Few words wield as much diverse excitement and whimsy as ‘tomahawk’ – all at once it refers to one of the coolest types of axe ever crafted, the juiciest cut of bone-in steak you’ll ever sink your teeth into, a wonderful little town in rural Tasmania, and the best avant-garde prog-metal supergroup to ever walk this big blue marble. One of the many deliriously dynamic projects led by experimental rockaholic Mike Patton, the quartet are known for tight, ear-rattling riffs, unashamed genre-pending and a collective identity that never takes itself too seriously, but always knows when to dial in the attitude.
Eight brutally long years since their 2013 album, Tomahawk are back and more tempestuous than ever, delivering a Trust us when we say the 12-tracker is well worth the wait, too. But until all of us can get our grubby little paws on a copy, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing: a one-on-one sitdown with axeman Duane Denison (also of The Jesus Lizard), where we vibe on the meditative powers of the guitar, Tomahawk’s eight-year hibernation (and secret reformation in 2017), and how rock music is, by default, a fierce political statement.
