Thanks to the unprecedented times we find ourselves in, wearing a mask in public has never been more popular, and more necessary. As our cities adjust to life in the pandemic era, the streets have become one giant masquerade ball, as people don the mask to do their best to stop the spread of this nasty virus that has blown up life as we know it. People taking steps to preserve the health of others? You love to see it! Superheroes, the lot of them. As Batman once said, ‘I wear the mask to protect those closest to me.’
There was a time, however, pre-Masked Singer, pre-bushfires, pre-COVID 19, pre-this shitstorm we’ve come to know as 2020, when wearing a mask in public was the relatively exclusive realm of criminals, cosplayers, superheroes, luchadores, Andrew Lloyd Webber characters and musicians. With all due respect to the other five vocations, we here at Music Feeds have always held a particularly special place in our hearts for the latter.
So in reverence of their contribution to making masks cool, we’ve put together this list of our favourite masked musical maestros. They may not all be suitable for preventing the spread of a pandemic, but they do all look pretty freakin’ rad. So throw on your mask, turn up your headphones and get ready to pay tribute to our trendsetting masked musical maestros.
Masked Musos
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Slipknot
Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first shall we? Nine member metal monoliths, Slipknot have been frightening parents and delighting maggots with their fright mask and a boiler suit appearance worldwide since dropping their epic eponymous debut in 1999. Never ones to do things by halves, they’ve had several different incarnations of their masks throughout their career, ranging from the crude, handmade, bondage-inspired, prototypes of their debut, to the Hollywood horror icon Tom Sivini crafted ‘tortilla face’ of the current era. Any era of Slipknot will have you ready to chuck a mosh in iso, but for us, we can’t go past the transformative explosion that hit us when we first came across their debut. Check out their Spit it Out video, featuring their original fright masks now! Image: Supplied/Alexander Crahan Conway -
T.I.S.M.
We have our fair share of legendary mask wearers in Australia as well, but none are as influential or legendary as ’90s seven-piece alt-rockers T.I.S.M. A completely anonymous band known to the world by their piss-taking pseudonyms, T.I.S.M are one of the most exalted bands of their era and with good reason too. They rule, and I’m not just saying that because their services to mask-wearing are legendary. They took their music just as seriously as their gimmick and the results were as brilliant as they were random, and they were pretty random. Achieving peak mainstream awareness in 1995 thanks to their Gold certified, ARIA award-winning album,Machiavelli and the Four Seasons, T.I.S.M were true visionaries, even if we don’t know who they actually were. Check out their banger‘ (He’ll Never Be An) Ol’ Man River! Image: Supplied/Damian Cowell -
Daft Punk
The music of futuristic helmet-wearing French House innovators, Daft Punk, needs no introduction, however, the origin story of their current helmeted personas is well worth knowing. Deciding early on that they wanted to maintain an element of anonymity (because fame was ‘dangerous’), the band have adopted a variety of masked disguises throughout their careers, matching their image to cutting edge live visuals to create a truly immersive experience. The result is an act who presents as man and machine entwined, which is a pretty perfect summation of their sound. While some may debate that a helmet is not really a mask, we don’t care, Daft Punk are dope. If for some reason you’ve never gone in on Daft Punk, check out the Michel Gondry directed video for megahit ‘Around the World’ and then let yourself fall down the rabbit hole into a brave new world. Image:Supplied -
Pussy Riot
Throughout history, masks have been used by protesters both as a symbol of unified rebellion and for the purposes of maintaining a degree of anonymity in nations where protesting is outlawed or suppressed by authoritarian regimes. In these circumstances, mask-wearing is pretty badass, and perhaps the most badass of all mask wearers in music are Russian feminist protest punk rock/performance art group, Pussy Riot. Rising to worldwide fame, following their infamous ‘Punk Rock Prayer’ protest, which resulted in members being jailed for ‘hooliganism inspired by religious hatred’, Pussy Riot are unlike any other act in this list. Their situationist-style guerilla performances, political activism and brightly coloured ski-masks have had more cultural impact than their actual music, which is also pretty badass, albeit sonically less punk than you might expect. Truly one of the most passionate, unique and politicised bands on the planet, Pussy Riot continue to create chaos for a cause via their demonstrations and performances, including a presence at the Sochi Winter Olympics (at which they were attacked by Cossacks) a successful disruption of the World Cup Final. Other targets have included, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, the Church, the patriarchy, capitalism and more. Check out their video for ‘Make American Great Again’ then take a deep dive to find out more, because their career is pretty wild! Image: Medios y Media/Getty Images -
Orville Peck
Wearing masks isn’t just for metal, alt-rock or electronic acts, Canadian country singers apparently love to wear masks too! Or at least one of them does and that one goes by the pseudonym of Orville Peck. Known for wearing a tassel fringed Lone Ranger mask and a big ol’ red Stetson, a look so striking, Vogue did a profile on him, Peck’s brand of old-world country has made him a big, albeit mysterious, deal in the underground country scene. Active since 2017, Peck released a wonderful debut EP Pony via SubPop in 2019 and is about to release a follow-up in the form of Show Pony a collaborative work with Shania Twain! YES! That Shania Twain. As for his real identity, there are rumours that he is in fact, Daniel Pitout, drummer of grunge/punks Nü Sensae, but here at Music Feeds we’d rather keep the mystery alive. Check out the video for ‘ Dead of Night’ and embrace the mystery of it all. Image: Supplied / Carlos Santolalla -
Ghost
Swedish hard rock/heavy metal band Ghost know a thing or two about writing stadium-filling riffs, but they arguably know even more about wearing masks. Infamous for their eccentric visual presentation that sees seven of eight members dressed as ‘Nameless Ghouls’ with identical masks, while lead singer Papa Emeritus (Tobias Forge) appears dressed as a satanic papal figure. The Papa Emeritus character shifted personas and styles across the band's first four albums, before being ‘replaced’ by the character Cardinal Copia on 2018’s ‘Prequelle’. Musically, Ghost channel the likes of Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, making them somewhat of an anomaly in modern metal circles, yet it absolutely works. One of the biggest bands in the genre thanks to bangers like ‘Square Hammer’, Ghost are a must-see proposition live and simply must be included on any list of masked musical maestros, I mean just LOOK at this video for ‘ the aforementioned 'Square Hammer'. That’s some elite-level mask-wearing Papa/Nameless Ghouls. Image: Ghost @ Download Festival Sydney 2019 / Photo by Maria Boyadgis for Music Feeds. -
Sleep Token
Anonymous musical collective Sleep Token have been making waves in the UK scene since 2016 earning widespread critical acclaim, primo festival positioning and a cult-like following, thanks to their brilliant blend of alt, post-metal, prog-metal, electronic and indie sounds. That a band this odd, can be this well-received is a feat in and of itself, but that they’ve done it while remaining completely anonymous, thanks to a truly marvellous mask game, is a modern miracle. Fronted by Vessel (who has one of the best masks we’ve ever seen and an astonishingly versatile voice), Sleep Token are devotees of an ancient deity known as Sleep, which sounds like a description of most of our habits in this pandemic era. One of the most impressive bands to emerge in the heavier genres in recent memory, Sleep Token are a trip to listen to, hit up the video for the strangely beautiful ‘ 'Blood Sport' and try not to fall under their sleep spell. Image: Facebook -
Deadmau5
Owner of arguably the second most famous set of mouse ears in the word, Canadian electronic musician, DJ and producer, Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman), is one of the most successful and in-demand acts in modern music. He is also one of the most readily identifiable, thanks to a giant mouse head that he wears, pretty much all the time. Is a giant mouse head a mask? Meh, probably? It is for the purposes of this list, we’re the listmakers. Where were we? Oh yeah, Deadmau5. If you’ve been anywhere near a club, rave or festival in the last decade you’ve no doubt heard and probably danced to the likes of ‘Ghosts N Stuff’, ‘The Veldt’, ‘Monophobia’, and ‘Some Chords’ among many others. Thanks to his eight studio albums, countless compilation appearances and frequent collaborations Deadmau5 remains at the forefront of electronic music entering the second decade of his career. Check out the massive hit ‘Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff’ for a good look at that epic mouse head in the rave scene towards the end. Oh and there are ghosts too. That’s pretty cool. Image:Supplied -
Masked Intruder
Showing up in the world in 2010, American punk rockers Masked Intruder came to do two things, write catchy punk rock songs, and wear brightly coloured ski masks; and a decade later they’re still doing both, rather expertly. Another willfully anonymous band, the four members of Masked Intruder are identifiable only by the colour of the mask they wear while writing and performing some of the most fun and carefree punk you’ll ever hear. Wielders of bright melodies, spiky guitars and lyrics about love, crime and love crimes, this Madison, Wisconsin crew are an absolute joy to witness life, with their frenetic performance frequently interrupted by all manner of random hijinks. In an episode of life imitating art (of sorts), Intruder Yellow was replaced by Intruder Purple in 2019, after Intruder Yellow reportedly went to jail! Check out ‘Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt'. Image: Facebook -
MF Doom
Rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, Long Island, New York native Daniel Dumile is known for being many things. The most famous of those being the man beneath the persona MF DOOM. Loved by millions for his "super villain" stage persona and rhyme-dense, humorous lyrical style, Dumile has performed under a number of stage names across his career, but MF DOOM is the undisputed champ of the Dumile universe. When Dumile puts on his MF DOOM mask (yes, it is styled similar to Marvel supervillain, Doctor Doom), he becomes one of the baddest, funniest, most over the top performers in the game. From his debut ‘Operation Doomsday’ to his Danger Doom project with DangerMouse to his 2018 collaborative effort with Czarface,‘ Czarface Meets Metalface’ MF DOOM’s output is undeniable. Don’t take it from us though, check out his OG hit ‘Doomsday’ and then take a trip through his back catalogue of records, alter-egos and collabs. Image: PYMCA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images -
Leikeli47
Bandana loving musician/producer Leikeli47 has been on a seemingly endless ascent to stardom since dropping her eponymous EP in 2015. Her two successful full-lengths, 2017’s Wash & Set and 2018’s Acrylic earned her rave reviews, as well as opportunities to perform on request for Natalie Portman, appear at Coachella with Lion Babe and steal the show at Afropunk with her debut set. Securing enormous streaming bumps courtesy of placements on HBO’s megahit Insecure, the likes of ‘Money’ and ‘Girl Blunt’ have seen Leikeli47 become a part of the pop culture narrative and found her placed on most industry types ‘most anticipated’ lists for 2020. Soon to drop her third LP Shape Up, Leikeli47 is set to become even more of a force in the hip-hop/RnB world, despite maintaining genuine anonymity thanks to that bandana/mask, on the subject of which she told VICE: "I feel like the Dark Knight, or one of those superheroes, or Superman… the mask, it represents freedom. I'm free with it on." Put on your mask, and fire up the bangin’ ‘Money’ now. -
GWAR
Virginian heavy metal band GWAR have been crushing the mask game since 1984. One of the most readily recognizable bands in music history, GWAR are a collection of barbaric interplanetary warriors that dress head to toe in grotesque costumes (or full body masks, if you prefer) as they play deliberately overblown metal songs full of social and political satire. Every one of their thirteen studio records adds to a rather complex sci-fi narrative that has managed to outstay every original member of the band. No matter who is taking the place of the interplanetary warriors, audiences are assured of a live show filled with fake blood, scatological humour, simulated violence, mutilations of celebratory effigies and other wild shenanigans that have seen them stir quite a lot of controversy over their career. They’re pretty smart for a bunch of interplanetary warriors too, having crossed over into the realms of comic books, trading cards, board games, signature beers, barbeque sauces and e-cigs! They have some pretty dedicated fans, so if you want to see what all the fuss (and mess) is about, check out the video for ‘Sick of You’ here. Image: Facebook -
Bob Log III
The final slot on this list could have gone to any of a number of fantastic metal bands (The Berzerker, Mushroom Head, Lordi, Slaughter to Prevail), EDM superstar Marshello, noise/punks The Locust (one of my personal faves), the chaos that is Phantom Panda Power Wizard Master Smasher, (trust us, check them out if they’re ever ‘playing’ near you) Sia or that Buckethead guy, all worthy mask wearers, but we figured we’d show some love to a bizarro icon of the underground Bob Log III. The Tucson, Arizona and Melbourne-based one-man-band, Bob Log III is a mainstay of the alternative festival circuit Downunder. Playing a sound that is best described as a ‘blues guitar-driven punk dance party’, Bob Log III shows are an absolute riot. Dressed in a human cannonball suit with a helmet wired to a telephone receiver, Bob Log III proceeds to play guitar and drums simultaneously, while singing and delivering some of the most random onstage banter you’ll ever hear. It’s all very bonkers, but it is also brilliant. For an act who could probably get away with people as an ‘attraction’, Bob Log III writes damn good songs and that, above all else is the secret to his sustained success, both at home in the USA and here in his second home of Australia. Experience Bob Log III for yourself by watching ‘Bang Your Thing at the Ball’. Image: Marc Broussely/Redferns via Getty Images.
