In 2005, with Dave Lombardo on tour with Slayer, Mike Patton recruited virtuoso drummer Terry Bozzio into the fold of his all-star band Fantômas. The dates they played included the Roskilde Festival in Denmark (of which a great interview clip and an electrifying rendition of 'Twin Peaks' exist) and the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival in Canada. The latter has been preserved in its entirety and is a good snapshot of the comic, horror film, surgical & cartoon-inspired brand of insanity these guys pump out (don't be fooled by the playlist, tracks from 'Suspended Animation' are included here).
We've had the pleasure of seeing them in concert 4 times now and they are arguably the most exhilarating live band, period. While there's no deny the sheer force and precision that Lombardo delivers to this music, it is fascinating to see the intricate and embellished improvisations that Bozzio brings to the work. The guy has the most ridiculously large kit (unfortunately obscured by the darkness in the video below but shown in all its monstrous glory in the Roskilde interview).
Apparently the next album will be electronic-based (and we wait with bated breath!) followed by a sixth album that focuses on improvisation (which Patton has hinted may see the return of Bozzio). Fantômas amenaza al mundo!
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