Mike Patton (Faith No More) Has a New Project Called Corpse Flower; Listen to the First Single

Faith No More / Fantomas / Tomahawk frontman and all-around musical visionary Mike Patton has joined forces with French composer Jean-Claude Vannier for a new project dubbed Corpse Flower. The outfit will release a 12-song album in September and a new song called “On Top of the World” was posted for streaming this morning.

Did you ever wonder what a full album of originals in the style of Faith No More’s cover of Lionel Richie’s “Easy” might sound like? If “On Top of the World” is any indication, you’re about to find out, and I couldn’t be any more stoked about it. Patton’s voice on top of lounge rock with just a dash of heaviness — THIS is what we need from him in modern times, not a middling new Faith No More album. I hadn’t previously heard of Vannier — press copy says he is best known for his work with Serge Gainsbourg, with whom I’m also completely unfamiliar — but I imagine his writing contributions here lend the track its distinct lounge-like vibe, and anyone with whom Patton sees fit to collaborate is A-OK in my book. Give me more of this, please, immediately.

Corpse Flower comes out on September 13th via Patton’s label Ipecac; pre-order here.