Mike Patton's Mondo Cane debuts at No. 2 on Billboard

Mike Patton's Mondo Cane is turning out to be an album of many firsts for the revered front man of influential bands such as Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom and Fantomas. Not only is the album Patton's first Italian language release as well as his first outing with a full orchestra, the album also finds him landing on Billboard's Classical Album chart for the first time.

Mondo Cane, which was released by Ipecac Recordings on May 4, entered the Billboard Classical Album chart at # 2, an unexpected twist on a chart that regularly features the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Il Divo. The eleven-song album was years in the making with Patton selecting pieces from the great Italian composers and pouring over every detail for this labor of love. As Patton described the process himself, his motivation was to showcase the music's persistent relevance through "modern and adventurous interpretation.”

Spin described the release as "a rich and heartfelt celebration of Italian pop music," The Onion said of the album, "flagrantly enjoyable from first gasp to final croon" and the BBC proclaimed Mondo Cane as "the most gonzo recording of Patton's none-more-gonzo career."

Mondo Cane also debuted at #7 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

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Tags:  Mondo Cane, Mike Patton, Billboard  

Jason Fisher    May 13, 2010