ALBUM: Faith No More – ‘Sol Invictus’

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It’s hard to believe that it was 1997 when Faith No More released their last studio album. Now, 18 years on, they are back with their latest offering, Sol Invictus.

The question is, has music moved on too much for Faith No More to fit gently back into their place within the metal fraternity? Well, in one word, no. Sol Invictus is everything every Faith No More fan has been waiting for.

It’s not that rock music hasn’t moved on during this hiatus, but rather the current offering from FNM has the uncanny ability to sound just as fresh and relevant as it did when they where bouncing on MTV in the late 80s.

The opening track starts with the recognisable piano keys that became intrinsic to the band’s sound, and it’s not long after the opening bars that the voice of Mike Patton greets the ears of those very, very patient fans – music to many’s ears, I’m sure.

The album is punctuated with great tunes, with highlights ‘Superhero’, ‘Cone of Shame’, ‘Rise Of The Fall’ and ‘Black Friday’. Each track, as you would expect, is unique in sound and influence, but inherently Faith No More.

As well as their distinct musical identity, the album also highlights the band’s ability to not take themselves too seriously and, although the band are somewhat older, the album has all the cheeky charm and tongue in cheek wordplay that’s synonymous with Patton and his crew.

It’s quite a return after so much time away, but as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Sometimes patience is a virtue.

Dan Smith
@medansmith

Dan Smith

Dan Smith

Dan Smith

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