Classic Rock magazine have just published the first mainstream media review of the comeback Faith No More album Sol Invictus. 
Here are some excerpts:
“Although there’s some mandatory, full-on metal propulsion – on Superhero, for example, a study in the futility of all-American derring-do – the real influence is the 80s goth for which the group have always declared their love; there are shades of the noir-ish narratives of Nick Cave on the title track, of Siouxsie And The Banshees’ colour-splashed goth onSunny Side Up and of the Cramps’ lurid, Day-Glo death boogie on Cone Of Shame.”
“Ultimately, on Matador and From The Dead, there is a sense of a group who have felt disinterred for too long and are ready to extend their hand from their still-warm grave and grasp rock’n’roll by the neck for one further throttle.
Sol Invictus is the sound of a group perhaps more mature, more capable and readier than ever to take on the world. Whether a new, post-MTV generation cares to take up their challenge is another matter.”
The album gets a 8/10 score.
Lyrics have never been a problem in faith no more’s albums booklet. Except for Album of the year of course.
So I’m hoping for the lyrics in SI booklet too!!
But you never know
I also hear a touch of the chorus from the Peeping Tom song “We’re Not Alone” in the chorus of “Rise of the Fall”. No big deal–both great songs!
The Tomahawk mystery in Separation Anxiety lies in the part of the lyrics right before the breakdown that says “because you’re a part of me, not apart from me”. It is the same tone and rhythm as Tomahawk’s Sir, Yes Sir “the best of everything is good enough for me, enough for me”. I hope Sol Invictus brings a booklet with lyrics. One can only hope, right?
Having read so many reviews I couldn’t resist to listen to the album…. I’m sorry since I was promising myself not to do this, but well – I couldn’t help it. I think I waited too long. I also have the record preordered so in a way I feel a bit excused :-). Like someone wrote here – I was 18 when AOTY was released and now I have a husband and two kids who are looking at me surprised and shocked even what the hell is wrong with me. Well, I felt the same enthusiastic in 2008/2009 when plots about the reunion appeared and when they appeared to be true. But getting back to the point – the album. I was hoping for a good thing but i was afraid to be let down and now I’m really shocked how good it is. I can’t stop listening to this and the more I listen I’m getting more addicted. I can’t even choose my fav track – so maybe it’s easier to point the ones sometimes I skip: Rise of the fall and Motherfucker. When Motherfucker was released as a single I was really afraid about the rest of the album. I don’t think this was a good choice for a single – actually I don’t like the layered Mike’s vocals there and the whole track sound like 50-year-old guys pretend they are 20. Matador is absolutely fantastic though – deep and so emotional that makes me have tears in my eyes, one of the best songs they have ever did. Separation Anxiety – great track, really love it. I also feel some Tomahawk in it but not in a bad sense. FNM was always very eclectic, so why should it be an accusation. Cone of shame – the hard part is amazing.
Now I can’t wait to see them live which is going to be in June. I only hope they will stop playing Epic and Easy which I had occasion to see live four times within last six years and I hope for more song from SI. I think they reserve old tracks for the American tour since there they are playing their first shows since the reunion, here – in Europe we had some more occasions to see them life.
Thanks Jose. Some great insight there. The extended conceit of death, resurrection, and even sun and God make the record even better than the sum of its parts for me too. (From what I’ve heard them playing live of course…)
So, I live in an alternate universe where FNM reunited and made a record post AOTY. Waiting for this record made me feel like however it turned out really didn’t matter, it was after all a miracle to begin with, and like one did not ask or need for judgement. I was content with the notion of what represented this wonder. Then I heard Motherf[email protected] and Superhero and my heart skipped. Like some I was now concerned. What a fool I was!
I just listen to Sol Invictus for the first time and even thou I’m not an expert I think the one I heard sounds like a final mix (Superhero sounds really good compared to the official Ipecac YT video version). I must say I’m not shying away for my preorder. This album is its own thing and does not sound fragmented like some reviewers are suggesting, “this song sounds like KFAD and this other like Angel Dust…” Also the record’s lyrics and death/resurrection theme can be read as a complete story instead of the “character studies” that Mike used to do for earlier albums, not to say the songs aren’t different stories or that they don’t transport you places, they just “read” better together than say Angel Dust or KFD songs and in the context of the whole record songs like “[email protected]” actually make sense. Separation Anxiety I agree is amazing and could be read as a second, english version of “Violenza Domestica” lyrically speaking and holds relation to other Patton songs like Lovage’s “Anger Management” and Peeping Tom’s “We’re not Alone”. Songs that have already been performed live take on greater meaning when one can make out the lyrics. Sol Invictus and From the Dead, that could be easily dismissed on YT as passing songs now become round and strong. The band is tight, ripe and ready and deliver like never before. It reminds me a lot to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs “La marcha del golazo solitario”, which had a really mature feel to it compared to the rest of their discography.
All in all very happy with what this record represents and glad to join in the conversation.
Outshined39
I agree with a lot of your sentiments. How friggin awesome is SA!!?? CoS and sunny side up are brilliant as well. I swear if SSU isn’t the next single I’ll be pissed! What an awesome groove. I’m starting to get around Black Friday, didn’t feel it much before but love it now. I’m still perplexed by Rise Of the Fall though, somewhere there, there was a great song but the second half is disappointing IMO. The rest of the album is quite brilliant.
Yeah Patton, hide that double chin 😀
I’ve finally listened to this leak more intimately, with headphones. First off, the quality of this particular leak is not very good, but I’d rather have “the real thing” before I listen to this record in all its glory anyway, haha.
After a more thorough session, I’m pretty positive this isn’t ripped from the mastered tracks. Many of the songs are unpolished, some exhibiting this more than others.
Especially Cone of Shame. Doesn’t sound like a final take to me. Almost has a demo type quality to it, but it still sounds great. The second half of the song, where Patton sings, “So I can see what you really think” is totally different than I expected it to be (based on the live rendition). This is the track that I’m most looking forward to when the album is officially released. It was this tune, above all others, that really solidifying the notion that this leak was not a mastered version. I do like the song though, it just plods along and hangs so heavy in places.
Patton’s vocals sound amazing on Matador.
Sunny Side Up is my early favorite. I absolutely love it. Wish it was longer.
Sol Invictus is a perfect intro, and From the Dead is a great send-off.
Separation Anxiety is an instant classic IMO.
REALLY looking forward to hearing the entire album next month. I try to be objective as possible on these things, but I can honestly say that there isn’t a track on this entire album I will skip. Very surprised how good the songs and arrangements are. Doesn’t feel forced at all. My only real complaint is I wish a few of the songs were a bit longer, or we had a few more additional tracks.
Ok, so I’ve listened to it about 10 times. It’s seriously awesome. Really hard to put into perspective. Right now, I would rank in second to Angel Dust, followed closely by KFAD. Only problem: it’s too freggin short! Hope there are some bonus tracks coming along soon. May even be bizarre covers, I don’t care.
Thanks for the clarification.
I dig the new material. Looking forward to getting a physical copy in my hands. Hope the mastering isn’t too overproduced.
Man, did I mention how much I love Sunny Side Up?
Good points BenM. I listened to the youtube clip (which is gone now), changing it to the correct speed as the instructions give. I did not download it and won’t. It’s really not a clean copy and am confident the official mix will sound good. I don’t really want to support people who are leaking it, but the youtube thing was just too easy. The honest reason why I even listened to is because I prefer to know the songs before I go to a live show. Plus there isn’t any way that I can purchase this album more than I already have…I’ve tried to get every color vinyl, the cd, the iTunes download, and the bonus track, plus I’ve gotten the digital and vinyl singles.
I wish the band would put out the digital versions of the Superhero vinyl and the remixes though, now that everyone who was going to buy the vinyls probably already has, I’d like to get good copies of them.
The almost universal enthusiasm I’m reading makes it so hard to abstain but another thing I’m hearing is that the leak, aside from not seeming fully mastered, is also quite badly compressed. So it’s less out of sanctimony than my own geeky perfectionism that I’ll wait until May, though it’d be interesting to compare the two should the original still be kicking around next month. I will confess I nabbed the early mix of Superhero as it’s clearer than my vinyl rip, but I can tell it’s still not the quality I want to experience the whole album properly in for the first time.
Part of me feels annoyed for the band that an unfinished version of the record might be doing the rounds although A) it’s pretty much unavoidable these days and B) the timing seems almost suspicious, that it would leak the day/week of the tour resuming, new material being debuted live and a lot of major press hitting the stands. I’m not suggesting they band have choreographed it obviously but maybe whoever it was who put it out there was biding their time for the perfect moment. I’ve noticed the band haven’t addressed it other than vicariously through faithnomoreblog which is probably smart as that would just draw a lot of attention to the fact a leak is available whereas for now it’s mostly fans who will hopefully buy the record anyway stumbling across it (I’m sure I’m not alone in having heard about it when searching Twitter for reports on the London Roundhouse presales)
Can’t believe how emotional I am getting listening to this album. It’s like when your favorite sports team wins a championship or something.
Outshined39 – I’d say the main indicators that this is a pre-Matt version of the album is that there were several mentions on Twitter a couple months back of reviewers having received advance copies, then later on when Billy was interviewed on Radio 1 he made a reference to Superhero having only just been finished (it was in the interim I believe that they publicly revealed Matt had become involved). There’s a good chance that the source of this leak might be one of the advance CDs sent out awhile back, which would be why there are some production disparities.
Personally I’m surprised that the hyper-produced version of Superhero is the result of Matt’s handiwork given how much he’s criticised his own overproduction on The Real Thing and the vinyl/leak version seems way more ‘traditionally’ the FNM sound.
I suppose if, when the album comes out, it turns out to sound different this leak at least gives fans an option to pick and choose which versions of the tracks they prefer. In truth there are a few tracks from FNM’s back catalogue where I actually prefer the alternate/video/single mixes (eg. Falling To Pieces, Anne’s Song) but that’s purely a personal taste thing.
I have to say I’m enjoying the range of responses to the new material. It validates it as being exactly what FNM have always been – divisive yet ultimately satisfying.
Re: Benrun and several others’ comments on the perceived Tomahawk similarities (or lack thereof), I honestly think that’s down to certain mainstays of hard rock simply being present in both bands that hit us in the hippocampus. When I first heard Rape This Day in 2003 it made me think of Digging the Grave. Then last year when I heard Superhero it reminded me of Rape This Day. Even though they’re three very different songs there are enough shared traits that people will draw connections, there are a few moments like that with different Patton-led songs and different Patton-led bands. A song like Cone of Shame definitely evokes a certain rustic, bluesy approach that may be a new direction for FNM, as Bill enthuses, but for Patton fans who’ve heard Guano Padano, Oddfellows and several others it will seem quite familiar. Frankly the more of it the merrier as far as I’m concerned.
To me the standout track is Matador. I’m probably overreacting since I have only heard it about five times now, but in my opinion might be the best track they have ever recorded. Another commenter didn’t like the slower tempo but to me it gave it a We Care A Lot (the album) feel. Its like the best parts of WCAL and AOTY in one song. Not sure if that makes any sense at all.
This whole thing is just surreal. Favorite band goes away when I’m 20 years old, somehow reunites, and 18 years later releases an album that might be their best or close to it and I get to see them live. I’m just as obsessed as I was back in 1994-95 checking the old mailing list for KFAD news except now I have a wife and three kids who are wondering what the hell is wrong with me.
Everytime I put on then slbum, sol invictus (the song) sounds better. The album is really growing on me and if I recall correctly, we have a bonus track on the japanese to hear as well. Hope it’s not a cover. I’m loving it so much.
Yes! Sorry I made a fuss, I totally couldn’t find that post and was almost certain I made the comment on another post.
I will shut up now 🙂
I think it might be the top post here
http://newfaithnomore.com/2015/02/24/faith-no-more-sol-invictus-the-previews-are-in-and-theyre-great/
Agreed with Sir Yes Sir/Separation Anxiety, but I thank that makes me love the track even more, been singing that part all day. When I first heard that song come off Sunny Side Up (a track which has grown on me), I nearly teared up. So good. And Cone of Shame is brutal.
I actually think Black Friday is one of the best tracks, if not the best. Upbeat, catchy, cynical lyrics, heavy riffs mixed with calmer guitar.
Think the presence of Roddy’s keys are great, but not as awesome or inspiring as the early days.
And I think if there is one, Bill Gould and his bass is the star of the album. Holy shit.
Yeah, I know this isn’t an in depth review or out, I’m a FNM fanboy and it’s early days, but I think this is FNM’s best album since Angel Dust, and I’m a cynical bastard. And I was ready to shit on it after the slightly underwhelming Motherfucker/Superhero, which sound way better on the album. Way ahead of AOTY (except for Stripsearch ofc) and I think it’s more interesting, stylish and more consistent than KFAD. Very happy with it.
Admin, that’s odd because I saw it posted along with another post just before mine that is nowhere to be found now as well.
Either way, I will post again what my initial throughts on the album are and hope this post doesn’t get lost. First of all, I absolutely love the album and nothing I say from now on is to be taken as pure criticism and negativity. For a long time, even before any talk of a new album, I was worried about one thing when I thought of a new FNM album: that it would be too Patton-esque. And unfortunately I feel like some of the songs are. They’re layered with lots of stuff that’s very typical of him (melodies, vocal styles, samples) and that remind me a lot more of Tomahawk, Bungle and other projects. The FNM is absolutely there underneath, and in certain songs they sound so much like themselves that it even took me by surprise (especially Matador and Superhero).
What I miss from Mr Patton this time around are his raw, honest and straight forward vocals.
So that’s the one complaint I have, along with the complete lack of Roddy’s signature keyboards. He does an amazing job on the album, don’t get me wrong, but a big part of FNM’s sound has always been the 80’s dark-wave inspired keyboards and I sorely miss them.
“Haha – me too Carlton. BF is my least favourite so far but my little boy loves singing the chorus”
Heh. I stuck the album on in the car earlier and there was definitely some headbanging from my 3 year old!
Anyway, re the leak’s mixing/mastering job… I hope this is just an early promo copy doing the rounds. The sound didn’t bother me at first because I was getting to know the songs, but it’s starting to, tbh… I know Bill has said the band’s lo-fi recording approach ended up capturing some background ambience etc so I guess we’ll see next month if there’s any improvement.
Not expecting huge sonic leaps, though. The “Superhero” mp3 was definitely brick-walled and this mastering approach is par for the course with rock records these days. Most musicians say they hate the way it sounds but they still acquiesce to it anyway! I’m no snobbish audiophile by any means but, as others have said, it flattens the dynamics when EVERYTHING is the same volume.
So…..do we know if the leak is final or pre-master?
Haha – me too Carlton. BF is my least favourite so far but my little boy loves singing the chorus
Hi – can’t find it even in spam or trash. Must have got lost in the cyber ether. Can you post again?
“Ps : metal Ireland users say it’s not great .. ”
Never trust an Irish metal fan…. I used to be one, so I should know…. SI isn’t a “metal” album, really. There’s nothing here for your average dyed-in-the-wool Slayer fan. Of course they’re going have issues with slower tempos, the diversions into other genres, lyrics that aren’t about evil and death etc. Many people also seem to want a heads down, Jim Martin helmed shred-fest and it’s not going to happen.
On the topic of the songs themselves, I’m not hearing much love for “Black Friday” which is a shame. Stormer of a song and I love the contrast between the soft and heavy sections.
Also… Jon’s work on SI is leagues ahead of the stuff he was doing on AOTY – maybe not as instantly “hooky” but definitely far more interesting. I would agree that Puffy is probably the one who jumps out the least, but that’s largely because the leak quality muffles his patented snare sound.
Wait. Are you guys sure the leak is a pre-mastered version? I’m seriously hoping not. Why would a pre-master leak? The vinyl version of Superhero sounds much better, so if the download version is the final album version, I really worry what the rest of the record is going to sound like, compressed with a wrecked dynamic range.
I REALLY like what I hear out of the leak, and will purchase regardless to support the band and their music. I hate when one guy comes in, masters the tracks, and literally ruins the album. I look at Soundgarden’s King Animal as a prime example of another band I love, but the mastering sounds like $#%^ to me.
Pre ordered the album in two formats so I feel ok about listening to it 10 times last night, so here are few thoughts.
The first run of five songs are friggin perfect, on par with anything they’ve done, but Rise of the Fall really is the one song that disappoints me, it’s Patton hijacking the classic FNM sound IMO! The chorus is 80’s FNM brilliant but I hate the twiddlling in the softer parts and way too much Bungle for my liking. Black Friday is also a little bit of a let down but I will give that more time.
Separation and Sunny are absolutely brilliant in very different ways, matador and cone are classic FNM and may crack my top 20 FNM songs of all time, I love what Patton does with his voice in Cone and only he could pull something like that off!
As for potential singles? Sunny side up and from the dead are highly likely. The reviews are awesome and I hope the album sells well for them.
Oh, the entire band sounds like they’re in their absolute best shape, but Jon’s guitar work surpassed my expectations. Awesome.
Just finished my first listen. Wow. My expectations were through the roof, and there is not one under-par track. The album is brilliant. Separation Anxiety is awesome, but it does sound like it could be on a Tomahawk album. Rise of the Fall has some TRT (The Morning After) and some Bungle. Perfect! Matador was a little disappointing in the sense that It is s little slower and MP did not incorporate some screams and growls that I saw on the live version (Brazil SWU). Cone of Shame, on the other hand, was way better than the live version I heard from Japan. My only serious problem with this album is that it’s too Fucking short. Jeez, what a day.
Hey admin, did you delete my post from earlier today where I posted my initial thoughts on the album? If so, can I ask why? Because you’re obviously not deleting all mentions of the leak.
Sheffield is definitely good, but I was thinking of footage I saw of the July 4th Belguim 93 show, Patton is doing standing flips and throwing himself at the stage mercilessly throughout a huge chunk of the show, whereas on a lot of those shows he only did that stuff during Epic and Jizzlobber. Then I like the humor in the Warfield 92 show…that one has I think the best sounding Why Do You Bother, even though he was making himself puke with the mic during that song at Sheffield…intense but maybe not as good of a performance! I saw them on my birthday in 92 in Orlando at this little club where Patton was able to somehow climb these metal poles up to the rafters and hang out there like a monkey singing. Then of course there’s the self-sodomozing incident in Buffalo that apparently got them band there. When they hit the road in 95…those first few shows in England had that same kind of reckless abandon, but somewhere shortly after he seems to calm down with the self abuse but keep the energy level high. Meanwhile, back in those days, Roddy would be throwing himself to the floor during keyboard breaks too. Bill still punches his bass pretty intensely to this day. And Puffy has always played like Animal from the Muppets.
Like the Sheffield gig ?? No footage though. The cam footage brought unanswered questions and a new dimension to the Phoenix gig when it surfaced after years of wondering why the start of RV vocal was missing plus the end of jizzlobber still mesmerises me.
For me – gig wise .. Il listen to whatever they’ll play – new album equals a tour of new stuff so if they stall that and play old stuff il still count myself lucky as there is only so many times remaining of the older stuff as the new album fights for airplay –
Thanks KingCol, and I’m glad to hear someone else comment on how great AOTY sounded. I don’t know what people are hearing when they say that album didn’t sound as good.
I find it hard to believe that my mental wish list for what songs I hope they play when I see them next month just totally became meaningless. I don’t care about hearing any of the old songs, I just want to hear as many of the new ones as possible. How often has a comeback band heard that from one of their fans? Usually the new songs get groans.
Also, it’s pretty hard to argue with the intensity of Phoenix 93! Although there are some others from that tour where Patton went even crazier those shows didn’t have that great setlist.
I re posted the best live gig ever
http://youtu.be/QhVxbo88VEw
No Roli Mosimann on this album ? Is Wallace mastering ? I thought Roli’s work was fantastic
I knew the leak would be pre mastered.. I’m gonna wait . If we learned anything about fnm is that alot of people slate it only for it to become a classic.
Ps : metal Ireland users say it’s not great .. So I’m looking forward to it more.
Nice to see benrum back in the comment section
Cheers Ben. Insightful as always
Also…this leak sounds like it was before Matt Wallace came on board to make some changes. Superhero is the version on the vinyl which is different than the download version on the album, and this is the Motherfucker single, whereas the album version you can preview is a little different. So I imagine that all the songs may sound a little different, plus better quality than the leak. I kind of like the vinyl version (pre Matt Wallace version?) better than the final version, whereas maybe the final MFer version sounds a little better.
I agree with the influences mentioned in reviews, but I also hear some Leonard Cohen in there, especially on Black Friday. I’m not hearing anything that sounds like Fantomas or Tomahawk, except there is one vocal bit in the bridge in Separation Anxiety which sounds like Sir Yes Sir from the self-titled Tomahawk. Musically, nothing is similar to me, Denison is the primary songwriter in that band who has a pretty distinct style.
I strongly disagree with this being a Mike Patton shining brighter album…he is fantastic on here, but to say he is the standout on half the tracks like I saw 1 review say is absurd. Listen to what BILL IS FRIEKING DOING!!! This is the coolest bass work I’ve heard on an album…I’m floored. And having said that, Roddy is always adding something interesting and I think this is the best, most interesting guitar work on any of their albums. Jon is a real tech guy and it shows on this, I know Bill produced but the sounds Jon gets out of the guitars which is pretty different from song to song is real exciting. This is easily the most diverse guitar work on a FNM album, but I think it also may be the best, knocking Trey off the throne. The song tempos don’t give Puffy the chance to go Cuckoo For Caca very often, but the drums definitely get the job done…sometimes I wish they were a little louder, but then I wish everyone was a little louder at times b/c it sounds so good!