SUSPENDED ANIMATION

It'd be pretty pointless to say how chaotic and bizzare this album is considering Mike Patton is involved. "Suspended Animation" sees Fantomas going back to the format of their first album: lots of short songs, all hovering around the minute-and-a-half mark. Whereas the previous album "Delirium Corida" was dark, "Suspended Animation" is very upbeat, fast and a lot brighter. The world "playful" comes to mind.

Anyway, this album is basically conglomeration of sampled sounds (mostly cartoon noises) and barrages of intense heavy metal music. It sounds like it doesn't work, but it actually does. Patton finds the right balance between the two and the entire album flows very well. As with all of Fantomas albums, Patton doesn't sing but uses his voice as another instrument that accents the rest of the music. Once again, it was a good move because there's simply too much going on lyrics would just get in the way of everything.

Every time I listen to this album I keep hearing new things I didn't before, which makes for a pleasant listen. My only problem is that there are lots of great musical ideas that don't get explored and/or developed enough. But it's precisely that that gives the album it's frantic and attention-deficit feel. To really enjoy this album, don't take it too seriously. If you're looking for something much different for your music collection, check this one out.

Standout songs: Pointless