Tomahawk Mit Gas CD

Tomahawk: Mike Patton, John Stanier, Duane Dennison, Kevin Rutmanis.
Recorded at Grandmaster Recorders, Hollywood, California.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Duane Denison; Kevin Rutmanis; John Stanier.
Tomahawk combines the rockist tendencies of Faith No More with the weirdo prog freakout of Mr. Bungle, two of Tomahawk vocalist Mike Patton's more popularly received projects. The band is actually the project of former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison, and on Mit Gas, the band's second album, he drops his prior fight for melodic lead, letting Patton growl, sustain, babble, stutter, croon, and yowl through each precision-stopped, layered track. Maybe all those nights of getting booed off the stage while touring with Tool (after the 2001 self-titled release) taught them a thing or two about indulging star power. With John Stanier (formerly of Helmet) and Kevin Rutmanis (the Cows, the Melvins) also on board, though, it's hard to decide who isn't a star. "You Can't Win," a track akin to Mr. Bungle in its circus/lounge mood and cracked chanting, is an outstanding example of Tomahawk's metal kid to avantist maturity -- everything from strings to wood blocks informs a centrally pop song with indiscernibly sinister lyrics reminiscent of Brainiac. The track ends with a hazy ambient moan. It floats into "Mayday," a pretty straightforward metal song. Then there's a dreamy ballad in Spanish, a surf-rock one called "Harelip," and the excellent, slightly Foo Fighters-sounding "Rape This Day." You probably won't find this album at Wal-Mart. It's worth searching out, though, as Patton et al. expand the borders of guitar rock with intelligence and humor more absurd and egalitarian than the band's obvious predecessor -- Frank Zappa. ~ Daphne Carr
When Faith No More emerged in the early '90s, who'd have guessed that singer Mike Patton would eventually leave their secondhand-Chili Peppers sound behind for such a wide variety of innovative musical projects? Creating wildly eclectic, experimental, and unclassifiable music with both Fantomas and Mr. Bungle, Patton has consistently exceeded expectations. If Tomahawk veers closer to Patton's rock-star past, it's only in comparison to the extremes of his other work.
While the aggressive tone of the heavy guitars and drums on MIT GAS certainly guarantee it a place in the nu-metal world, Tomahawk is a far smarter group than most who operate under that banner. They incorporate a number of disparate (for metal) influences, including reggae, funk, and Zappa, even as they syncretize it all into a distinctive, unrelenting sonic attack. Heavy enough for the headbangers, but savvy enough for those who've followed Patton on his wild ride throughout the years, MIT GAS comes quite close to being all things to all heavy-rock fans.Spin (7/03, p.110) - "...It's solid - heavy on nuts and bolts..." - Grade: B-
Uncut (6/03, p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Compelling second album of taut, well-executed rock from alt.supergroup..."
The Wire (6/03, p.73) - "...Largely driven by a powerful but versatile rhythm section completed by Melvins bassist Kevin Rutmanis, Tomahawk's music is as brutal as it is eclectic..."
CMJ (5/12/03, p.8) - "...Tomahawk hearkens back to the halcyon days of 1995 in spirit on its second release, but updates lateral-minded chug with elegantly bustling production and raise-yr-fucking-fists-to-heaven choruses..."