We cared a lot when they came from out of nowhere, but sadly they are now Ashes To Ashes

The Lowdown: highly influential experimental metallers release new "Best of" compilation.

Faith no More, they straddled the 90s metal/alternative rock crossover scene like true colossi. They were simply one of the most original bands of all time, mixing up metal, hip-hop, funk, hardcore, jazz, anything basically they took a fancy to. They came out the other side with a modern metal sound that, along with the grunge explosion, is largely responsible for what constitutes so called nu-metal (sorry for mentioning that phrase!). Collected here are their best tracks, or best known at any rate. It's a heady mix of slapping rhythms, keyboard stabs, guitar riffs and schizoid vocals that, listening back now, simply blows the mind.

You get the two big numbers from original singer Chuck Mosley's day, "We Care a Lot" and "Introduce Yourself". But you also get "Arabian Disco" a brilliant early track from their difficult to find independently released first album. Affecting and purposeful music these early tracks may make, but its once Mike Patton replaced Mosley as vocalist that the band really took off, both creatively and commercially. Their breakthrough album The Real Thing was special and its three big hits are represented. "Epic" must have rotated on MTV for a year easy, and it's not hard to see why. A brilliant mix of bass and hip-hop vocals, interrupted by Jim Martin's pure metal riff and a huge chorus. The lyrics as well contribute to its appeal, exactly what is it, as the chorus goes?

On their next album Angel Dust, the last before the departure of original guitarist Big Sick Ugly Jim Martin, the brand branched out and developed their sound further. They had now become something much more that a metal act, the album showcasing overtly modern production techniques, but they had lost none of their power or effectiveness. "A Small Victory" one of the tracks from that album, is a particularly fine example of Faith No More's art. Dark and heavy in parts, light and playful in others, all driven along by Patton's unique vocal phrasing and delivery. This man didn't just sing a lyric, he strived to use the voice as a musical instrument also, firing in stuttering rhythm patterns and using wildly differing voice styles all in the one song. When the band released a cover of "Easy" by the Commodores as a single, many, including myself, were shocked. But in hindsight it's an effortlessly brilliant cover version, the band giving the song a light-hearted feel it didn't originally possess. The album continues with a few tracks from 1995's "King for a Day…Fool for a Lifetime", probably the bands hardest and least commercial release. "Digging the Grave" is a pure metal song but this is followed by the poppy adult soul of "Evidence", a great track proving the bands musicianship and subtlety.

When the band released their final album "Album of the Year" in 1997 many thought they had already reached their creative zenith. However real fans will testify that this swansong album is the best they ever made. Both "Last Cup of Sorrow" and "Ashes to Ashes" are accomplished alternative rock classics, so well written and recorded that it all sounds effortless, yet still fresh and new. It's a pity Faith No More decided to go when they did because they surely had some great music still to make. At least they went out on a high.

In a nutshell, this is a collection of brilliant music, quite suitable for both rockers and mere mortals. The only question I have to ask is, FNM already have a greatest hits album which contains 12 of the same songs we get here, if this is meant to be a "Best of" then why didn't the compilers feature some of the bands more involved album tracks instead? Probably because it would have cut down the CD's marketability. Ahh, it's all money these days!

Further Listening: Faith No More "The Real Thing", "Album of the Year".

 

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