Mike Patton: 'I Don’t Know Why, But The Drinking Just Happened'

21 October 2022 | 10:41 am | Mary Varvaris
Originally Appeared In

"This record was forged through Covid, cancer and alcoholism."

(Pic by Jimmy Hubbard)

This article contains a discussion of mental health and alcoholism. 
If you are suffering from any of the issues that have been discussed or need assistance, please get in touch with Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. 

Mike Patton is promoting the new Dead Cross album, II, out next week; the hardcore punk supergroup features Michael Crain from Retox on guitar, bassist Jason Pearson (The Locust), and Slayer drummer and co-founder Dave Lombardo.

Trials and tribulations informed the making of II, Patton revealed in an interview with The Guardian.

"This record was forged through Covid, cancer and alcoholism," he said. As he always does, Patton channelled his trauma into heavy punk music.

Crain was the person affected by cancer; he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in July 2019. "He's the strongest fucking guy. He's not the guy you'd think would come down with cancer. But he did, and a lot of that went into the Dead Cross record: a lot of weird pain and fear. It's hard to explain, but it made the record better," Patton recalled about his bandmate's experience. In positive news, Crain went on to remission and recovery and poured his greatest fears into the record, which he says saved his life. 

Not long after, COVID-19 swept the globe. Patton loved the world slowing down at first. "My initial response to the pandemic was: 'I love this shit!'. It allowed me to be an antisocial motherfucker! I had maybe three months of that: 'This is fucking awesome!' Then something changed – and not for the better," he admitted. Patton turned to alcohol to deal with his depression and agoraphobia.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

In December 2021, Faith No More cancelled all remaining world tour dates, including in Australia. The band wrote, "We believe that forging ahead with these dates would have had a profoundly destructive effect on Mike."

Patton reflected on that time and shared, "Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do, and that's a horrible thing. And the idea of doing more Faith No More shows – it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just … happened."

The Australian Institute Of Health And Welfare's report on the impacts of COVID-19 on alcohol and other drug use showed that by May 2020, 1 in 5 people in Australia reported increased alcohol use. Also, in May 2020, "78,360 Australians said they needed drug or alcohol counselling, and either did not seek support or experienced significant barriers to treatment. Barriers included cost and not knowing who to contact."