Fantomas - The Director's Cut
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Free Music Notes for The Director's Cut
Free Music Review: 4 and a 1/2 stars
Hit: 5 Stars
A take on all of Mike Patton's favorite movie themes. At times, this pseudo-opera gives one the feel of a modern day Monster Mash; at times it reminds one of a bizarre, aesthetic Rob Zombie; but most of the time one is treated to the ever-evolving genius of Mike Patton. As opposed to the first incredible disc Amenaza al Mundo (which is the only reason I give this disc 4.5) there are actual lyrics in the songs on this disc; there is also obviously less cohesion due to the fact that each song is so different. Another striking contrast from Amenaza is that there are actual singles on this disc. There are some songs you don't have to listen to ten times to fully appreciate. There are actual toe tappers. The tempo changes on this disc are pure Fantomas and pure Mike Patton. They are not the formulaic soft-hard-soft tempo changes perfected by the Pixies, Nirvana, and Modest Mouse.
It's also a very gutsy venture by Patton, Lombardo, Dunn, and Buzz Osborne, for they are taking many staples (e.g. The Godfather theme, Omen, and Rosemary's Baby) and making them their own. The jewels in the rough include the incredible Spider Baby, Omen (Ave Satani), Vendetta, Charade, and my personal favorite (for now at least) Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
For those of you who are Fantomas virgins--who haven't had your cerebral cortex violated by the ingenuity of this incredible group--I envy you the hours/weeks/months? discovering this band for the first time. This may be a better starting point to discovering this band, but once you do I guarantee you will be searching long and hard for the ever dwindling copies of Amenaza al Mundo
Free Music Review: another masterpiece from Mike Patton
Hit: 5 Stars
For Mike Patton fans this is definitely a 5 star album, and in case you weren't sure, there's actual lyrics/singing on a majority of the album, not just noises and screaming. For those strictly familiar with Patton's work with Faith No More or maybe even Mr. Bungle it rates more of a 4, certainly more of an aquired taste than Faith No More, though I believe that any Faith No More fan could find lots to like about this totally original (though ironically all the songs are in a sense "covers", reworked movie theme songs) album and in a perfect world there's a few "hit" songs on here definitely. Unlike the first Fantomas album, this definitely has a more mainstream-friendly sound, though you'll never hear it on MTV or Top 200 radio. Many songs could be compared to Patton's work with Faith No More on albums like "Angel Dust" or "King for a Day...", and the other songs could easily be compared to Mr. Bungle's "Disco Volante" or "California", and then of course there's a few that share the sound of the first Fantomas album. So in all, this album is a must-have for the Patton fanatic (which I'm sure there was no doubt in any of your minds about that, I don't think Patton could make an unlistenable, unintriguing record) and a possible new favorite for the person who's never heard Fantomas before or even Mr. Bungle (though I recommend listening to it first to see if it's for you).Free Music Review: It's Bungle-Quality ladies and gents
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is PHENOMENAL. Where am I coming from when I say this? Well, Mr. Bungle is probably my favorite band ever, and Patton is my favorite performer. However, I've never been excited about any of Fantomas or Tomahawk's releases. In fact, I've found them quite disappointing, and I never listen to my copies of any of them. So I'd kind of given up on Fantomas altogether until I saw the Director's Cut for $6.99 used a few weeks back and figured "what the hell".
I don't know what it is about the music on this CD, but I haven't been this satisfied with a Patton release since I first heard Mr Bungle back in 1997, and then again after California was released some years later.
SO TO SUMMARIZE: I never thought I would be this impressed with the work of Mike Patton again. Every song on this album is unique and incredibly satisfying. Just so you don't think I'm some drooling fanboy who gives rave-reviews to every album, I'll rate a few other Bungle/Fantomas albums as well for you so you can get a gauge on my levels-
Mr. Bungle S/T- A+
Disco Volante- B
California- A
Fantomas S/T- C
Delirium Cordova- B
Suspended Animation- B+
**The Director's Cut**- A+
(by the way, if you still haven't heard Dillinger Escape Plan's 4 track release starring Mike Patton, that's another MUST BUY album)
Free Music Review: Surprisingly good!
Hit: 5 Stars
Stands beside Mr Bungle's California in the listenable-albums-by-crazy-Patton-project stakes. Very enjoyable stuff, I listen to it in my car on the way to work on a regular basis. Unlike the first Fantomas album, these are actual songs. I expected it to be an "instrumental" album in the same way as the first album (with Patton's vocals just adding an extra layer of instrumentation), but these are real songs with lyrics, melodies, choruses and so on. I mean, don't go thinking this is the Backstreet Boys or anything - it's still warped beyond description - but it's the kind of thing you can go "Oh, I love that song!" about, rather than just having favorite bits ("Oh, I love that bit between 1:00 and 1:37 on track 16...").There's just so much more range on display from everybody here. Dave Lombardo gets to show he can do jazzy soundtrack noises (on Experiment In Terror), Mike Patton gets to fish out every voice he can think up - crazy rhythmic punctuation, operatic wobbles, crooning, screaming.. Buzz Osbourne does his riffing thing wonderfully all over the album, and Trevor Dunn holds it all together. Stylistically it goes from hard out thrashy metal (One Step Beyond) to Nine Inch Nails like grooves (Fire Walk With Me) and wonderfully cheesy swung things like Spider Baby.
Can't fault it. It's too short though. Could have used another ten tracks :D
Free Music Review: One of Mike Patton's best
Hit: 5 Stars
(...)"Director's Cut" consists of 15 purposeful arrangements of selected movie themes for a four piece rock band. Mike Patton once again shows the music world that the intrumentation of the "rock group" can be applied to so-called "serious" music with astounding results.
Patton is evidently sometimes compared to Frank Zappa - a comparison that he feels is inaccurate. And I agree that the music of the two composers is very different. I believe that it is their use of the rock medium to express what i will have to once again refer ineptly to as, "serious" music (I am not a fricken snob,)that connects the two. That is about where the comparison ends.
"Director's Cut" is definitely serious music. It is dark and moody and melodramatic, much like the movies that provided the album's source material. The power of these re-workings comes from their precision and deliberateness. They are all so inventive in the way they keep the attitude of the original piece, but then add a perfect twist that puts the band's stamp on it.
The production of this record is incredible. It truly is candy to your ears. I recently had the pleasure of seeing the band in concert and was really surprised at how well they managed to pull off those sounds there in the club. Props to the sound person.