Happy Birthday Mike ! the Top 10 Mike Patton Songs

What better way to Celebrate Mike Patton's 57th birthday than to take a listen to his best vocal performances.  In picking the best I eliminated any of his noise or orchestral work, he is at his best when he is employing his sense of dynamics and wide theatrical range concisely that tells a story after all that is what singers do. I feel his best work is when he displays outright aggression to varying degrees, while still maintaining hooks and melodies so that is what the focus is here, pretty much narrowing it down to Tomahawk, Peeping  Tom, Mr. Bungle, and Faith No More. 

Not only is he one of my favorite singers, but these ten songs also display why he is one of the best "rock" singers though he wears rock music like a loose garment, as he employs elements of soul, country, and metal into what he does. I think these songs are also some of the strongest lyrically though his performance on them could sell you if he was just pulling his lyrics from the ingredients of a soup can. I am thankful to have seen him live in most of these projects and glad he made it another trip around the sun with us this year. So here are the top 10 Mike Patton songs.

10- ""Don't Even Trip"

   

9-"Love is a Fist" 

 

 8-"Malpractice " 

7-"The Real Thing"

   

6-"God Hates a Coward

 

 5-"None of Them Knew They Were Robots" 

4-"Surprise You're Dead" 

2-"My Ass is On Fire"

 

1- "Kindergarten" 

pt 37

Who Not to Miss At Welcome to Rockville 2024 ( a curated guide)

Lots of bands playing throughout the weekend at Welcome to Rockville this year, with festivals set times are compressed, so how can you make the most of your time, while still giving yourself time to rest so you make it to Sunday. Here is a guide to getting the most from your money, with the bands that are going to give you your money's worth. Let's face it tickets for the entire weekend are expensive even on the payment plan. from. I am not suggesting the most popular bands, so if you want to avoid the crowded stages, this list is for you, but most of these suggestions are due to the fact I hate most radio rock, so we are going to be avoiding that and picking the most interesting artist who deliver consistently live. 

Thursday 

Fuming Mouth 12:30 Vortex Stage

One of the best new death metal bands with enough hard-core influence to make them interesting. 

Cold 2:00 pm -Apex Stage

One of the most underrated bands of the late 90s who bridged the gap between grunge and nu-metal. 

Amigo the Devil 3:10 Apex Stage

You can stick around the Apex Stage. It's not Danny's first dance at Rockville, but having to pick him over New Year's Day as his new album is better than theirs. 

Fleshwater -4:10 - Garage Stage 

Emo doesn't have to be a bad ward, as these dudes are in their feelings and still rock. 

Anthrax- 6:00- Apex Stage

Since reuniting with Joey Belladonna these thrash masters have been consistent and deliver live. 

Biohazard -7:30- Vortex Stage 

Not sure why these guys have a later slot than Anthrax but they ruled in the 90s with their brand of cross-over hardcore that influenced what we think of as nu-metal. 

Kerry King - 9:10 Vortex Stage

Stick around the Vortex stage for the dude who is going to prove he is Slayer. 

Friday 

Harms Way - 3:00 -Garage Stage 

You can sleep in for Friday, but make sure you get to the Garage stage for the bad who had the best hard-core album last year, they are certainly Friday's heaviest band and perhaps the weekend. 

Mushroomhead - 4:10 -Inferno Stage

Not just a Slipknot ripoff, they have a more industrial sound that has matured over the years. 

Kittie - 5: 20 -Inferno Stage

Might as well stick around for these gals who have a lot to prove with their comeback, Saw them back in the day and they got blown away by Mudvayne who was opening for them, but maybe they are better now. 

Nitzer Ebb- 6:00 -Vortex Stage 

Industrial legends. Nuff said. 

Slaughter to Prevail - 6:45 -  Inferno Stage

This band has a lot of buzz around them as their career keeps gaining momentum, with a new album coming out soon they have to bring it big time. 

Falling in Reverse - 8:10- Apex Stage

I like Tech N9ne, but rap tends to suck live as it comes across like karaoke, so these guys will bring it better live. 

Mr. Bungle- 9:10 Vortex Stage 

The best band playing this weekend, half the nu-metal or wacky metalcore bands would not exist if not for what these guys started 

Saturday 

Crobot- 1:50 - Inferno Stage

Smoke a joint and check these guys out as they are just fun straight-up hard rock n roll. 

Red Fang  4: 10- Inferno Stage 

Stick around the Inferno Stage to check out these guys, who are hard-hitting stoner rock with punk smarts.

All Them Witches -5:20 - Inferno  stage

The Inderno Stage seems to be the best bet to camp out at today, as these guys are some of the more interesting rockers for those with THC in their veins. 

Baroness -6;45-Inferno stage

Higher energy live than their albums might lead you to believe, a great live band. 

Code Orange - 8;15 

It's a hard choice between these guys and Clutch, have seen Clutch before, but have not seen these guys, and I prefer their sound to Clutch's as it's darker and industrial... have also seen Queens of the Stoneage before, so missing them would not be that big of a deal either. 

Sunday 

The weakest day of the weekend, but if have been out in the Florida sun all weekend you are going to need a less active day. 

GEL - 1:25 - Vortex  Stage

Best punk band of the weekend, not that there's much actual punk, if you think bands like Sum 41 are punk should see this band to get educated. 

Miltarie Gun - 2;30-Vortex Stage

Well, there aren't Turnstile,  but they would like to be. 

Enter Shakari - 5:25  Inferno Stage

Of all the Myspace-era rock this weekend these guys are the best of that crop

Slipknot- 10:15 Apex

If you attend this fest regularly chances are you have already seen these guys, but they have a new drummer, and worth checking out.

pst209

pst209

The Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums

Time to bang your head. Mainstream metal is either 

A- Middle of the road in it's attempt to appeal to a wider audience 

B- A less extreme sub-genre like Power metal or Thrash that is easier for your average suburban metal to swallow

C- bands that are harder than hard rock , but not what we think of as death or black metal here. 

This list it the best of those kinda of bands, who you are more likely to see in the page of Revolver Magazine.. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes for the mainstream metal  are no new bands , so this year was more about the tried and true. 

The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Mainstream Metal  albums of 2020

10- Pale Divine- " the Consequence of Time" 

This former doom band is not as depressed so they are able to pick up the speed for some Judas Priest like proto thrash. It leans in power metal direction, but while they are no longer in despair they are not as happy as power metal and that is a good thing./

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/pale-divine-consequence-of-time.html

9-  Mr. Bungle -"The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny"

They brought Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo on to re-record their demo. With those two what else did we think this was going to be. It's solid thrash. Mike shows he is not too old to get metal as needed. Not what most Bungle fans expected , but they made a great metal record 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/mr-bungle-raging-wrath-of-easter-bunny.html

8-Carach Angren - "Frankensteina Strataemontanus"

No as zany and King Diamond in the theatrics of their song writing as they have been in the past, in fact this album felt more straight ahead metal than what I have heard from them in the past. Oddly enough they were more ambitious than Mr. Bungle , this time around. 

    https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/carach-angren-franckensteina.html 

7- Caligula's Horse - "Rise Radiant" 

They were going to be on the prog list, but this album is more straight ahead than most on that list. Yes the are proggy and can shred, but still make a pretty solid effort in writing memorable song. Those hooks gave them the edge over the Angren boys. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/caligulas-horse-rise-radiant.html

 

6 -Inquisition - "Black Mass For a Mass Grave" 

They might still wear corpse paint , but that does not make this album black metal. The vocals are the same. But they have moved into a mellower and more melodic direction that owes more to the melodic nature of classic metal. The songs flow really well, and this is an album you can leave on and let play. Just because it is not black metal does not mean it doesn't have more balls to it than Caligula's Horse. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/inquisition-black-mass-for-mass-grave.html

5-Enslaved - "Utgard"

They are bringing their Viking side back. This album sounds huge and balances their more black metal beginnings with the more proggy stuff they have been churning out for the past twenty years. They might be pound for pound the most talented black metal band , next to Emperor. This album offers a broader range than Inquisition . 

 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/enslaved-utgard.html

 

4- Havok -"V"

This album has great energy. I am not normally about thrash revival bands because.. well I was there the first time it was done. Lyrically this album was right on time. Where Enslaved certainly does more with more epic sound, this in your face urgency earned this album more time in my ears. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/havok-v.html

3- Testament-"Titans of Creation"

These mother fuckers do not sound like they have aged a day. This could have been the album that came after "Low'. They kick out the same brand of thrash they have been killing with since the 80s. The albums in the top 2 spots took more chances with their formulas. But this gives you everything you want from them. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/testament-titans-of-creation.html

2- Demons & Wizards - "III"

Power metal is normally too happy for me. I do love me some Iced Earth though, and that is half the equation here. It also helps the singer from Blind Guardian is moodier than most of the metal yodelers. These guys also care about writing song, and wrote some good ones here. In fact not just good , but better than most.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/02/demons-wizards-iii.html

 

 1- Code Orange-"Underneath" 

The Orange Kids have pretty much evolved beyond their hard core past into an angry industrial machine that writes fucking catchy songs. Their vocals continue to improve , and this album captures the mood of 2020. It beat out Demons & Wizards for top spot because ... well it was not even close these guys are at their peak. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/code-orange-underneath.html

Mr. Bungle : " The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny"

 

It's been over 20 years since they have released anything. They were not going to give you a reunion in the conventional sense as this time Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo join, Mike, Trey and Trevor to revist the demo that proceeded Bungle's self titled debut. The album opens with a guitar ditty which is basically an intro for "Anarchy Up Your Anus" .  Which is 80s style thrash that is consistant with what was coming out at the time. The first bit of oddity is not until "Raping Your Mind". Trey does a decent Kerry King impersonation . I think "Raping Your Mind" is a better song than "Anarchy" .  It is impressive that Patton can still pull off this brand of metal with as much vigor as he does.  "Raping Your Mind" does set the bar for the rest of the album has to live up to. 

"Hypocrites" shows a little more of their wacky side, before merging into a cover of S.O.D's "Speak English or Die" . It pretty much it was it is. "Bungle Grind" is like if Death Angel jammed with "S.O.D" .  It is very true to the time this was originally written.  Which with Scott Ian in tow is pretty easy to achieve.  "Methmatics" has a more rock n roll vibe to it. This is short lived as they blast back into thrash. As the song progresses you can hear a riff that would eventually become "Love is a Fist" .  "Eracist" is more mid paced and less over thrash. "Spreading the Thighs of Death" finds them back at warp speed thrash. "Loss For Words" sounds like it would have been filler on a Gwar album. 

They are back to the more brisk side of thrash with "Glutton for Punishment" .  When you think about it the guitarist from Primus was in Possessed , so this is not a reach. To be honest I find myself getting a little bored at this juncture. The whispered vocals were the most interesting part. It wraps up with the chug of "Sudden Death". Scott Ian must have just learned these parts as written nad played them as I do not hear much of his input. Ok none really. I like the taunt palm muted tension to the moshy riffs. I will give this album an 8. Their other albums would be 10s . A little too straight forward. I am sure this will divide their fan base. 

Dead Cross : "s/t"

Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo have teamed up with members of the Locust and Retox for what is darker than I hoped, though still coated in a great deal of noise. It's eerie and angular in the same way Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum was. The songs are typically compressed into under four minutes.You can hear the grind core influence of the Locust on " Divine Filth", despite Mike Patton's vocals still bringing a little more melody even on the more punk inspired sections. Though the chaos ins out more on "Grave Slave". The production finds the distortion jagged , mixed with a claustrophobic tension. You might wonder what the difference between this and Tomahawk is. Well that is easy. This is darker and heavier than Tomahawk. There are some moments that are more blatantly metal than others. "Gag Reflex" is more metal than not.  

"Idiopathic"  rides the line between chaos and a song that makes sense. They launch in more of a thrashing speed for "Obedience School" . I expect a little more from Lombardo when it comes to playing at this intensity, and it sounds like it could be anyone behind the kit. The sound of dial up internet starts off "Seizure and Desist". Patton trades off screams, squeals and singing. "Shilelagh" finds him doing more angry punk ranting.  This almost sounds like a more feral version of "King For A Days" harder rocking moments. This metallic punk temper tantrum continues on " the Future Has Been Cancelled".  As far as songwriting goes while Patton has an abundance of energy, I don't think the melodies that do show up are really his most thoughtful or strongest work.

The reckless spastic moments that have the most in common with grind core are not the album's strongest points and keep it from being a solid piece of work so on sheer merits of the darker tone and covering Bauhaus I will round this up to an 8, but considering the level of talent present here I think expecting more is ok.