fantomas - fantomas

label: ipecac
released: 1999

i can remember the day that i bought this album....

a friend and i had found ourselves at a mall. that friend had to follow me from music store to music store. he knew what he was getting himself into. he was aware of everything going into that situation. folks don't seem to like going into certain types of places with me....

1: music stores
2: book stores
3: all-you-can-eat buffets*
*mostly because i loudly state "challenge accepted!" as i walk in. fuck 'em. my gramma always thought it was funny.

they didn't like going into these places with me so much that i've seen a simple game of rock/paper/scissors break out into a FIGHT CLUB kind of situation. apparently i take too long. having friends isn't all that it's cracked up to be most times.

i'd left that day with a copy of this and macabre's SINISTER SLAUGHTER.
my friend would go on to pronounce it "mah-cuh-bray".
it was just adorable.
and i know what you're probably thinking: "hey,man. shouldn't you have already owned a copy of that album? you just trying to fit in with the cool kids,huh? i knew it. you're not my real dad. poser."
actually that would be the second time i'd bought the album.
i was just surprised to actually see it in a store at the mall.
i'd been thinking that i was going to have to take the mail order route just like the first time.
i'd gotten it via the relapse records catalog.
i'd also ordered a copy of the BEHIND THE WALL OF SLEEP ep.
once upon a time i'd convinced a girl that i'd been seeing to go and see macabre play a show at an "art space" in rock island,il back in 2000. they were playing with a band called waco jesus. she had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. metal music to her was metallica and the like. she seemed to enjoy herself though. kept asking me why macabre's drummer would get up after every song and stretch his legs and complain. apparently he wasn't able to do his normal routine beforehand. i picked up one of their NIGHTSTALKER long sleeve t-shirts. i could never convince her to wear it though. because it was halloween we were able to wear costumes to work. i was the guy in corpsepaint and the macabre t-shirt doling out the fried foods at the burger king. the urban legend is true.

that's a good story,grampa.
but what about the fantomas....

after we'd left the mall we went back to my friend's house. he was still living at home as he was still in high school at the time. he was a senior. apparently that's what seniors in high school did back then. he was wandering around doing whatever and i was sitting in his room. i needed to hear the fantomas album. fucking needed to. i'd been reading things about it. it had everything that wanted. faith no more. the melvins. slayer. mr. bungle. all of it conveniently in one place. i was about 10 songs in when i started to hear things like "is the cd scratched?" and "could you just let a song play all the way through,man?! you're gonna fuck up my stereo!". and i was all like "*coughfuckyourstereo*". and he was all like "what?". and i was all like "could you bring me a soda?".

yeah.

DL