#16: Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Fantômas, etc.)
MetalSucks recently polled its staff to determine who are The Top 25 Modern Metal Frontmen, and after an incredible amount of arguing, name calling, and physical violence, we have finalized that list! Writers were asked to consider vocal ability, lyrics, and live presence when casting their votes; the only requirements to be eligible for the list were that the musician in question had to a) play metal (duh), b) be a frontman or woman (double-duh), and c) have recorded something AND performed live in the past five years. Today we continue our countdown with the great Mike Patton…
I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that actively dislikes Mike Patton. I’m sure they exist, because Rule 34 can be applied to real/Internet life as well as porn. However, to save us all a little time, let’s just agree that Mr. Patton is one of the most beloved front men of modern times.
Replacing Chuck Mosley in Faith No More 1989, he helped the band gain critical and worldwide acclaim with the albums The Real Thing, Angel Dust, King For A Day… Fool for a Lifetime, and Album of the Year. My personal favorite from that oeuvre, “Just A Man,” is a perfect example of his range; from crooning soul man to tortured belter with the intensity and charm of a con man that draws you in with his sweet words and leaves you dazed and half-naked, truly coming to your senses only after he’s long gone.
Along with his work in FNM, Patton co-founded and led a number of other acts like Mr. Bungle and Fantômas. He’s contributed and collaborated with several others from The Dillinger Escape Plan to John Zorn and always brings his special breed of insanity to the table. Some would call it avante-garde, but it’s just pure musical madness.
Now touring with Tomahawk and their new album, Oddfellows, Patton still runs the gamut of vocal styles from death growl to beatboxing to falsetto screaming, always providing for the most mesmerizing stage show imaginable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgRhDd6MRU0
THE LIST SO FAR:
#17: Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste)
#18: Joe Duplantier (Gojira)
#19: Oderus Urungus (Gwar)
#20: Nergal (Behemoth)
#21: Jens Kidman (Meshuggah)
#22: J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer)
#23: Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed)
#24: Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation, Murder Construct)
#25: Chino Moreno (Deftones)
