Mike Patton

About Mike Patton

Mike Patton might be the most restless musician in alternative music. Over three decades, he's made it almost impossible to pin down what he actually does, which seems to be exactly the point.

He showed up in 1988 as the new singer for Faith No More, replacing Chuck Mosley just as the band was about to break through. His first album with them, The Real Thing, turned into an unexpected hit in 1989, thanks largely to "Epic" and its fish-out-of-water video. But that was just Patton getting started. Angel Dust in 1992 showed what he was really after—a deliberately difficult record that veered from heavy to theatrical to genuinely weird, often within the same song. Album of the Year came in 1997, then the band called it quits.

During and after Faith No More, Patton started collecting projects like some people collect records. Mr. Bungle, his high school band that he'd never actually left, released three albums between 1991 and 1999 that made Faith No More look conventional. Each one sounded completely different from the last. The self-titled debut was thrash-meets-funk-meets-cartoon-music chaos. Disco Volante doubled down on the avant-garde. California went oddly accessible, in a relative sense.

Then things got even more scattered. Fantômas played aggressive, composed instrumental pieces with Dave Lombardo on drums. Tomahawk was his straightforward rock band, except it wasn't particularly straightforward. Peeping Tom leaned into hip-hop and electronic production. Mondo Cane saw him performing Italian pop standards with a full orchestra. He scored films, video games, did voice work, and collaborated with everyone from Björk to the Dillinger Escape Plan.

His vocal range became the thing people always mention—six octaves, though that number might be underselling it. He can croon like a lounge singer, scream like he's being murdered, beatbox, do operatic runs, or make sounds that don't seem human. On Fantômas records, he basically turned his voice into another instrument, wordless and unhinged.

Faith No More reunited in 2009 for tours and eventually a new album, Sol Invictus, in 2015. It was good, which surprised some people. They toured until 2016, then shut it down again. Mr. Bungle also came back from the dead in 2020, first to perform their 1986 demo in full, then releasing a thrash metal record called The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo in actual studio quality with original members plus Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo.

These days Patton keeps doing what he's always done—whatever he wants. Dead Cross, his hardcore band with Dave Lombardo and members of Retox and the Locust, puts out records and tours occasionally. He'll pop up on a soundtrack or collaboration when it interests him. He's never chased trends or worried about maintaining a brand. Forty-some albums into his career, he's still the guy who'd rather make a record of Italian film music than coast on past success.

Patton's shows are tense, unpredictable events. He moves like he's uncomfortable in his own skin, makes sounds that feel genuinely dangerous, and seems to be discovering what he's doing on stage. Crowds lean in rather than lose their minds. It's confrontational without being hostile.

Known for Lovage - Book of Love, Faith No More - Epic, Fantômas - Delirium Cordia, Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante, Faith No More - Angel

See Mike Patton Live