Matthew Reine
There are quite a few geniuses in the music world. People who changed the game for generations to come. Some are more well-known than others. For example, there’s Michael Jackson, there’s Jimi Hendrix, there’s Sir Paul McCartney, there’s Brian Eno, and of course there’s Skrillex (yeah fucking right) just to name a few.
But how many people know of the genius that is Mike Patton? I’m sure you’ve heard the name before but never knew or cared to know what the man is all about. I’m sure even casual music fans have heard some of his work at some point. Armed with his distinctive voice and demanding work ethic, Mike Patton has become a prominent figure in the world of music with his catalog ranging from heavy metal to classical music to film scores. Although amassing a large cult following, Patton’s talents have yet to be truly recognized in the mainstream.
Patton grew up in California where he formed his very first musical project, the experimental group known as Mr. Bungle in the early 80’s. While Bungle recorded various demos and self-releases, Patton put the band on hold so he could join what became his most well known project, Faith No More, in 1989 replacing singer Chuck Mosley. Combining a variety of musical genres including heavy metal, funk, and hip-hop, the band scored a major hit that same year with “Epic” (or as I called it until I was 14, “What Is It?”). The band rode a wave of success due to the early music oriented format of MTV and made a lot of appearances on its programming. Faith No More followed up the success of Epic with performances on Saturday Night Live and MTV’s Video Music Awards. The quintet was soon catching the eye of a lot of people including Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman, Anthony Kiedis, who accused Patton of ripping off his stage persona which led to a long standing feud between the two that still lasts to this day. The band split up in the late 90’s leaving a legacy that eventually helped shape the nu-metal scene of the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Several acts from that era including Korn, Papa Roach, and Disturbed have named FNM as a key influence on their music (whether that’s a good thing or not is up to you to decide). After months of rumors, they reunited in 2009 to the delight of fans all over the world (I was fortunate to see them in 2010, on my 24th birthday no less). Patton’s time in Faith No More would unfortunately be Patton’s only foray into the mainstream but he was far from done with music.
While experiencing the popularity of FNM, Patton reformed Mr. Bungle. Like FNM, the group blended a variety of sounds, more on the unconventional side of music, resembling something you’d hear in a 3-ring circus or freak show. Mr. Bungle released their first album, a self-titled release, in 1991 a few years after Faith No More had their breakthrough which helped them gain notoriety. Fans were subjected to Patton’s even more unorthodox vocals which included beatboxing and throat-singing, and his willingness to combine all sorts of zany sounds and tones. After releasing their third album, “California”, which contained a much more stripped down and less weird sound compared to their earlier work, in 1999, the band was put on an indefinite hiatus after being kicked off several music festivals due to the request of Anthony Kiedis (which factored into the Kiedis/Patton feud) .
Patton formed the Fantomas with Melvins singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne and Slayer drummer, Dave Lombardo in 1998. Patton’s foray into avant-garde music continued. Fantomas proved to be on the heavier side of Patton projects and tested the man’s screams. You could also argue that the group started Patton’s interest in making music for cinema. Their 2001 LP, “Director’s Cut” was made up entirely of covers of scores and themes such cinematic classics as “The Godfather” and “Rosemary’s Baby” while their 2004 effort “Delirium Cordia” could be best described as score to a fictional horror/suspense thriller ride.
Tomahawk was formed by Patton in 2000 and is more in the vein of a traditional rock sound with influences of Faith No More trickled in. Their debut album dropped in 2001 to critical praise and a tour with Tool soon followed. Tomahawk is also synonymous with being one of the only Mike Patton side projects that consistently records music and tours. Their latest effort, “Oddfellows” was released this year.
Peeping Tom was Patton’s answer to pop music. The musicians went all out collaborating with a lots of different artists including singer Norah Jones and Roots alumni, Rahzel. Their only album, a self-titled release in 2006, had an accessible sound that probably would have launched Patton back into the limelight but the project was abandoned soon after its release. The record’s first single, “Mojo”, was a play on the stereotypical lives of famous rock stars.
More recently, Patton has released a solo album covering Italian pop songs from the 50’s and 60’s with an orchestra entitled “Mondo Cane”, collaborated with Icelandic superstar, Bjork, and has delved into film by composing scores. He scored the Jason Statham action sequel, “Crank: High Voltage” and the Ryan Gosling film, “The Place Beyond The Pines”. He narrated the Josh Hartnett martial arts film, “Bunraku”, performed the screams of the monsters in the 2007 Will Smith film, “I Am Legend”, and acted in the independent movie, “Firecracker”. He’s even done voice work for video games in recent years, including Portal and Left 4 Dead.
He also strongly dislikes Australian rock band, Wolfmother.
While it’s unsure whether Mike Patton will make music headlines again, he has sure kept quite busy in the almost 30 years he’s been in the music industry and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He’ll keep testing his creative fortitude for which his fans adore him.
