Formed a little over 10 years ago,
Fantomas is a bit of an enigma, releasing
four studio albums in that time period.

Although popular in the avant-garde
metal community, the group is still relatively
unknown.

Comprised of vocalist Mike Patton
(of Faith No More), guitarist Buzz
Osbourne, bassist Trevor Dunn and
drummer Dave Lombardo (of Slayer),
each member has a long and legendary
history behind them making Fantomas
something of a super-group.

The group has garnered a reputation
for combining the absurd with top-notch
musicianship. Beginning with their first
release in 1999, Fantomas began releasing
concept records. They began with
“Fantomas,” a series of recordings inspired
by science fiction comic books,
followed by “The Director’s Cut”, a series
of reimagined movie theme songs,
“Delirium Cordia” in 2004, a single
song running over one hour with reoccurring
surgical themes, and 2005’s
“Suspended Animation,” an album dedicated
to the month of April and creepy
cartoon noise.

Every album is a rollercoaster ride.
Combining elements of heavy metal,
noise rock, lounge, ambient music,
and drone metal into something that,
if you’re up for it, is always satisfying.
I’ll warn you though, the music can get
very abrasive and some of their albums,
especially “Delirium Cordia,” can be intimidating.

If you aren’t already into their particular
scene or into the idea of concept
albums then their particular brand of
music will most likely not make much
of an impact on you.

As for live shows, I must admit I’ve
never been to any of their shows but
from what I’ve seen and heard their live
shows surpass anything you’ll hear on
their albums, which is saying a lot.

I can’t say that Fantomas is for everyone,
they aren’t, but if you recognize
any of the names dropped or just have
an open mind when it comes to music I
highly recommend them.

Like what you’ve heard so far but
don’t know where to start? Personally
I’d suggest their 2001 effort “The Director’s
Cut,” their most accessible release
so far.