-National Spotlight- Faith No More- Sol Invictus
by David Elliott
Faith No More have always been an interesting band. Hard to categorize with any real accuracy, challenging the audience (while undoubtedly frustrating record label execs) with its refusal to stick to any type of formula, the band has done things its own way since its inception in 1985. After toiling away in semi-obscurity with its first two albums, We Care a Lot and Introduce Yourself, success was realized with addition of vocalist Mike Patton and the 1989 release of The Real Thing. Suddenly armed with both critical and commercial success, the band followed it up with albums of bizarre anti-hits, most notably 1992’s Angel Dust; however, their popularity waned as the mid-‘90s gave way to the onslaught of my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours nu-metal and uninspired post-grunge forced itself into the ears of everyone. Too metal for the alternative-types and too weird for the metalheads, after a few years of rotating guitarists and the members’ increased interest in side projects, they officially called it quits in 1998.
Then, in the second decade of the 21st century, the guys got together and started goofing around a bit. Some live shows here and there, reliving the glory days, playing the hits, all the while ultra-wary of being labeled another old band reuniting for some easy cash. Before long, there was a new song or two popping up in the setlists. Sensing the pleasure of playing together again, they quietly entered founding member and bassist Billy Gould’s home studio and began assembling an album while actually refusing to use the A-word. Why jinx it? Why bring that weight back? Suddenly, the first new Faith No More album in just a shade under 18 years was born: Sol Invictus.
The album opens with Patton channeling his inner Leonard Cohen on the title track and then launches into the frantic rocker, “Superhero”, which would have sounded perfectly at home on their 1995 release King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime. After that, a series of catchy and unquestionably Faith No More tracks follow. Keyboardist Roddy Bottum makes his presence known mostly with jaunty piano riffs, eschewing the spacy sounds he reveled in back in the early days of the band (“Chinese Arithmetic” from Introduce Yourself being one of my favorite examples). Guitarist Jon Hudson bounces around through power chords, almost-funk, and acoustic-y, new-wave-y riffs, sounding happy to be along for the ride. Gould and drummer Mike Bordin round out the familiar sound, with their bass and drum tones hearkening back to the thick, almost muddy tones of their debut album. “Motherfucker,” the first single released from the album last fall, is a refreshing blast, the title and the fact that Patton is relegated mostly to background vocals making it as Faith No More a song as you’re ever likely to get.
By the time the album closes out with the upbeat classic-pop-rock number “From the Dead”, I found myself a bit torn: while completely thrilled at having just listened to a brand new Faith No More album in 2015, 27 years after the first hearing them, it felt very much like I had just listened to a Faith No More album that should have been released in, say, 1999. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; let’s face it, a not-especially-inspired Faith No More album is still more refreshing than most rock albums out there, but I couldn’t help wanting something a little more…epic, you know?
Still, crank it up for “Superhero,” “Motherfucker,” “Cone of Shame,” and the thundering “Matador.” You most likely won’t be blown away, but, if you’re already a fan, you’ll definitely be pleased.
Online: fnm.com
Category: National News, asides2
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