h33t - Tomahawk - Anonymous [rockbox]

Tomahawk - Anonymous

Genre : Alternative / Experimental / Avant-Garde Rock

Quote:
Mike Patton must laugh at rock bands that take extended periods between albums and complain of time restraints. Since the dissolution of Faith No More in 1998, Patton worked like a man possessed -- unleashing a steady stream of releases by the numerous groups he fronts -- among them Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, and Tomahawk (not to mention that he founded his own label, Ipecac). Joining Patton in Tomahawk is a star-studded cast that includes former Jesus Lizard/Hank Williams III guitarist Duane Denison, former Mark of Cain/Helmet drummer John Stanier, and Melvins bassist Kevin Rutmanis, which proves to be quite similar musically to FNM's latter-day output (circa Angel Dust, King for a Day, and Album of the Year). October 2001 saw the release of Tomahawk's self-titled debut on Ipecac (produced by Joe "Jerry" Reed, Emmylou Harris, the Judds' Joe Funderburk) and followed with a supporting tour. In May 2003 the supergroup completed another savage mix of experimental alternative metal titled Mit Gas with Joe Barresi before founding member Rutmanis left the band. In 2007, inspired by when Denison visited Indian reservations on tour as guitarist for Hank Williams III, Tomahawk switched gears and recorded Anonymous, a concept album that combined spooky Native American-inspired songs with metal.

Quote:
As a mad musical genius, Mike Patton continues his wild-eyed adventures of conquering every genre possible with Anonymous. In Fantômas he tackled horror music and cartoon themes, in the Executioners he had a go at hip-hop, in Peeping Tom he deconstructed pop, and in Mr. Bungle he combined doo-wop, funk, Middle Eastern and carnival music to make a wonderful schizophrenic mess. Anonymous maintains his journey into uncharted territory by mixing Tomahawk's unique blend of mathy-doom metal with Native American tribal chants. This blend of drastically differing musical styles could easily result in something that sounds forced or even satirical -- especially since one style is centuries older than the other -- but instead, the entire experience creates the feel of camping out at a haunted American Indian Reservation. All of the songs are embellished versions of tunes from books of transcribed "Indian songs" published in the early 1900s (with the exception of an instrumental guitar ballad that ties up the album nicely, adapted from an anonymous parlor song.) Patton fans will likely rejoice about the absurdist outcome, though the record is quite a departure from the Tomahawk of old. The group sounds less like a band performing this time around, and this may be partly due to the fact that they recorded separately. After the departure of Kevin Rutmanis (bass), Duane Denison (guitar) and John Stanier (drums) recorded their parts in Nashville, and then sent their finished product to San Francisco where Patton added his vocals and samples. As always, Patton runs amuck and uses this opportunity to show off his unrivaled range and his masterful ability to veer from layered oceans of eerie moans to psychotic barks and crooning modal scales. The result actually feels more like a Fantômas concept performed by Bungle than a third Tomahawk album, and fans may be disappointed that it doesn't sound like their last two releases, where they distinctively rode the line between savage and brooding within the constraints of heavy metal. The ominous element is present, but the dynamic shifts drastically into a more atmospheric new age realm scattered with a few chaotic explosions here and there for good measure. It feels more like a soundtrack than an album, where pieces vary from eerie, to unnerving, to mystical. Although this is a unified record that should be experienced from start to finish, individual songs have slight and interesting variations to keep the experience from becoming stale. For instance, "Antelope Ceremony" has jazzy-prog movements like something out of Zappa's Apostrophe period, and "Sun Dance" integrates four bars of thunderous punk into an otherwise tranquil desert soundscape. There's a good chance this departure from their formula will appeal more to people who want to pick up where California left off on "Goodbye Sober Day" than fans of Helmet or Jesus Lizard. But considering that the band is playing in a completely new style, and incorporating traditional Native American instruments (rain sticks, flutes, buckskin drums) this is undeniably a stunning musical exploration -- and as far as original artistic endeavors go, this ranks as Patton and company's most ambitious masterpiece. The only question left is whether or not the guys knew they were capable of creating this type of music when they originally named the band.

320k/101MB/2007

1. War Song
2. Mescal Rite 1
3. Ghost Dance
4. Red Fox
5. Cradle Song
6. Antelope Ceremony
7. Song Of Victory
8. Omaha Dance
9. Sun Dance
10. Mescal Rite 2
11. Totem
12. Crow Dance
13. Long, Long Weary Day