Fantômas: Biography

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• Boredoms
• U.S. Maple
• Hate Dept.
• Excuse 17
• Disco Inferno
• Downset
• Born Against

• Pigface
• Front 242
• Melvins
• Ennio Morricone
• Henry Rollins

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• Bigdumbface
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• Mr. Bungle
• Slayer
• Peeping Tom

Genres:

Rock Music, Alternative Rock Music, Progressive Rock Music

Decades Active:

1990's|2000's

So named in honor of the anti-hero of a series of legendary French crime novels, Fantomas was formed by singer Mike Patton in the wake of the breakup of his previous band, Faith No More. After cutting a rough demo in early 1998, Patton recruited Melvins guitarist Buzz Osbourne, Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo to flesh out the recording. The group then played their debut show in San Francisco in mid-June of that year, as the group's record debut was a cacophonic cover of T. Rex's "Chariot Choogle" for the compilation Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan in 1998 (issued on John Zorn's Tzadik label), and toured throughout the summer.

The spring of 1999 saw the release of Fantomas' self-titled debut album (the very first release on Patton's newly formed record label, Ipecac), which was followed by more touring. By tour's end, Fantomas was briefly put on hold as its members returned to their other bands, but by early 2001, the quartet had recorded a second album. Titled The Director's Cut, the album featured re-worked covers of movie themes, including The Godfather, Cape Fear, and Rosemary's Baby, among others (the band planned on including a version of "What a Feeling" from Flashdance, but had to cut it at the last second due to legal problems). The band spent the remainder of 2001 touring behind the album, as Patton hinted that the group may go directly back into the studio by year's end to work on an album of all new material.

- Jason Ankeny Greg Prato, All Music Guide