Gangnam Style, JLS and the disturbing phenomenon that was Crazy Frog have all been and gone since the release of the last Faith No More record, 1997's cheekily-titled 'Album Of The Year'. There have been intriguing developments across the metal and alternative spectrum, but there's also been a lot of shite. Into that landscape stride Faith No More, blowing away nearly 18 years' worth of cobwebs with ‘Sol Invictus’.
They pick up where they left off, sprinting through a proverbial minefield of modern wannabes and firing off a salvo of weird, inherently catchy numbers. Superhero rages like a 'King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime' cut, melding frantic blasts of guitar with Mike Patton's venomous Donald Duck scream, but the bulk of 'Sol Invictus' is a pretty dark outing.
Roddy Bottum's discordant maiming of his keyboard provides a sinister undertone, especially when underpinning Mike Bordin's militaristic drumming and ushering in a heroic crescendo of guitars and more Patton-brand expletives on Motherfucker.
Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the 10 tracks on 'Sol Invictus' serve their purpose and escape before outstaying their welcome. The longest among them, Matador, stacks up around six minutes, leading the listener through creepy piano interludes, off-kilter riffing and a bassline that wriggles through the ear like that worm in The Matrix.
Sunny Side Up provides a welcome smidgen of optimism, while Black Friday's acoustic verse juxtaposes beautifully with the spiteful shouting of the chorus. Faith No More are an exemplary bunch of musicians, but as ever it's Patton who injects that final, unhinged spurt of madness into the mix. The disturbing Cone Of Shame, in particular, confounds in a way the band have done since the 'Angel Dust' days.
To compare 'Sol Invictus' to previous albums would do it a great disservice. While there are subtle reference points throughout, it is unlike any Faith No More record before it: taut, to the point and seemingly straightforward. It is also a return to the creative throne the band once sat aloft. Faith No More are perverted pioneers of a scene that seemed to be doing fine without them – and it was. But it's a lot better now they're back.
Faith No More Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sun June 14 2015 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Wed June 17 2015 - LONDON Roundhouse
Thu June 18 2015 - LONDON Roundhouse
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