I was blown away by the first Fantomas release. Their last one is the best as far as I'm concerned.

Fantômas is one of those rare bands that every new release is better than the last one.

You can pick up anyone of their recordings, and you won't go wrong.

Mr. Bungle - THE ULTIMATE HORROR Volante
Tomahawk - s/t
SC3 - Book of Horizons
Fantômas - Suspended Animation



For anyone interested, Patton is working on a new Tomahawk recording.




P.S. I would pass altogether on Peeping Tom.

I'm a complete Patton addict thanks to Panbient's simple recommendation of Mr. Bungle.

Mr. Bungle's self-titled is one of my favorite albums ever, period.
I HIGHLY recommend King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime. It's my favorite FNM cd, although Angel Dust is a close second. I even like most of the stuff with Chuck Mosely on vocals. Tomahawk, either one would be a good one, I think. I like them both near equally. I wouldn't be the one to ask on Fantomas. I have Suspended Animation, but I haven't heard much of anything else.

And Sleepytime Gorilla Museum...hm....I have Of Natural History, and I really like it, but I have friends who enjoy all my Patton stuff and hate Sleepytime.

If you like SC3, you'll probably like Estradasphere. Some of the members even play in SC3, and I believe they are in fact on Spruance's label.

Start at the begining. That's what I like to do as well. They only have 2 so you should be good either way.

If you like Tomahawk, don't hesistate to try The Jesus Lizard either as Duane Dennison is the guitarplayer for both. I recently got Goat and wow David Yow sounds almost as mad as Patton Especially that fabulous scream in "Monkey Trick". But yeah there's quite a few of these bands that I need to hear more from too.

i'm totally gonna go against satchmo on this one

i really thought the first tomahawk disc was meh. then again i heard mit gas first. to me that 2nd disc sounds like a much more polished and solid album than the first one (but going chronologically it might seem like a rehash). but for myself i'd rank MG as one of the best rock releases in years.

for fantomas i'd say get the director's cut to start, it's more accessible to the rest and will give you an easier transition into patton's general vocal style for that group. go with suspended animation if your brave or already have a general idea of what to expect. hehe. actually, this is a bit from SA... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGlKflP7ycE (i had found a better one from the same show a while back with a bozzio solo but this one is still cool)

for SC3 i'd go with Book M. BoH is also good but i prefer BM because the styles seem to be better blended than on the latest disc. it's basically a matter of whether or not you would rather have the styles mixed for the whole album or an album of various styles. the same goes for bungle, disco volante is non-stop organized chaos from the get go while california (my personal favorite) is more like a collection of songs from the various styles the band enjoys.

as for FNM while i really like album of the year i won't deny that angel dust is their best.

and peeping tom has one and a half decent tracks. the first song (5 seconds?) is halfway decent and the last one (we're not alone?) almost sounds like FNM. i wouldn't pay for PT though.

My view:

Fantômas: Director's Cut.

Start with this. Don't start with Delirium Cordia, since that you won't be listening to that as you would a normal album. It's a one-track soundtrack to a surgery, where you're the patient. There's a plot (most people don't seem to be aware of this - they think it's just random music) and it's a great experience. But as I said, you won't be listening to it as you would a normal album.

FNM: Angel Dust and King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime (both different but essential).

Secret Chiefs 3: Second Grand Constitution and Bylaws, Hurqalya.

Really defines the SC3 sound.

Tomahawk: can't go wrong with either release. But I'd recommend beginning with the self-titled one.

You didn't go "totally against" that Satchmo character! Oh yeah, try to not make a habit of this!

I disagree with starting with Tomahawks first record. Mit Gas is much better. The debut sounds generic in comparison.