When Faith No More broke up in 1998 Mike Patton created the record label Ipecac Recordings, returned to work with his other band Mr. Bungle, and formed the experimental metal supergroup Fantômas with Buzz Osborne of the Melvins and Dave Lombardo of Slayer. Patton met Duane Denison in 1999 at a Mr. Bungle concert in Nashville and the two began exchanging music and jamming.
During May and June 2001 the band recorded their eponymous debut album in Nashville. The album was released on October 30, 2001, it was produced by Joe Funderburk. After the release of Tomahawk the band began touring extensively, playing in many countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, Europe and Japan. They generally headlined shows but were the supporting act for bands such as Tool. When opening for Tool on their 2002 summer tour of North America, the band was frequently booed for insulting the crowds.Tomahawk also played at various festivals, including the 2002 Big Day Out festival in Australia.
Second album Mit Gas, recorded with producer Joe Barresi, was released in 2003. Tomahawk took part in the "Geek Tour" during 2003, which featured labelmates the Melvins and Fantômas. During the band's early years they were known for dressing up as police officers in promotional photo shoots and during concerts. The band went on a short hiatus from 2004 to 2006 after finishing touring for Tomahawk and Mit Gas in late 2003 as the members began to focus on other projects.
The band's third album, Anonymous, was released on June 19, 2007 through Ipecac Recordings. Kevin Rutmanis left the band during the recording; reasons for his departure are unknown. For the album, Denison and Stanier recorded their parts in Nashville, and then sent their finished product to San Francisco where Patton added his vocals and samples. No live shows were performed during this period. Tomahawk remained inactive from 2008 to 2011.
In July 2011, Mike Patton announced that Tomahawk was preparing to record its fourth album. In early 2012, Tomahawk announced that Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, John Zorn, MadLove, Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant) would play bass for the band. On April 21, 2012 the band released Eponymous To Anonymous, a box set containing the band's first three records released on vinyl for the first time. In late 2012, the band began playing their first live shows since 2003. On December 3, 2012, a full-length video for first single, "Stone Letter", was posted online. Oddfellows was released January 29, 2013. The band were scheduled to play in Mexico for the first time on March 21, 2014 but withdrew due to an illness. On April 9, 2014 the band announced they would be releasing two previously unreleased tracks from the Oddfellows recording session. The single, entitled M.E.A.T., was first released on May 23, 2014 on vinyl.
In February 2020, Duane Denison revealed that Tomahawk had been writing and recording new record material. On the 21st of January 2021, a single called "Business Casual" was released, which also revealed the name of their upcoming fifth album as Tonic Immobility, which has later been released on March 26, 2021. Bassist Trevor Dunn remarked in 2021, "Me and Duane [Denison] and John [Stanier] recorded all of our parts for that record about four years ago actually. Duane had finished the music and I guess Mike was busy at the time, so John and I flew down to Nashville and recorded with Duane. Then over the years, we’ve just been waiting for Mike, and he’s been doing other stuff so it took a while. I think the pandemic kind of helped spur it along because he was stuck at home, so he wrote the vocal melodies and the rest of the lyrics at his studio in San Francisco.
Critics have described the band's sound as alternative metal, alternative rock, avant-prog, progressive rock, and post-rock. In 2002, the band considered their genre to be "cinematic rock", since all members were fans of film soundtracks. Butch Lazorchak of the Boston Herald has compared the band's sound to 1970s hard rock groups such as Blue Öyster Cult.
The band's self-titled first album combines rock with elements of experimental music, country music, and hardcore; critic Blake Butler of Allmusic described their debut album as one of the most straightforward rock-oriented projects of Patton, otherwise known for his wildly eclectic music. Their second album Mit Gas features influences from metal as well as punk rock. The album also includes instrumental segues. The band's 2007 album Anonymous incorporates Native American music elements. Their latest album Oddfellows features a more accessible sound which the band has labeled as "avant-pop". The record includes influences from jazz music.
There are other artists with the same name:
2) Chinese band Tomahawk from Beijing. Plays Death Metal (early) - Half Thrash/Groove Metal (now).
3) Liquid Drum & Bass Producer -- Tom Kelsey aka. Tomahawk.
4) Swiss Hip-Hop Artist Thomas Murer (aka MC Tomahawk) -- 14 years ago, inspired by American Hip Hop and German stuff he had heard, he began to explore a hip hop career. Based out of Zug, Switzerland, he formed a trio with DJ Slice and Kniss Beatz. After it dissolved in 2005, Tomahawk began to focus on solo projects.
Malocchio
Tomahawk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spewing your beings
Chew on history with you
Bloodhound, nose to the ground
Hunting the big game, I'm through
And I want to be more than a stomach on four legs
It's true
I'm moving to a higher venue
Up the food chain
Up on two
Eat the sky
Stand up straight
On hind legs and cry
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
And now that I'm standing here
Nervous walking, staggering from you
I'm blushing like red rose
The earth is my whorehouse
My zoo
Chew it, chew it, chew it!
Spit it out!
Squeeze your mothers neck
'Til the kicking stops
The memories stop
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Chew it, chew it, chew it !
Spit it out!
In "Malocchio," Tomahawk presents a provocative and disturbing meditation on power, desire, and violence. The opening lines of the song ("Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out / Spewing your beings") suggest a cycle of consumption and expulsion, as the singer encourages us to chew on history with him and then spit it out. The next lines ("Bloodhound, nose to the ground / Hunting the big game, I'm through") evoke a sense of predatory urgency, as the singer rejects his former status as a mere "stomach on four legs" and seeks to move "up the food chain / Up on two." The idea of eating the sky and standing on hind legs like a human being suggests a profound aspiration towards transcendence and self-realization.
However, this striving for greatness is heavily tempered by violence and aggression. The lines "Squeeze your mother's neck / 'Til the kicking stops / The memories stop" are particularly disturbing, suggesting a deep-seated rage and a willingness to exert total control over others. The final lines, which repeat the refrain "Chew it, chew it, chew it / Spit it out," suggest a sense of nihilistic detachment and a lack of empathy for others, as the singer seems to urge us to consume and discard everything around us without regard for consequences.
Overall, "Malocchio" is a haunting and troubling song that raises difficult questions about power, control, and the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out
Delve deep into the details and then express them with all your might.
Spewing your beings
Releasing your innermost thoughts and emotions through your words.
Chew on history with you
Analyze and reflect on the past, in your company.
Bloodhound, nose to the ground
Focused and determined in pursuit of something, like a hound.
Hunting the big game, I'm through
No longer interested in chasing after high-profile targets.
And I want to be more than a stomach on four legs
Desiring to be more than just an animal driven by survival instincts.
It's true
Confirming the previous statement to be accurate.
So drain me, embalm me
Metaphorically acknowledging the sacrifice of oneself for a higher purpose.
I'm moving to a higher venue
Elevating oneself to a more prominent position.
Up the food chain
Climbing higher in the hierarchy.
Up on two
Standing on two legs as opposed to four.
Eat the sky
Seeking to conquer and achieve the impossible.
Stand up straight
Showing confidence and poise.
On hind legs and cry
Expressing raw and vulnerable emotions.
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Reemphasizing the importance of thoroughly analyzing before expressing.
And now that I'm standing here
Reflecting on one's current state of being.
Nervous walking, staggering from you
Feeling overwhelmed and intimidated in someone's presence.
I'm blushing like red rose
Feeling embarrassed and exposed.
The earth is my whorehouse
Viewing nature as something to be exploited for personal gain.
My zoo
Approaching life with a sense of control and ownership.
Squeeze your mother's neck
Metaphorically expressing a feeling of suffocation or constraint.
Til the kicking stops
Until there is no more resistance or fight left.
The memories stop
Repressing or suppressing painful memories.
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Reiterating the importance of analyzing before expressing.
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Repeating the previous statement.
Chew it, chew it, chew it to spit it out!
Emphasizing the importance of in-depth analysis.
Chew it, chew it, chew it !
Urging again to carefully weigh the words before speaking.
Spit it out!
Expressing the importance of communication and expressing oneself.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind