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From a music fan ' s point of view , was there any real need for Faith No More to get back together after nearly 20 years away ? The band ' s cast of eclectic rock ' n ' roll innovators had a good run , yielding six albums , several of which qualify as classics .
Faith No More ' s primary members moved on and branched out , too , and seemed perfectly fine with it . Keyboardist Roddy Bottum co-founded the affable indie-pop band Imperial Teen , Bassist Billy Gould became CEO of Koolarrow Records and worked as a journeyman musician . Drummer Mike Bordin had a solid gig as drummer in Ozzy Osbourne ' s band . Guitarist Jim Martin was — and still is , by all accounts — happily growing giant pumpkins in the Bay Area . Singer Mike Patton , meanwhile , has metamorphosed from that strange guy in Faith No More and Mr . Bungle into an experimental-music renaissance man . He ' s collaborated with John Zorn ; formed such wildly dissimilar outfits as Fantômas , Peeping Tom and Tomahawk ; composed film scores ; recorded solo albums ; and created Ipecac Records , one of the coolest American labels of the last two decades .
Faith No More ' s 2009 reunion was a delight for many , but its members — who included Jon Hudson , reprising his late- ' 90s role as guitarist — were inevitably smart enough not to overstay their welcome . Without new material , it ' s easy to become a perennial cabaret act , and performing " Epic " and " We Care A Lot " at casinos and state fairs wouldn ' t benefit a band of mavericks and risk-takers . If they were to make new music , the challenge would be to bring the same ambition and fire that fueled 1989 ' s breakthrough The Real Thing , 1992 ' s daring Angel Dustand 1997 ' s swan song Album Of The Year .
What makes Sol Invictus , Faith No More ' s first album in 18 years , so extraordinary is not only how comfortably it fits into the band ' s discography , but also how economical it is . So many veteran bands overcompensate on record , but Sol Invictus clocks in at a sharp 39 minutes . It ' s lean and to the point , taking listeners deep into Faith No More ' s twisted world , and it doesn ' t let up . Its playfulness and aggression intermingle to the point where it ' s hard to tell the two approaches apart .
Steel Notes Magazine
For all the strengths of the album ' s first two singles , the gleefully profane " Motherfucker " and the dramatic " Superhero ," Sol Invictus ' rewards are even richer the more you delve into the deeper cuts . " Sunny Side Up " returns to the easy-listening feel of Faith No More ' s 1992 ' s cover of The Commodores ' " Easy ," but instead of straight-faced homage , Patton and Bottum crank up the darkness tenfold ; in the process , the song is transformed into a bleak character sketch , with Hudson ' s funk guitar adding dry humor . The angst of " Separation Anxiety " will have many thinking of " Midlife Crisis " — arguably Faith No More ' s greatest composition — but it creeps along in even more deranged fashion , with Hudson and Gould repeating a hypnotic riff pattern as Patton , the
Mel Blanc of rock music , snarls menacingly .
Faith No More ' s heavy-metal roots are on full display in the roaring " Cone Of Shame ," while " Rise Of The Fall " contrasts a Kurt Weill-esque arrangement ( and an earworm of a melodica hook ) with Bordin ' s thunderous , martial beats . " Black Friday " is the strangest departure on Sol Invictus , as it alternates between upbeat acoustic guitar and explosions of fury and distortion that echo the Pixies . On the other hand , " Matador " bursts with cinematic grandeur ; the entire band rises to the occasion , from Patton ' s powerhouse performance to Bordin ' s tribal thuds . It ' s a wonderful climax to an album that , honestly , has no business being as memorable and exhilarating as it is .
Highly recommended . 4 of 5 Stars .
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