Genres: Experimental Rock, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Not overly serious music is made by these guys but they still inject moodiness and occasional sinister posturing into these 13 tracks that keep it fresh and entertaining. The band seems to get-off on the idea that they will never be huge on the radio and it's all the better for it. Tomahawk have fun with pop-music and this album may be their best.
Tomahawk are something to get excited about, old alternative music standouts like Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, etc.) Duane Dennison (The Jesus Lizard) and John Stainer (Helmet, The Mark of Cain, Battles) join forces with Patton's sometime cohort Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Secret Chiefs 3) to create an album of straight ahead weirdness. Dunn's presence on this album gives the whole thing cohesiveness and drive which can sometimes be the downfall of this band that is prone to excursions that favour one band member more than others. Tomahawk's last album was 2007's Anonymous that featured a bizarre concept of using rhythms and songs from Native American songwriters who were listed only by the label 'anonymous'. That album was 'something-else' but it was probably an experimental dead-end, here the band have gone back to music that sounds similar to 2003's Mit Gas.
Mike Patton continues his current trend of numerous projects with the aid of effects put on his voice to colour the surrounding music. This can give new life to fully fledged songs but also weigh down ideas that don't stand up in a 3 minute pop-song format. Thankfully, Tomahawk, as a band, have written these ones and it shows. Every song has a definite structure.
The lead single 'Stone Letter' sounds like it was an idea left over from Faith No More's 1995 album King for A Day, Fool for a Lifetime which was a stripped down album for them. 'Stone Letter' is probably too unhinged for Faith No More to do respectfully but Tomahawk benefit from the straightforward attitude.
RATING : 4/5 stars (recommended)
Below is the single 'Stone Letter' by Tomahawk. It's making the rounds right now.
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