Fantômas (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Fantômas

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Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = California, USA
Genre = Avant-garde metal
Years_active = 1998–present
Label = Ipecac Recordings
Associated_acts = Melvins Slayer Faith No More Mr. Bungle Peeping Tom Tomahawk
URL = [http://www.ipecac.com/bio.php?id=3 ipecac.com/bio.php?id=3 Ipecac Website]
Current_members = Mike Patton Buzz Osborne Trevor Dunn Dave Lombardo
Past_members = Terry Bozzio

Fantômas is an avant-garde metal supergroup formed in 1998 in California, United States. The band is named after Fantômas, a villain featured in a series of crime novels popular in France before World War I.

History

Fantômas began just before the collapse of Faith No More as a series of spasmic, avant-garde metal songs composed by vocalist Mike Patton. Patton then sent the demos to guitarist Buzz Osborne (of The Melvins), bassist Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle) and drummer Igor Cavalera (of Sepultura) with the intention of forming a Supergroup. Cavalera declined the offer, but recommended who he thought would be perfect for the project: Dave Lombardo of Slayer, who accepted. [cite web | last =Zulaica | first = Don| title = Even Better Than the Real Thing? - Mike Patton Puts His Faith in Fantomas and Mr. Bungle | publisher = BAM magazine| date = 1999-07-05 | url =http://members.tripod.com/~Nirrosive/articles/article10.txt | accessdate = 2007-06-06] [cite web | last = Burton| first = Brent | title = Fantômas Suspended Animation Review | publisher = Decibel Magazine| date = | url = http://www.decibelmagazine.com/reviews/may2005/fantomas.aspx | accessdate = 2007-06-06]

In mid-2005 the band toured Europe with Terry Bozzio on drums, because Lombardo was on tour with Slayer. Lombardo returned to the band for the final dates of the tour, which concluded on September 15, 2005. However, there are rumours that Bozzio will perform drumming duties on a future Fantômas album. [cite web | last = | first = | title = Patton has ideas for upcoming Fantomas albums | publisher = Caca Volante| date = 2005-09-02 | url = http://www.cv.org/2005/09/02/patton-has-ideas-for-upcoming-fantomas-albums/ | accessdate = 2007-06-06]

On May 13, 2006, Patton revealed to Billboard.com that a fifth Fantômas album has been planned. Of the album, Patton says "The next record is going to be an all-electronic affair. It's going to take some creative planning on how to record it and execute it, but there will be no acoustic instruments on it whatsoever. We're pretty much about to go into hibernation mode. I need to, once I have a little time, go back to the drawing board, and start writing the next one." [cite web | last =Prato | first =Greg | title = Patton Juggling Numerous New Projects | publisher = billboard.com| date = 2006-05-12 | url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002502020 | accessdate = 2007-06-06]

tyle

Though rooted in heavy metal, their music touches on many different musical genres, making liberal use of experimentalism and noise. Fantômas' music is also noted for its absurdism and offbeat sense of humor; one critic dubbed their style "dada-metal," [cite web | last = | first = | title = Fantomas | publisher = fantomas-lives.com| date = | url =http://www.fantomas-lives.com/ | accessdate = 2007-06-06] a reference to the "anti-art" dada movement of the early 1900s. Critic Greg Prato describes their music as "completely original…especially when compared to the blah and predictable alt-rock of the late '90s." [cite web | last =Prato | first = Greg| title = Fantômas Biography | publisher = allmusic| date = | url =http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xe2ibkr90ak0 | accessdate = 2007-06-06] Patton rarely sings conventional lyrics with the group, preferring his own bizarre style of voice music or scat singing.

The band arrange albums around concepts or themes:
*"Fantômas (Amenaza Al Mundo)" was based on science fiction comic books, with every song simply given a page number (Page 1, Page 2 etc.). The artwork was mainly taken from the Italian comic "Diabolik".
*"The Director's Cut" was a series of reinterpretations of motion picture theme songs. Some versions are rather loyal to the sources (such as the eerie lullabye from "The Night of the Hunter"), while others offer radical takes on the music (such the theme from "The Godfather" tackled in part as a thrash metal song).
*"Delìrium Còrdia" was one extended song, with the concept of surgery without anesthesia.
*"Suspended Animation" (recorded in the same sessions as "Delìrium Còrdia") is an album of twisted cartoon music, each track named after a day in the month of April 2005, and the limited-edition, first pressing of the album was itself (literally) a calendar of the month.

Non-album songs

Fantômas have also performed a few songs which do not appear on their albums.
*"Chariot Choogle" (1:51) - A cover of the song by T-Rex, released on the album "". Mike Patton recorded this cover and attributed it to Fantômas.
*"Zemariam" (3:36) - A version of the song which John Zorn had originally written for his band, Masada but eventually never performed nor recorded. To celebrate Masada's 10th Anniversary John Zorn organised the release of an album known as "The Unknown Masada". Fantômas contributed this song to the release.
*Where Is The Line (Fantômas Remix) (5:28) - Released as a B-Side on Björk's "Where Is The Line" Vinyl release.

Members

*Mike Patton (vocals, sampling)
*Buzz Osborne (guitar)
*Trevor Dunn (bass)
*Dave Lombardo (drums)

Discography

Videography

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.ipecac.com/bio.php?id=3 Official site]
* [http://www.hobotrashcan.com/interviews/mikepatton.php HoboTrashcan's One on One with Mike Patton]
* [http://www.lambgoat.com/features/interviews/melvins.aspx Interview w/Buzz Osbourne from Lambgoat.com]
* [http://www.pattonmad.com/Fantomas/FantomasDiscography.htm Fantomas Discography]