Kaada/Patton – Bacteria Cult – 2016

This is the second collaboration between Norwegian composer John Erik Kaada and Faith No More’s Mike Patton. The album sounds and feels as though it was scored for a film.  Its sound is experimental while ringing true to an Ennio Morricone vibe. For many of us, listening to a full album of orchestral soundtrack isn’t the kind of thing you’d normally put on.  I get it.  Although “Bacteria Cult” may not be easily accessible to those seeking more conventional musical experiences, it rewards those willing to venture into its intricate and unconventional world. Kaada and Patton have created a mesmerizing album that demands active engagement and rewards repeated listens. If you’ve gotten into any of the post-rock instrumental bands, such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Do May Say Think, or Silver Mt. Zion or if you’ve been a fan of Patton’s other more cinematically orchestrated work such as Mr. Bungle’s California album, then you are already on your way to understanding how cool this album is. 

From the very first notes of the album, it becomes evident that Kaada and Patton have a unique creative synergy. “Bacteria Cult” is a mosaic of genres, blending elements of avant-garde, electronic, and orchestral music with a healthy dose of Patton’s distinctive vocal stylings. The duo worked with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra to fill out the instrumentation. And the Norwegian orchestra did an exceptional job.  It’s dark and adventurous. Its arrangements are as such that you can close your eyes and picture the scenery implied by the music.

The video they did release for this album is certainly cinematic.  Weird, haunting, and mildly disturbing but overall artistically fascinating. It’s the sort of thing you might anticipate from a Mike Patton project.

AllMusic.com – 4.5 stars

The second studio collaboration from Norwegian composer and producer John Erik Kaada and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle/Fantômas frontman Mike Patton, Bacteria Cult filters the cinematic vignettes of 2004's Romances through a widescreen lens. Where the latter LP relied mostly on Kaada's evocative electronics for its foundation, Bacteria Cult pairs Patton's otherworldly croon with Norway’s Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and the results are stunning. A wordless, yet unceasingly evocative amalgam of dark, orphaned film music, lush chamber pop, and neo-classical-infused avant-garde, the eight-track set feels like one long piece that's been broken into snack-sized portions. Upon first listen, Patton's contributions seem subtle, but further investigation reveals how integral a role his voice plays. He's simply omnipresent, seamlessly shadowing the melody, adjusting to its nuances, and changing octaves on the fly -- closer "Fountain Gasoline" sees him stretching his elastic vocal cords to their very limits. The early half of Bacteria Cult, especially "Red Rainbow" and "Black Albino," invokes Danny Elfman at his most whimsical and Ennio Morricone at his most spaghetti drunk -- the latter cut owes more than a polite tip of the hat to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly's "Ecstasy of Gold." Elsewhere, "Peste Bubonica" manages to tease out elements of Nusrat-esque Qawwali before returning to the killing fields via the deep, reverberated, single-note twang of an electric guitar, while the aptly named "Papillon," all playfulness and light on top, is carried along by some seriously sinister undercurrents. Bacteria Cult needs a little time to get into your bloodstream before it can be reckoned with, but ultimately, it's an infection worth sweating through.
AllMusic.com James Christopher Monger