The media frenzy in the wake of Faith No More’s streaming of Motherfucker has largely receded but here’s a selection of some reviews that we didn’t include first time round.
Comment is largely confined to the niche musical media and blogs while some mainstream media – looking at you Kerrang – have not mentioned the song at all.
A typically schizophrenic jumble of genres ‘Motherfucker’ features all those classic FNM hallmarks: Patton’s giddy vocal acrobatics, The Real Thing -era raps, a thunderous rhythm section and those sweeping, theatrical choruses which defined their later work. It also happens to be really, really good.
Motherfucker is as instantly compelling as some of FNM’s ’90s classics. The song is tightly wound, coiled around starched guitar strings and clockwork drum rolls. Motherfucker builds on the “greatest” voice in music, frontman Mike Patton, but refrains from breaking out until its huge outro. Patton shouts “Get the motherfucker on the phone” over a quality guitar solo.
“Motherf**ker” fits in nicely with the group’s pre-millennial output, as well as Patton’s diverse post-FNM career. It’s a sweeping, cinematic song in which a sinister piano collides with militant snare drums, while Patton’s distinctive vocals careen from spoken word raps to wounded howls to threatening whispers, repeating the phrase “get the mother**ker on the phone!” so often that you might actually remove your headphones and call the “motherf**ker” in your life.
There could be few more petrifying voices to hear sneering from down the other end of the blower than that of one Mike Patton; and so, as Faith No More return with Motherfucker – “a song about accountability”, that is as momentous (being the first all-new number from the Californians in circa seventeen years, and all) as it is aurally monumental – those of a more tremorous disposition would do well to find a nearby sofa to hide behind. “Get the motherfucker on the phone” Patton chants, his vocal layered in such a way so as to lend it far greater authority, before he perhaps sardonically notifies: “Hello, motherfucker/ My lover, you saw it coming/ Goodbye, motherfucker/ My lover, you had it coming.” All the while, stadium-dismaying guitars trill, Mike Bordin’s drums thunder, and authoritarian bass lines thrum. But most importantly, this “ode to pomp and style” hears a sublime equilibrium between carnivalesque burlesque and classic, brooding alt. rock brutality struck with irreproachable aplomb once more. In short, we still care. Rather a lot, in fact…
So many bands return after a long hiatus only to disappoint, they’ve changed or they’ve moved on from their sound, it’s just not the same. Not Faith No More. Earlier in the year we heard the first live performance of the first new FNM music in 18 years and now we have an official release of their brand new track “Motherfucker”. And…..the track does not in any way disappoint, it’s the gravelly, dark and epic FNM that we love.
Ben said it best. LOL
The fact that 95% of the reviews talk about Patton on the verses is annoying as hell. Besides the fact that, even with MP’s chameleon-like vocal delivery, it sounds nothing like him….Did you even bother to find out anything about the tune?
I love how the band has evolved into 2014 FNM. I am a huge fan of FNM from TRT days….and I have enjoyed their changes in style (Sometimes from one song to the next, let alone from album to album) so I love the fact that this was the next step in their evolution. Really enjoying the tune.
And surprised as hell we haven’t heard from Kerrang, since they have been such strong supporters in the past.
Mike Patton’s voice is so amazing, he can even do an outstanding Roddy impression on this track, while sounding just like himself in the background on the 2nd half of the verses and choruses. What an amazing guy! And those great lyrics and music that he wrote sounding like Roddy’s writing style on solo and Imperial Teen projects are amazing too! What a chameleon! He’s probably really playing all the instruments too!
Uh…it’s sickening.
I like it! It doesn’t even sound like Patton when he’s ‘rapping’ or whatever you call it.
Whatever people want to describe it as, I am just glad they are a band again and making new music! They have a great unique sound and they are truly one of a kind.
The one thing I love about this band is their creativity and their sense of humor which sets them apart from all other bands. I hope they stay creative forever and keep this band going for years to come. They are too good not to be making music.
My only wish, as cliched, tired, and impossible as it is, would have been that they recorded some stuff with Jim Martin.
Personality conflicts aside, his guitar sound/tone is one of the greatest I ever heard in all my life of listening to and studying guitar. This is the only missing element of the FNM sound that I truly miss. A Jim Martin power chord was and is truly one of the greatest guitar sounds of all time.
I wish they would record their songs, then send them to Jim to overdub his guitar parts onto, then give those of us who miss that sound, our version of FNM. Yes I know I am dreaming the impossible dream, but whatever.
Well that’s Slate for you…
hard to take these reviews seriously when they all are stupid enough to think patton is doing lead vocals….just goes to show they could release anything and get a good review
It’s amazing how many of these media outlets think patton “raps” the verses as well.