Mike Patton

Mike Patton was born in Eureka, California on January 27, 1968, to a social worker mother and a physical education teacher father. Patton says he has written recreationally for as long as he can remember. He and his bandmates have consistently credited their early years in Eureka, a relatively isolated city in the far north of California, to the intense curiosity that would drive their future career paths (Eureka being one of the few big towns between San Francisco and Portland, and surrounded by dense redwood forests). Both were part of the cover band Gemini that performed songs by popular heavy metal groups. They quickly gained interest in heavier styles and joined the thrash metal cover band Fiend, but were kicked out and subsequently recorded a death metal tape under the name Turd, with Dunn on vocals and Patton on the instruments. He and Dunn also had punk friends and started to branch out to that subculture; neither musician wanted to be associated with the drug epidemic in Eureka nor the school's party scene, thus soon self-identified as straight edge. In November, they performed its first show in the adjacent town of Bayside, California. While they disliked the cultural vapidness and degradation of the area, they appreciated their school teachers who nurtured their artistic interests; an English teacher turned Patton onto Marquis de Sade and The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosiński, while Dan Horton, their music teacher, let them use the music room after school and even joined them as a temporary horn player at a show. Patton enrolled in California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, located in the nearby town of Arcata, California, to study English literature with plans to become a writer. At Humboldt, Patton met his future band Faith No More during a 1986 show at a pizza parlor, where Mr. Bungle played numerous times. After the performance, Spruance, who had invited Patton to the show, gave drummer Mike Bordin Mr. Bungle's demo The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny. From school to college, Patton also worked part-time at the only record store in Eureka until he joined Faith No More in 1988. ==Music career==

Faith No More: 1988–1998; 2009–2021 Remembering Mr. Bungle's first demo tape, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, the members of Faith No More approached Patton to audition as their lead singer in 1988. The band tried out more than fifteen singers to fill the role, including Chris Cornell from Soundgarden, but they settled on Patton in view of his versatility. Over the next few months, they performed a few live shows together. Patton would be officially announced as their new singer in January 1989, replacing Chuck Mosley; this forced Patton to quit his studies at Humboldt State University. Mosley subsequently formed the bands Cement and VUA, and had several special "one-off" performances at shows with Faith No More and Patton before his death in 2017. Faith No More's The Real Thing was released in 1989. The album reached the top 20 on the US charts, thanks largely to MTV's heavy rotation of the "Epic" music video, (which features Patton in a Mr. Bungle T-shirt). Faith No More released three more studio albums—Angel Dust, King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime, and Album of the Year—before disbanding in 1998. In one interview, Patton cited what he perceived as the declining quality of the band's work as a contributing factor to the split. On February 24, 2009, after months of speculation, Faith No More announced they would be reforming with a line-up identical to the Album of the Year era, embarking on a reunion tour called The Second Coming Tour. To coincide with the band's reunion tour, Rhino released the sixth Faith No More compilation, The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection in the UK on June 8. The same line-up eventually released a new album called Sol Invictus in 2015, and following its supporting tour, Faith No More entered another hiatus. In 2019, the band announced that they were reuniting for a tour of the UK and the Europe in 2020, which was postponed to 2021–2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually cancelled with Patton citing mental health reasons, and Faith No More has since resumed their hiatus. Solo work and band projects: 1984–present (without filter cartridges attached) during a Tomahawk show in 2002 During his time in Faith No More, Patton continued to work with Mr. Bungle. His success in mainstream rock and metal ultimately helped secure Mr. Bungle a record deal with Warner Bros. The band released a self-titled album (produced by John Zorn) in 1991, and the experimental Disco Volante in 1995. Their final album, California, was released in 1999. The band ceased being active following the 1999–2000 tour in support of the California record, although their disbandment was only officially confirmed in November 2004. Mr. Bungle reunited in 2019 with three original members (Patton, Dunn and Spruance) plus drummer Dave Lombardo and guitarist Scott Ian to re-record its first demo from 1986 The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny; the album was released on October 30, 2020. Patton's other projects included two solo albums on the Composer Series of John Zorn's Tzadik label, (Adult Themes for Voice in 1996 and Pranzo Oltranzista in 1997). He is a member of Hemophiliac, in which he performs vocal effects along with John Zorn on saxophone and Ikue Mori on laptop electronics. This group is billed as "improvisational music from the outer reaches of madness". He has also guested on Painkiller and Naked City recordings. He has appeared on other Tzadik releases with Zorn and others, notably as part of the "Moonchild Trio" alongside Joey Baron and Trevor Dunn, named after Zorn's 2006 album on which the trio first appeared, Moonchild: Songs Without Words. In 1998, Patton formed the metal supergroup Fantômas with guitarist Buzz Osborne (of The Melvins), bassist Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle), and drummer Dave Lombardo (of Slayer). They have released four studio albums. In 1999, Patton collaborated with Japanese experimental musician Merzbow on the album She, released under the name Maldoror. , Italy, as part of Peeping Tom, 2006 In 1999, Patton met former The Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison at a Mr. Bungle concert in Nashville, and the two subsequently formed the band Tomahawk. Tomahawk's straightforward rock sound has often been compared to Album of the Year/King for a Day era Faith No More. In 2001, he contributed vocals to Chino Moreno's group Team Sleep and released the album Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By with the group Lovage, a collaborative project consisting of Patton, Dan the Automator, Jennifer Charles, and Kid Koala. Patton performed vocals for Dillinger Escape Plan's 2002 EP, Irony Is a Dead Scene. That year, he joined violinist Eyvind Kang and his ensemble Playground to play the piece Virginal Co Ordinates at the in Bologna. The performance would be released as an album in 2003. In 2004, Patton worked with Björk and the beat boxer Rahzel on the album Medúlla. That same year, Patton released the album Romances with Kaada and contributed vocals to the album White People by Handsome Boy Modeling School (Dan the Automator and Prince Paul). In 2005, Patton collaborated with hip hop DJ trio and turntablists The X-Ecutioners to release the album General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners. In February 2006, Mike Patton performed an operatic piece composed by Eyvind Kang, based on the 1582 work Cantus Circaeus by Giordano Bruno, at Teatro Comunale di Modena in Modena, Italy. Patton sang alongside vocalist Jessika Kenney, and was accompanied by the Modern Brass Ensemble, Bologna Chamber Choir, and Alberto Capelli and Walter Zanetti on electric and acoustic guitars. The singer remarked that it was extremely challenging to project the voice without a microphone. This performance was later released as the record Athlantis in July 2007, through Ipecac Recordings. Patton's Peeping Tom album was released on May 30, 2006, on his own Ipecac label. The set was pieced together by swapping song files through the mail with collaborators like Dan the Automator, Rahzel, Norah Jones, Kool Keith, Massive Attack, Odd Nosdam, Amon Tobin, Jel, Doseone, Bebel Gilberto, Kid Koala, and Dub Trio. In 2008, he performed vocals on the track "Lost Weekend" by The Qemists. In December 2008, along with Melvins, Patton co-curated an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas festival. Patton chose half of the lineup and performed the album ''The Director's Cut in its entirety with Fantômas. Patton also appeared as Rikki Kixx in the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse'' in a special 2 part episode on August 24. In June 2009, Mike Patton and Fred Frith performed in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, England as part of that year's Meltdown Festival. On May 4, 2010, Mondo Cane, where Patton worked live with a 30-piece orchestra, was released by Ipecac Recordings. The album was co-produced and arranged by Daniele Luppi. Recorded in 2007 at a series of European performances including an outdoor concert in a Northern Italian piazza, the CD features traditional Italian pop songs of the 1950s and 1960s as well as a rendition of Ennio Morricone's "Deep Down". On June 18, 2010, Patton performed the 1965 work Laborintus II by classical composer Luciano Berio in Amsterdam, along with the orchestra Ictus Ensemble and vocal group Nederlands Kamerkoor. This show would be released as an album on July 10, 2012. On October 8, 2016, Patton and Ictus Ensemble played this piece in Krakow, Poland, preceded by a performance of the album Virginal Co Ordinates the previous day, alongside its creator Eyvind Kang. , Bill Laswell and Milford Graves in a 2006 tribute to guitarist Derek BaileyPatton is a member of the supergroup Nevermen, alongside Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio and rapper Doseone (with whom Patton had previously collaborated on the Peeping Tom side project). In 2016, the group released an eponymous debut album on Patton's Ipecac label. In August 2017, Patton released an album with the band Dead Cross, a supergroup that includes Slayer and Fantômas drummer Dave Lombardo and Retox members Michael Crain and Justin Pearson. On December 27, 2017, Patton performed his collaborative EP, Irony Is a Dead Scene, as well as a cover of Faith No More's "Malpractice," with the Dillinger Escape Plan live at the band's first of three final shows at Terminal 5 in New York City. In May 2018, Patton performed two concerts entitled Forgotten Songs in Modena, Italy, with the American pianist Uri Caine. The setlists of the concerts varied and included songs from Olivier Messiaen, Elton John, Slayer, Violeta Parra, George Gurdjieff, and many others. They also performed a new song called "Chansons D'amour" from an album Patton would later release with French musician Jean-Claude Vannier, Corpse Flower of September 2019. The shows were recorded, but it is not certain if the material will get a release. On January 25, 2020, Patton joined Laurie Anderson and Rubin Kodheli at the SFJAZZ Center for a performance based on the 16th century military manual Quanjing Jieyao Pian by Qi Jiguang. In September 2021, Faith No More was scheduled to play shows. However, the dates were cancelled due to Patton citing mental health reasons. On September 16, 2025, after teasers on the respective artist's social media, Mike Patton and The Avett Brothers announced their collaborative project 'AVTT/PTTN', which would release on November 14th, 2025 via Thirty Tigers in association with Ramseur Records and Ipepac Recordings. Subsequently they would announce tour dates for 2026 and would appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and CBS Mornings to promote the collaboration. == Other ventures ==

Film work In 2005, Patton signed on to compose the soundtrack for the independent movie Pinion, marking his debut scoring an American feature-length film. However, this had been held up in production and may be on the shelf permanently. His other film work includes portraying two major characters in the Steve Balderson film Firecracker. Patton provided the voices of the monsters in the 2007 film I Am Legend starring Will Smith. He also worked on the Derrick Scocchera short film "A Perfect Place" for the score/soundtrack, which is longer than the film itself. In 2009, Patton created the soundtrack to the movie Crank: High Voltage. In the 2010 film Bunraku Patton voiced The Narrator. Patton composed the soundtrack to the 2012 film The Place Beyond the Pines. In 2016, Patton provided the voice to lead character Eddy Table in a short animated film, The Absence of Eddy Table. In 2017, he scored the Stephen King movie 1922 for Netflix. Video game work Patton is an avid video game player, especially with PlayStation consoles. In 2007, he provided the voice of the eponymous force in the video game The Darkness, working alongside Kirk Acevedo, Lauren Ambrose and Dwight Schultz. Patton reprised the role in The Darkness II in 2012. He also had a role in Valve's 2007 release Portal as the voice of the Anger Sphere in the final confrontation with the insane supercomputer, GLaDOS. He has another role in the Valve title Left 4 Dead, voicing the majority of the infected zombies. He also voiced Nathan "Rad" Spencer, the main character in Capcom's 2009 video game Bionic Commando, a sequel to their classic NES title. On March 11, 2021, Patton lent his voice to a remake of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song that was released as the trailer for the video game ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge''. == Artistry ==

Voice, techniques and style Throughout his career, Patton has utilized various different genres including, avant-garde, experimental, experimental rock, art pop, contemporary classical, funk metal, and thrash metal. Mike Patton's vocals touch on crooning, falsetto, screaming, opera, death growls, rapping, beatboxing, and scatting, among other techniques. While already a proficient singer, Patton is fond of manipulating his voice with effect pedals and diverse tools. This has been a prominent feature in his project Fantômas and contemporary classical performers. colleague Blake Butler called Patton "a complete and utter musical visionary and a mind-blowing and standard-warping genius." He has knowledge on multiple instruments as well. Patton has garnered media attention for his wide vocal range, but when asked about his range in a 2019 interview, he said of past articles written about his vocal range: "I think that range thing is all bullshit. I don't think that I have the biggest range. And even if I do, who cares! ... This is not like the Olympics of vocals. [laughs] I could make a record without singing a note, and I'll be happy with it." but he only participates in projects he feels close to. Several writers have likened Patton to Zappa (as well as their bands Mr. Bungle and Mothers of Invention) because of the quantity of their work, wide-ranging influences and recurrent use of humor. On his method of composition for other musicians' pieces and filmmakers, Patton said that the most important quality is to remain flexible and open to any style, as well as to always follow the vision of the author. Vocal writing and lyrics Patton bases his vocals on what "the music dictates", whether that is using his voice in a traditional way or as "another [instrument]." His compositions are preceded by the study of the instrumentals, where he analyzes every instrument and their specific parts, Patton is inclined to produce dense overdubs that include numerous vocals or instrumentations in single passages. When asked about the unorthodox use of his voice – drawing on diverse techniques and effects, or eschewing lyrics, Patton remarked: "The voice is an instrument. No rules, just part of the music." Former bandmate William Winant singled out Patton's immediacy to concretize musical ideas he has in his head. – "the music tells the story", he says. As soon as he creates the melodies, he generally seeks words that sound the most similar to what he heard in his head. Regardless of the extent to which Patton's statements on his lyrics are accurate, to Cammila Albertson at AllMusic his self-deprecating attitude is "self-aware" and, at least partly, a reaction to the self-importance of people in the music industry, manifested more clearly in his parody of rock and rap clichés in the lyrics of "Mojo" by Peeping Tom. In a 1993 Faith No More interview, Patton elaborated: In some projects such as much of Moonchild Trio and Fantômas, he has avoided lyrics completely in favor of preverbal sounds, because, in these cases, he deems language "distracting information". By the time of 1989's The Real Thing, Patton was studying English literature in college whereas Faith No More was an already established band, circumstances that led him to write its lyrics as if they were a "school project". Music development As a young child, Patton had an aptitude for the recognition of different sounds. According to Patton, his parents became aware that he imitated bird vocalizations. Many of his vocal deeds and exercises arisen from improvisations were documented on the 1996 album Adult Themes For Voice. Around the period that Patton moved to Italy, he became acquainted with the singing method of opera teacher Nicola Vaccai, which he studied autodidactically for years, furthering his repertoire more. Additionally, Patton—along with Heifetz—was tutored on percussion by professor Eugene Novotney. Composer and saxophonist John Zorn, who met Patton in 1990, is credited with teaching him "many things", such as vocal improvisation when performing with an ensemble. Some of his recording sessions with Zorn as conductor were so arduous that the singer passed out. Influences With regards to his influences, Patton stated: "You should be able to draw inspiration from any and everything. There should be no limits, it's fundamental. A lot of people listen to music that I make and [do not understand why my songs are so eclectic. But] that's the way I listen to music! ... That's the way I see the world and that's how it comes out of me. ... The deeper that well [of inspiration] is and the more places you can find it, the better." Detailing his composition process, Patton once paraphrased the T. S. Eliot quote, "Good artists copy; great artists steal." Early influences Patton's first bands in high school played heavy metal; by the start of Mr. Bungle, the frontman was immersed in death metal and hardcore punk. In this period, his favorites groups included Venom, Possessed and Sodom. In terms of punk, he was a big fan of The Exploited and straight edge band 7 Seconds. while his coworkers introduced him to diverse artists who ranged from rap to reggae to folk rock and other genres. had got hold of ska- and funk-infused bands such as Oingo Boingo, Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Camper Van Beethoven, E.U. and others. These musical findings spurred Mr. Bungle's interest in tearing down the walls between opposite styles, and challenging the seriousness of the extreme metal community. The theatrics and overexpression of certain notes of Oingo Boingo's Danny Elfman paralleled those of Patton, while his late 1980s nasal rapping drew comparisons to Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis. This period of Mr. Bungle also echoes the lighthearted youthfulness and wacky videos by British ska pop band Madness, whose song "House of Fun" reminisces "Carousel" by Mr. Bungle musically. Perhaps Patton's biggest influence by then had become Prince, evident in the soulful inflections and crafty squeals throughout his first studio albums with both Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. Throughout those years the band still had broad musical interests that included new developments in heavy music, and they constantly traveled to San Francisco in order to attend shows and buy more obscure metal records. reflected in later songs such as "Evidence". He pinpoints his discoveries of "extraordinary" Motown singers and some records by Frank Zappa as landmarks at his record-store job. and the solo performances and screams of Bargeld. The frontman expresses much admiration for Sinatra's musicality, owning rare live records and outtakes from him, and considers unfortunate that the crooner's private life overshadowed his artistry. Stratos died unexpectedly amid his research, aged 34, and years later writer Anthony Heilbut referred to Patton as his "most famous heir". The surreal vocals of Yamantaka Eye from The Boredoms and Hanatarash inspired the lyric-less compositions by the singer as well, and the former had also played with Naked City before Patton. and "They Won't Go When I Go". Other influences In 1992, he cited Nomeansno and The Residents as influences. Patton held in high regard the Super Roots EP series by Boredoms, along with the albums A Fierce Pancake by Stump, Ozma by Melvins and Drop Dead by Siege. He was a big admirer of industrial metal band Godflesh, and invited the guitarist Justin Broadrick to join Faith No More after the departure of Jim Martin in 1993. The Young Gods informed his and Faith No More's later use of samples. By 1992, Patton's favorite genre had become easy listening, In 2005, he stated: "The orchestration in that music is so dense and so complex and so amazing, if you can get beyond the kitsch. And I can do that in 30 seconds flat. ... I hear new stuff in there every time I listen." He has credited disco band Village People for his use of irony and stage costumes, believing that "a lot of people [did not] understand [the band's deliberate sarcasm]". Mr. Bungle covered "Macho Man" as early as 1985 (its second active year). Another ideological influence was shock rock singer GG Allin,, whom the singer reveres. Films and books have informed Patton more than any other medium. The eclecticism of both Ennio Morricone's scores for Dario Argento, and Jerry Goldsmith, were major sparks for his interest in soundtracks. Patton has expressed his admiration for director David Lynch, He is a devotee of Morricone's catalog, lamenting that his bombastic Westerns eclipsed his more experimental or strictly classical oeuvre, Other musical influences are experimental hardcore band Melt-Banana, which toured with Mr. Bungle in 1995, post-rock band Sigur Rós, The singer expressed fondness for Mauricio Kagel's "negation of opera and the whole tradition of music theater", Live performances Reviewing Patton's live performances, The Believer noted that "his gestures are as anarchic as his vocal sounds", As a rock frontman, Patton regularly communicates with his audiences, often through dry humor and sarcasm. When he joined Faith No More, Patton was "wound up tight" about matching his performances with the band's attitude. The singer began, among many other things, to front flip onto the stage and land on the floor, to somersault into the crowds, as well as into Bordin's drum kit, or to eat objects such as microphone windscreens. Patton would develop shin splints because of his repeated jumps. During Faith No More's concert at the 2009 Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary, Patton swallowed a shoelace from a shoe thrown at the stage, before loudly regurgitating it and throwing it back to the public. == Public image ==

Labelled as an "icon of the alt-metal world", and a "reluctant pin-up boy", Patton reacted strangely to his fame. According to a 2002 article from East Bay Express: "[Mike Patton]'s undeniably striking, with piercing Italian good looks and that inexplicable aura shared by first crushes, high-profile criminals, and celebrities ... And he's definitely, well, a little weird." The newspaper singled out his "straight-up devilish grin" and opined that Patton "seems to always be wrestling with some sort of suppressed Guido" through his different fashion styles through the years. Mr. Bungle, Patton's band before his sudden rise to fame, already acted bizarrely in the late 1980s; they self-identified as "Star Wars action figure porno freaks" and would throw out bras and underwear for their audience, among other antics. In interviews with Faith No More from the early to mid-1990s, he went on to claim to be obsessed with masturbation; to have defecated in an orange juice carton of Axl Rose and in a hotel hair dryer; In July of that year Patton was recorded eating garbage thrown from the crowd in Lisbon, Portugal. In a 1995 Faith No More show in Santiago de Chile, he kneeled before the audience, mouth open, to receive spits from the crowd while they performed "Midlife Crisis". In 2001, the official website of progressive rock band Tool stated that, when Fantômas supported them in promotion of their Lateralus record, Patton was stopped in Florida by airport security for carrying an extremely large amount of money. In the aftermath, the singer claimed that he carried it to buy an "antique book" there, but could not disclose its name. The North Coast Journal retrospectively pointed out the "profound lack of fact checking" by some journalists on Patton's statements, and Culture Creature stated that it was hard to determine when he was teasing interviewers. Criticisms and views on music Classic Rock magazine notes the "antihero demeanor" of Patton: the singer regularly makes acerbic criticisms and mockeries of music, but they always seem rooted in his own obsession with it. Patton dislikes the banality and close-mindedness of rock music, in particular the "condescending" attitude of its performers who tend to follow similar formulas, repeat setlists, play crowdpleasers, and not improvise. "[They treat] the audience like children. I think that's ridiculous", he said. Amid the creation of Angel Dust in 1992, he told MTV that most grunge and alternative rock music was "rehashed" Accordingly, Patton has spoken out against Americanization In the late 2000s, he also showed enthusiasm for the increasing innovations in music software and digital instruments, with the hope that they would allow younger generations to break new musical ground. In 1999, he and manager Greg Werckman of the Dead Kennedys co-founded Ipecac Recordings, a label that serves as hotbed for "misfit" artists and only makes one-record licensings (i.e., unlike traditional contracts, the artists can leave at any time they want). In its first year, Ipecac released music by noise music artist Merzbow, special education children band The Kids of Widney High, and Patton's avant-garde grindcore band Fantômas. The label grew from Patton's discontent with his previous label experiences and the underhanded nature of the music industry. "I'm a musician first and a businessman second," he stated. "I got tired of working with labels who didn't understand anything other than giant rock albums. There's so much interesting music that deserves to be heard; all those artists deserve to be treated with respect." In relation to multi-record contracts, the singer added, "How can labels own a musician? I don't pay attention to the rest of the industry. We just focus on what we like. ... We wanted to find a place where we could find interesting music controlled by the own musician." He and his bandmates constantly disparaged those shows amidst the tour; Patton expressed cynicism about the infamous lifestyles of rock stars. He told the San Francisco Chronicle in 1995, "It's hard to see as much as you'd like with our schedule on the road, but it's harder to do coke and fuck whores every night. Now that's a full time job." In the 2000 essay How We Eat Our Young, he mocked the romanticization of popular musicians by comparing their work, including his, to peeping toms and thieves. and afterward did the same with new wave band INXS who became upset when Patton laughed off an offer to join them. and on another show claimed that an attendant stopped for illicitly stage diving deserved it because he wore a Pantera shirt. In the early 2000s, Patton was asked to be part of a new supergroup—later named Velvet Revolver—that would feature original members of Guns N' Roses. Patton, again, laughed at the request, telling a reporter, "I think everyone else knows [why I was not interested], except them. Which is the funny part." Instead, the singer joined mathcore band the Dillinger Escape Plan for a 2002 EP. Consequence of Sound deemed Patton "the epitome of the anti-rock star." Around the turn of the millennium, there was a tribute album to Faith No More in progress that featured Disturbed, Deftones and several nu metal bands, but Patton lampooned it in interviews as soon as he heard about it, statements that prompted its cancellation. In 2005, DJ magazine Big Shot contacted Patton to interview dance music artist Moby, who was a fan of Fantômas, to promote his new album Hotel. Patton accepted but decided not to hear the record in advance, and the conversation was awkward, with the singer describing Moby's material as "electronic wallpaper shit". In 2006, a video of him mocking hard rock band Wolfmother during their Lollapalooza set went viral. The incident happened amid an unscripted interview done to Patton in the surroundings of the venue, when he suddenly stopped to remark, "Are you hearing this shit?! What year are we in? [In reference to the band's 1970s rock sound.] Forgive me, but Wolfmother you suck. ... Sorry, I was about to [puke.]" The next year, a TV advert for his group Peeping Tom featured Patton ironically lauding Wolfmother. In 2007, the singer was asked about his opinion on Foo Fighters, among other mainstream rock artists, to which he called it "meaningless to me ... is that even music?", criticizing bandleader Dave Grohl's squander of his massive reach, resources and drumming skills to "dance around with a guitar." By the same token, when progressive bands like the Mars Volta, Radiohead and Mastodon were having enormous commercial success that year, Patton remarked: "The state of rock is wonderful right now. I've never been happier." GQ noted that these looks—also sported by Anthony Kiedis—were common in 1980s Los Angeles, and they differed from the grunge aesthetic which was popular at the time. The magazine considers both vocalists as its best-known exemplars. Around 1992's Angel Dust, Patton started to explore his "masculinity" through diverse anti-fashion styles. Kerrang! wrote that some aspects of this fashion influenced that of nu metal. For the 1995 album King For a Day... Fool For a Lifetime, all the members of Faith No More, excluding Mike Bordin, shaved their heads, which in the following months, for Patton, became "unkempt and overgrown, complementing a thick, lazy moustache". Patton's charisma and artistry led the band to garner a "cult-like devotion" by numerous fans, as well as to treat him like, as some authors have described, a "deity". Many of those created in the 1990s remain active today. Raziq Rauf at Classic Rock believes that his egotistical, resolute dismissal of mainstream trends and conventions is what led his audience to stick up for him: "He never asked for their loyalty, but he won it anyway." In 1993, an Australian female fan handcuffed Patton to herself when he was backstage, remaining so for two hours until personnel from Faith No More could free him. Several fans had also tried to live outside of his house . In July 2000, after Fantômas played at the Nottingham Rock City in England, a drunken male fan ran toward Patton and bit his neck, leading the singer to slap him across the face. Despite these incidents, he kept agreeing to talk or give interviews to his fans on several occasions while touring. Prior to that feud, Faith No More (then fronted by Chuck Mosley) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers had toured together. However, things turned ugly between the two bands in 1989 when Kiedis accused Mosley's replacement, Patton, of imitating his style on stage and in their music video for their biggest hit, "Epic". The two took shots at each other in the media throughout 1990. Mr. Bungle's guitarist, Trey Spruance, added that the manager of the Chili Peppers apologized and blamed Kiedis for the removals. In retaliation, Mr. Bungle parodied the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Pontiac, Michigan, on Halloween of 1999. Kiedis responded by having them removed from the 2000 Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand. Kiedis said of the festival shows, "I would not have given two fucks if they played there with us. But after I heard about [the] Halloween show where they mocked us, fuck him and fuck the whole band." Mr. Bungle ceased being active a year after the controversy with Kiedis. Patton continued to mock Kiedis in the media with his new band Fantômas, calling him a "noodle dick" in a 2001 television interview. Despite the ongoing animosity towards one another, Patton during a 2010 interview expressed his desire to move past the feud, claiming he and Kiedis would have a warm embrace if the two were ever to meet in person. Despite this, Kiedis and the band would exhibit another possible gesture aimed at Patton during a concert in 2014 when the band jokingly teased the Faith No More song "We Care a Lot" during a performance at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Several publications, such as Complex and Phoenix New Times, have since listed the Kiedis–Patton feud as being one of the best beefs in the history of rock. and "absurd". ==Personal life==

in Perth, Australia Relationships Patton married Cristina Zuccatosta, an Italian artist, in 1994. He has no children. Patton has also been known to be friends with System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian. One of Patton's friends is actor Danny DeVito, who continually goes to concerts by Patton. They met after DeVito and his son attended a Fantômas show at the 2005 Coachella Festival. Health During his third concert with Faith No More, Patton's right hand was permanently numbed after he fell down on a broken bottle that severed his tendons and nerves. The next day, he spent five and half hours in reconstructive microsurgery. In 2022, Patton disclosed that he was diagnosed as suffering from agoraphobia, which resulted in the cancellation of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle performances in 2021. Interests and hobbies Patton owns a massive record collection and, as of 2005, he regularly traveled to Japan with John Zorn to buy albums. Patton's favorite moment during a promotional cycle in 1995 was to spend $20,000 on a jazz record binge with his bandmate Bordin in Paris. Patton is a foodie. and he has given thematic interviews about food. Meeting up with friends over a meal is his main social activity besides music. He has several favorite restaurants in San Francisco that he visits regularly. Since childhood, Patton has been an avid fan of basketball team Los Angeles Lakers. He is also a baseball fan, which in the past he considered "a guilty pleasure." Patton supports the Italy national football team. In between tours, Patton practiced swimming and weight training. Other Patton's numerous projects and constant touring have led him to be widely identified as a "workaholic". Patton, who is addicted to coffee, has kept around three projects going on simultaneously throughout the years. These events tied him closely to Italian culture and its popular music of the mid-20th century. Patton was also conversational in Spanish until the 1990s; he still understands the language. In addition, he spoke Portuguese slang. == Legacy ==

A list published by Consequence of Sound based on vocal range acknowledged Mike Patton as "the greatest singer of all time" in popular music. Before the disbandment of Faith No More in 1998, Patton was already highly respected by colleagues and listeners, and this continued with his multiple experimental releases that ensued it. Nonetheless, Patton downplays his prominence with light-hearted self-deprecation, and was very critical of his earlier work. While Patton finished his second record with Faith No More—Angel Dust of 1992 —Warner Bros warned them that it would be a "commercial suicide" due to the significant stylistic departure that they began venturing on, yet, eventually, in 2003 Kerrang! magazine described it as the most influential album of the past two decades. He has been less than enthusiastic about being linked to such bands, stating in a 2002 interview that "Nu-metal makes my stomach turn". A reviewer at The Quietus opined that, notwithstanding Faith No More's far-reaching legacy, the most valuable contribution of Patton has been using his platform "to become one of the most potent driving forces in avant-garde and alternative music", through his diverse projects and collaborations, and the experimental artists he has signed to Ipecac Recordings. In addition to his legacies with Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and Fantômas, numerous artists cite Mike Patton directly as an inspiration. Prominent singers such as Chino Moreno (Deftones), Brandon Boyd (Incubus), Ville Valo (HIM), Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), Justin Pierre (Motion City Soundtrack), Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw), Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage), Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria), Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me), Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), Doug Robb (Hoobastank), Tommy Vext (Divine Heresy), Hernan Hermida (Suicide Silence), Dimitri Minakakis (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Mike Vennart (Oceansize), Spencer Sotelo (Periphery), CJ McMahon (Thy Art Is Murder) and Kin Etik (Twelve Foot Ninja) have all cited Patton as their primary influence. Devin Townsend proclaimed in 2011: "Angel Dust into Mr. Bungle changed every singer in heavy music. Patton is a living treasure." Artistically, he has been named the biggest influence for Slipknot, Mushroomhead and Igorrr, and a major one on Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Serj Tankian (System of a Down) and The Avett Brothers. ==Discography==

Studio albums • Adult Themes for Voice (1996) • Pranzo Oltranzista (1997) • Mondo Cane (2010) ==Selected filmography==

• 1990 – You Fat Bastards: Live at the Brixton Academy, London by Faith No More (VHS) • 1993 – Video Macumba – Short film compiled by Mike Patton containing abstract and extreme footage • 1993 – Video Croissant by Faith No More (VHS) Released in 1993 it features some of the band's music videos up to that date. • 1998 – Who Cares a Lot? The Greatest Videos by Faith No More (VHS) • 2002 – A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn • 2005 – Firecracker – Frank/David • 2006 – Double Feature: Live at the Brixton Academy, London (You Fat Bastards) / Who Cares a Lot? The Greatest Videos by Faith No More (DVD) • 2007 – Kaada/Patton Live – Live performance DVD • 2007 – I Am Legend – Creature Vocals (voice) (credited as Michael A. Patton) • 2008 – A Perfect Place – Short film soundtrack by Patton (Released with film as CD/DVD special edition) • 2008 – Live from London 2006 – Live DVD release of a performance by the Fantômas/Melvins Big Band in London on May 1, 2006 • 2008 – Metalocalypse – Patton voices the character of reformed rocker Rikki Kixx on episodes "Snakes n Barrels II" part one and part two. This special 2 part, half-hour presentation aired on Adult Swim August 24, 2008. • 2009 – Crank: High Voltage – Film Score • 2010 – The Solitude of Prime Numbers – Film Score • 2010 – Bunraku – Narrator • 2012 – The Place Beyond the Pines – Film Score • 2016 – The Absence of Eddy Table – Voice of Eddy Table • 2017 – 1922 – Film Score ==Video game voice work==

• 2007 – The Darkness – Voice of The Darkness (Starbreeze Studios) • 2007 – Portal – Voice of the Anger Core (Valve) • 2008 – Left 4 Dead – Infected voices, Smoker, Hunter (Valve) • 2009 – Bionic Commando – Voice of Nathan Spencer – the Bionic Commando (Capcom) • 2009 – Left 4 Dead 2 – Infected voices, Smoker, Hunter (Valve) • 2012 – The Darkness II – Voice of The Darkness (Digital Extremes) • 2016 – Edge of Twilight – Return to Glory – Vocals for Lithern and Creatures (FUZZYEYES) ==Notes==