Another Old Review

The 4th entry in the Fantomas discography sees the avant-guard weirdos moving in the same mysterious ways of their first outing. With each of the previous 3 records sounding nothing like each other, the similarities between Suspended Animation and their debut release is at first rather a disappointment. As an avid fan of their music, I for one have been waiting anxiously to see what they'd conjure up next only to be let down with a record that sounds like a Japanimation remix of their first. 30 bursts of their signature manic noise punctuated with cartoon effects and sounds from our childhoods. However, it soon becomes clear that this album is also, special. As in special school. Special needs. Special person. You get the idea. It becomes apparent early on that it is in fact just the basic structure that slightly resembles their previous work. Each one of the 30 tracks here is as unique as you'd expect from Fantomas. Putting a perverse twist on cartoon music now seems like such an obvious thing for Fantomas to do, why didn't we expect this? And here lies the crux of why this works so well. Fantomas are masters of the unexpected. Whether it be Mike Patton creating vocal noises that previously you thought were impossible (or more likely, never even thought of in the first place) or Dave Lombardo hammering out rhythms that are as far from 4/4 as is possible to get, nothing Fantomas do is expected. Just as you think a track has found its foothold it suddenly change in tempo or style. With these guys we expect the unexpected, which makes everything they do so obvious. Only after you've heard it first though, of course. The artwork is, as with all Fantomas releases, stunning. Beautifully illustrated by acclaimed Japanese painter Yoshitomo Nara each page represents both a track and a day in April. The images of young children wearing adult expressions on their faces is somewhat unnerving but sits perfectly with the mood of the record, playful yet sinister. There is, after all, something so very wrong with Fantomas yet so very right at the same time. I've been more and more impressed with the imagination and creativeness of this band with each release and this record is no different. Mind-blowingly tight and inventive and utterly bonkers it'll be a winner with their fans without doubt. And as is becoming the tradition with Fantomas records after this release there can't possibly be anything these guys can do next that'll surprise us. Don't count on it. That's All Folks!!!