tomahawk - any good?

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i want to hear more of duane denison's guitar playing - but do i want to hearit with mike patton's opera rock crooning over the top? how does the band sound? are they wonky enough? i looked at the album cover - how can you possibly redeem a "rock song" with the title "point & click" ? yeeugh..

― bob snoom, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Tomahawk = Mike Patton's left-handed apology for the fact that stadium funk-metal killed the Pigfuck Nation (note to confused - pre- grunge US underground rawk more influenced by NooWave than by 70s metal) even deader than the hair bands. But being the loveable asshole he is, he sort of gives the pigfuckers (of which Denison's Lizards were kings, just like Zog was once King of Albania) a big lead in the beginning, then ties one hand behind his back and whips their ass again.

Take sides - who was more inconsequential, Killdozer or Front Line Assembly?

― dave q, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

front line assembly cos at least killdozer (a) had some good tunes ("cyst" for example) (b) comedy (although i never laughed) aspects. FLA were like all the embarrassing bits of skinny puppy w/out the good stuff or front242 without the hotpants/trenchcoat combo.

― bob snoom, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The TOMAHAWK album's alright...even you have the stomach for Patton's shtick (which irrefutably wears after a while). For more Duane Dennison guitars, check out the FIRST album by Firewater, GET OFF THE CROSS...WE NEED THE WOOD FOR THE FIRE from 1996 (he took a backseat on their later releases). Duane on guitar, Yuval from Soul Coughing on drums, Tod A from Cop Shoot Cop on vox/bass and Dave Ouimet from Cop Shoot Cop/ Motherhead Bug/Foetus/Sulfur on keyboards. Outstanding album. No lie.

Killdozer versus FLA? Front Line Assembly are moot in the face of Skinny Puppy (old band mates, no?) and Killdozer are just noisy comedy. Worth a chuckle once, but you'd never need to play their album twice.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

It sounds like late period FNM (specificly Album of the Year) if the music was played by an AmRep band (given the bassist was in the Melvins and the drummer in Helmet, perhaps not a surprise). Denison's guitar playing is really great; I never noticed how distinctive his sound is before this album. I notice his guitar playing a lot more than Patton's vocals.

― Vic Funk, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

tod a from >shudder< copchutecop yik! they were always so "butch" (with every "comedy" connoitation you can milk from that word TOM OF FINLAND - i am sad about capitalism and my father cannot afford the repayments on his new tractor)and sickeningly earnest. yeah capitalism & consumerist conformity sucks but it doesn't make for (a) good rock 'n'roll, or (b) good '80s industrial grunge tribute band copyism. i think i will steer clear of that. what i really want to hear is mr denison doing his bill frisell goes paranoid noir hard-bop on amphetamines rather than the dreadfully easy variations you can get out of crossing the birthday party with black sabbath. verse chorus verse. poopy. duane d guesting on a storm & stress or us maple record for instance unfortunately i think yr man gravitates to DUMB ROCK maybe against his better instincts so i don't think he'll be recording with anyone more racy than the ever so only just / not quite DK3. shame

― bob snoom, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

For what it's worth, bob, Firewater are an about-face from Cop Shoot Cop (whether you consider them "the birthday party crossed with black sabbath" or not) oweing less to anything even remotely "industrial" than could be imagined (more obvious nods to Tom Waits abound). Sincerely, give'em a try before sinking the critical harpoon (once again, though, Duane's only on the first record).

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

hmm - intriguing

― bob snoom, Wednesday, 16 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...

hehe :) Your question is exactly the question that needed to be posed - do you really want to hear Mike Patton? The answer is "probably no".

Someone mentioned the first Firewater album. Give that a try before Tomahawk. You'll be better off.

― Randy, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one year passes...

So, I just bought the Tomahawk album out of curiosity (Yes, I know there's a Mike Patton thread going, but...), and I'm sitting on the fence. Patton's vocals are quite low in the mix, which I think is kind of for the best. Not sure about the "effects", either. Maybe it's a grower...

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 15 May 2003 13:27 (twenty years ago) link

Yes buy it. Mike Patton's great.

― gollywang (gollywang), Thursday, 15 May 2003 13:46 (twenty years ago) link

two weeks pass...

The new Tomahawk album "Mit Gas" is a definite step up from the debut. It is a good album.

There are a few good songs on the self-titled record, especially "God Hates a Coward", but there is quite a bit of filler. I couldn't quite get over thinking that it was another piece of the same unfinished puzzle that was the last Jesus Lizard record, which was a pretty patchy move away from bombast into atmospherics. The second half of the Tomahawk debut record just runs together for me and this is after quite a few listens. It mostly sounds like a "side project".

"Mit Gas" is another story. The production is very detailed and quite interesting and this time Tomahawk seems like a "band" with songs that much more sound fleshed out. There are some twisted songs on this puppy, I really like every song on the first half, especially "Mayday". The second half gets a bit more weird, but it works. The lyrics to "Harelip" are pretty funny and I like the Negativland sample on the weird edit piece.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Friday, 30 May 2003 00:01 (twenty years ago) link

i dunno. it's like after the second track on mit gas they decided they didn't have to try any more. the last track is okay too; perhaps i was expecting a more energetic album.

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 30 May 2003 02:42 (twenty years ago) link

i was sorta listening to the radio today driving and i sorta heard what i thought was the Melvins. the singer kinda sounded like him, and it was heavy as shit, but the guitar tone was kinda too polished, and it wasn't as choppy as most of the melvins i know. i just thought it was one of their later major label albums. but the dj said it was the new Tomahawk. was i confused and just didn't actually hear the Tomahawk track?

― JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 30 May 2003 05:48 (twenty years ago) link

six months pass...

genius, pure genius

― Dee Dee, Monday, 8 December 2003 09:14 (twenty years ago) link

Mit Gas is the least Patton Patton has sounded ever. I love the mix on it; it seems like the drums are the brightest thing in the mix. "Capt. Midnight" is my favorite song right now.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 8 December 2003 17:50 (twenty years ago) link

Their first album's pretty good. I was actually listening to it again for the first time in a while, and it's better than I remember it. Haven't listened to Mit Gas yet, though.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 8 December 2003 17:59 (twenty years ago) link

"May Day" makes me grimace joyfully.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 December 2003 18:21 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

Having recently just decided I like Patton's stuff, I searched Tomahawk and got two lousy threads.

It seems Tomahawk really sucks by general ILM consensus?

― Unfortunate Prankster (Unfortunate Prankster), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 21:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Patton sucks. That's what.

― freiden4xl, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 22:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, I did not like that movie.

― Unfortunate Prankster (Unfortunate Prankster), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 22:04 (eighteen years ago) link

seven years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBhdJBW97h4

Kind of really loving this.

― afriendlypioneer, Sunday, 13 January 2013 16:36 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah I like that.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Monday, 14 January 2013 22:31 (eleven years ago) link

ugh duane denison is the man

― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 15 January 2013 15:36 (eleven years ago) link

The other single isn't too great, though. Sounds like a low-level FNM track circa King for a Day or Album of the Year.

― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 15 January 2013 17:12 (eleven years ago) link

The not-so-great other song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO6raun6CR0

― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 18 January 2013 01:33 (eleven years ago) link

You can stream the whole album at Spin.com:
http://www.spin.com/articles/tomahawk-oddfellows-interview-mike-patton-duane-denison-stream

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Wednesday, 23 January 2013 07:10 (eleven years ago) link

Found this extremely disappointing. I don't see myself returning to anything other than "Oddfellows" or "South Paw." I mean I don't like Mit Gas, but I kind of liked it when it came out 10 years ago. I was 17 and still in a bit of a honeymoon phase with Mike Patton. Plus, I saw an amazing show that consisted of Dalek, The Melvins and Tomahawk. Mondo Cane is care for. The rest of these guys are extremely talented and I wonder why they didn't come up with songs that sound more interesting. I do think Kevin Rutmanis was a better fit than Trevor Dunn, but I guess Rutmanis is persona non grata with the Ipecac crew or something.

There's nothing left 10 yearts on. Oh well.

― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:25 (eleven years ago) link

Mondo Cane is all I care for these days, I should say.

― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:26 (eleven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUrzMeS4xg

They should build him a stadium and let him perform nightly. Give him the Celine Dion treatment. This rock stuff isn't his thing anymore.

― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:28 (eleven years ago) link

http://lessonface.com/music-instructor/duane-paul-denison

I wonder if that's worth it.

― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 1 February 2013 15:51 (eleven years ago) link

huh. how much is it?

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, 1 February 2013 15:58 (eleven years ago) link

$30 for half an hour. Probably not...

― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 1 February 2013 16:03 (eleven years ago) link

three weeks pass...

aside from their debut i'd say this is the best record they've made. highlights for me are "i.o.u" "white hats/black hats" "rise up dirty waters" and "south paw"

― borntohula, Saturday, 23 February 2013 17:26 (eleven years ago) link

one year passes...

Just listened to last year's effort for the first time. Pretty darn good!

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 6 March 2014 13:30 (ten years ago) link

Loadsa catchy choruses which is always good to hear from Patton.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 6 March 2014 13:31 (ten years ago) link

six years pass...

Mit Gas might be in the top 3 or 5 Mike Patton albums for me

― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Wednesday, 20 January 2021 21:04 (three years ago) link

two months pass...

New album out today

https://consequenceofsound.net/2021/03/tomahawk-mike-patton-release-new-album-tonic-immobility-stream/

― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 26 March 2021 19:10 (three years ago) link

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