge to them as well. Mike Patton has discussed his desire to do a covers album for a long time, first attempting this album with the legendary Mr. Bungle, and it is nice to see his vision finally realized by a band as talented as Fantomas. While still a challenging listen, The Director's Cut is more palatable than Fantomas' preceding album and every bit as good making for a great record that should appeal to avant-garde and hard rock fans alike.Free Music Review: FANTOMAS has found their calling...
Hit: 5 Stars
...and it is in re-working film scores. Patton, Mr. Bungle, and the Melvins have always been incredibly artistically diverse and ambitious, yet before I heard this album it sounded like, you know, a good idea, but one that might not actually sound that great.Man, was I wrong. This album is a stunner, a musical monument that takes a bunch of movie standards from a relatively diverse field of composers and puts them together as a pretty cohesive album that actually hangs together more coherently than Fantomas' first self-titled album. Whereas that album was an introduction to the sound and aesthetic of the supergroup (Mike Patton of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle, drummer Dave Lombardo from Slayer/Grip Inc., Buzz osborne, mastermind behind the Melvins, and bassist Trevor Dunn from Mr. Bungle). A sprawling epic with many moods, tempos, and sounds, it still sounds less schizophrenic and more coherent than the first record.
Higlights, to this listener, include: a stunningly heavy version of Bernard Herrmann's _Cape Fear_ theme, done a la Black Sabbath; a beautifully demented take on the "Rosemary's Baby_ theme; Ennio Morricone's _Investigaton of a Citizen Above Suspicion_, which in the hands of Fantomas sounds like a mix between Rammstein and the 70's soundtrack funk of _Fantastic Planet_; a speed-metal take on the _Godfather_ theme song; the _Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me_ theme, with Patton imitating the child-like jazz stylings of Jimmy Scott; and a deliciously mutated slamdance take on the _Omen_ theme song _Ave Satani_.
Overall, the playing is jaw-dropping, the production is clear and crunching, and the moods are spellbinding. Best album of 2001? I haven't heard anything this inventive anywhere else yet...