Fantomas Delirium Cordia
Ipecac IPC-045 27/01/04
By Paddy Walsh
What goes through the mind of Mike Patton is anybodys guess, and I think it would be fair to say that listening to his music is the only way to fathom exactly what this guy is about. Unfortunately doing just that will often leave one even more confused. Delirium Cordia, the third album from Pattons post-Faith No More supergroup Fantomas, does absolutely nothing to clear things up, being as it is the most obscure outing yet for the band, which also comprises Buzz Osborne (Melvins) on guitar, Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) on bass and Dave Lombardo (Slayer) handling drums.
The first thing to mention about this release is the fact that it comprises one, 74-minute track. If this sets your alarm bells ringing already, then dont bother reading the rest of this review, as it will probably make you gag. The third Fantomas album contains over an hour of ambient noises, interspersed with the occasional monstrous guitar riff, pounding drum interplay, eerie samples, and all manner of screeches, chants and groans from the super-talented Patton. Perhaps the most striking difference between Delirium Cordia and Fantomas previous works (99s Fantomas and 01s The Directors Cut) is the understated use of Pattons voice. On their debut, for example, the focus was (almost exclusively, it must be said) on the various noises the versatile singer could wrestle from his Larynx. Yet here he chooses not to bombard us with his vocal acrobatics, but rather allow his voice to slot in more with the music as (almost) another instrument. As a result, when Patton does come out with a mighty bellow, shriek or even Gregorian chant, the effect is infinitely more startling, and the album is full of these little surprises. For minutes on end we might find ourselves hearing nothing but a few bleeps and buzzes from a sampler, only for Patton to fuck with our heads once more and introduce a churning guitar riff or drum solo right when we least expect it.
Indeed the old adage expect the unexpected has always held true when Mike Patton is involved, and Delirium Cordia is no exception. This is, in fact, probably his most obscure and altogether strange work since Mr. Bungles Disco Volante in 1995, and, like that masterpiece, works because it is the kind of music that requires patience, open-mindedness and a certain mood. Put this on while youre preparing to go out and itll probably give you a headache, but put it on while youre alone in the dark at night, and its many charms and subtleties will release themselves (and probably scare the shit out of you in the process). Recommended to all fans of Pattons post Faith No More work and challenging music in general.
9/10
Official Ipecac Site
Ipecac IPC-045 27/01/04
By Paddy Walsh
What goes through the mind of Mike Patton is anybodys guess, and I think it would be fair to say that listening to his music is the only way to fathom exactly what this guy is about. Unfortunately doing just that will often leave one even more confused. Delirium Cordia, the third album from Pattons post-Faith No More supergroup Fantomas, does absolutely nothing to clear things up, being as it is the most obscure outing yet for the band, which also comprises Buzz Osborne (Melvins) on guitar, Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) on bass and Dave Lombardo (Slayer) handling drums.
The first thing to mention about this release is the fact that it comprises one, 74-minute track. If this sets your alarm bells ringing already, then dont bother reading the rest of this review, as it will probably make you gag. The third Fantomas album contains over an hour of ambient noises, interspersed with the occasional monstrous guitar riff, pounding drum interplay, eerie samples, and all manner of screeches, chants and groans from the super-talented Patton. Perhaps the most striking difference between Delirium Cordia and Fantomas previous works (99s Fantomas and 01s The Directors Cut) is the understated use of Pattons voice. On their debut, for example, the focus was (almost exclusively, it must be said) on the various noises the versatile singer could wrestle from his Larynx. Yet here he chooses not to bombard us with his vocal acrobatics, but rather allow his voice to slot in more with the music as (almost) another instrument. As a result, when Patton does come out with a mighty bellow, shriek or even Gregorian chant, the effect is infinitely more startling, and the album is full of these little surprises. For minutes on end we might find ourselves hearing nothing but a few bleeps and buzzes from a sampler, only for Patton to fuck with our heads once more and introduce a churning guitar riff or drum solo right when we least expect it.
Indeed the old adage expect the unexpected has always held true when Mike Patton is involved, and Delirium Cordia is no exception. This is, in fact, probably his most obscure and altogether strange work since Mr. Bungles Disco Volante in 1995, and, like that masterpiece, works because it is the kind of music that requires patience, open-mindedness and a certain mood. Put this on while youre preparing to go out and itll probably give you a headache, but put it on while youre alone in the dark at night, and its many charms and subtleties will release themselves (and probably scare the shit out of you in the process). Recommended to all fans of Pattons post Faith No More work and challenging music in general.
9/10
Official Ipecac Site
