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Two
things immediately caught my attention; the beautiful package
that wraps the latest work by this Mike Patton vocalized project
and the Native American inspiration that the band has based
Anonymous on. The record opens up with what sounds like rain
calling chants, I don’t know much about Native American
costumes, but I assume this is the case because towards the end
the sounds of dropping rain close out “War Song”. “Mescal Rite”
is incredible. Totally unorthodox stuff, with the kind of jaw
dropping performance Mike Patton has us used to, it balances a
heavily percussive track. There are certain passages that got me
thinking about Oriental culture instead of Native American
Indians, and I get the same feeling for the gorgeous “Ghost
Dance”. It’s sort of like the soundtrack to a great dinner at a
fancy Chinese restaurant.
I am wondering
if this release should have come out under a different moniker.
You know, just to keep Tomahawk as an adventurous rock band
instead of as an experimental band with an obsession for
cultures that have been abused and mistreated by the white man,
but Patton, guitarist Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard, Firewater)
and drummer John Stanier (Battles, Helmet) don’t play by
anybody’s rules, so making a point would be totally absurd. The
rest of Anonymous, much like the work of a band that is
strictly playing for kicks and under stiff instructions, ranges
from the flawless and gorgeous panoramas of the first three cuts
to the more light hearted more Chinese dinning experience of
“Antelope Ceremony”. Basically, all this track lacks is a geisha
dancing behind a biombo and the trip will be complete. “Song of
Victory”, is more like Tomahawk. There is a spirit of pure
fuckery running through it, but the band is at least kicking
ass, dropping chops, fast notes and displaying that playful
spirit that is so Patton-esque, regardless of whether this is
called Tomahawk or China Pearl.
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