Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I probably prefer Angel Dust as an album but this gets 5 stars just for Epic.
Avec le temps qui passe je trouve que Faith No More ne vieillit pas si mal que ça. Quel homme que Mike Patton.
Super belle découverte! Je deviens un vrai metalhead! La date de parution (1988?) m'a carrément impressionné, autant au niveau de la prod que du style. J'aurais cru entendre du Mars Volta 15 ans avant. War Pigs sur les stéroïdes c'était pas piqué des vers. Même si c'est un peu une missed opportunity de changer quelques éléments à l'originale (à part le tempo un peu plus rapide j'ail'impression, on dirait que c'est copié collé)
La belle bibitte qu’est Mike Patton! Content de le decouvrir dans Faith No More. je recommande son projet Peeping Tom qui m’avait marqué en 2006
I can still close my eyes and remember the music video for Epic. This album made me know who Mike Patton is and I had to know more so I started trying to find as much (pre internet) about this dude. Also their cover of War Pigs just confirms that covers of Black Sabbath are better than Black Sabbath.
This drifts a bit near the end of the album for me, but this is still a peerless classic.
What an album at that time and still great. Extended the view on different styles in music.
Can't believe I've never listened to this whole album before now.
Think about how Mike Patton was like 18-19 on this album and then think about what you were doing when you were 18-19 and get your mind blown.
Het is 25 juni 2015. Een nachtmerrie voor een groot festival als Rock Werchter, is afgelopen week werkelijkheid geworden. Enkele dagen eerder valt Dave Grohl van het podium en breekt zijn been. De tour gaat niet door en het al door vele afzeggingen geplaagde festival moet improviseren. Nietsvermoedend sta ik aan de hekken van het hoofdpodium te wachten op de beoogde vervanger: Faith No More. Ik ben onbekend met de band, afgezien van de Commodores-cover 'Easy'. Het stond zelfs niet op de planning om te gaan kijken, maar terwijl het podium wordt opgebouwd verschijnen er rijen en rijen aan bloemen voorop het podium. Witte kleden hangen als hemelse taferelen over het podium... Was dit geen soort nu-metal? Die dag heeft me twee dingen geleerd: Faith No More is een van de coolste rockacts ooit en Mike Patton is een van de beste frontmannen die ik heb zien optreden. Ik luister geregeld naar Angel Dust, wat mij betreft de beste FNM plaat, maar deze voorganger en het latere King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime zijn ook favorieten. Faith No More is zo onwijs divers en verrassend, ze wisselen funk en jazz af met snoeiharde rock alsof het de normaalste zaak van de wereld is, zonder corny over te komen. Ik denk dat ik eindelijk een band heb waar het woord ondergewaardeerd bij past.
A brilliant fusion of genres that balances raw power with sophisticated musicality. While it flirts with 80s production tropes, it quickly evolves into a cohesive masterpiece of dynamic contrasts. The technical interplay between the aggressive, slap-heavy bass and the atmospheric synths creates a unique sonic signature, supported by Patton’s versatile vocals. A high-quality record where complex ideas and expert execution work perfectly together.
Love this LP
yes
Faith No More - The Real Thing * EPIC * So the ending of their songs are neat. * So like the moon is made of a triple chocolate cookie with a chipotle bowl crater that's drippy and fire. * I like Woodpecker From Mars * AND YOU KNOW I LIKE WAR PIGS * This album puts me in the mood to listen to this album / this kind of music. * By Song: -^-^^^^^^^^
Number 69, nice. I’m also so glad it was this album. It’s something I can have a good bop to. The first track, From out of Nowhere, gave me a really nice view in to what this album will be! It had a good dichotomy to it with the more soulful backing track, but the vocals that wouldn’t have been out of place in a much heavier track. Epic switched up the flow. I was not expecting the hip hop influences. I really ended up loving it though. The blend of genres was awesome. I enjoyed Falling to Pieces and LOVED the heavier element to Surprise! you’re dead. Zombie Eaters was also awesome! The title track is again such a cool mix of the music and vocals. I didn’t even notice that it was 8 minutes, which if you’ve read my other reviews, is a huge thing for me if a track does not deserve its runtime. Underwater love was a very nice track. A bit softer, but still some great vocals and guitar work. The Morning After was great. Same reasons I’ve been praising the rest of the album. I really liked the focus on the instrumental in Woodpecker from Mars. There were some really cool sounds in there that made it a great listen. Strings in a rock album is always a plus. A cover of War Pigs is also always welcome! I actually thought it was a pretty good cover. Personally, Edge of the World didn’t hit as much for me as the rest of the album. With the jazzy piano, it felt as if it went a different direction. It was a good track, but I think it closing this album wasn’t exactly the right choice. Screw it. 5/5 ⭐️. Awesome album. 69/1089
Album #1,065 Going in, I think I only know the song Epic from this album, and boy oh boy do I know it, as it was in constant heavy rotation on MTV back then. I've heard one of their other albums, Angel Dust, and I wasn't crazy about it. This one was much better in my opinion. It's very front-loaded with From Out of Nowhere, Epic, Falling to Pieces, and Surprise! You're Dead, then a few songs it might take more than one listen to appreciate. Their cover of War Pigs is pretty faithful, but still kicks ass hard. I didn't dislike anything here, so I'll have to give it a 5/5.
Love it
A classic from my childhood, still holds up
Absolutely love this album, and who the hell knows how many times I watched “Epic” on MTV as kid. It had been a good amount of time since I revisited this one, and I’m happy this list brought me back. Rocked out hard for the past hour to this album. 4.5 / 5
Täyden kympin levy! Tätä on tullut kuunneltua julkaisusta asti säännöllisen epäsäännöllisesti ja löytyy omasta levyhyllystä ainakin muutamana eri versiona.
Really good stuff.
I hadn't listened to this in so long, and I'd forgotten how many bangers it has. A great, inventive, fun album.
Very epic
One of my favorite bands, despite never having owned an album.
Heavily biased by nostalgia
Álbum excelente! Músicas incríveis e bem executadas. Truthear Zero: Red.
Epic. No, really. This album is fucking rad.
This holds up and absolutely still slaps
I grew up with this and have listened to it dozens if not hundreds of times and still listen to it to this day. I think Angel Dust is probably better and I don’t think it’s on the list which is a shame. Perhaps it’ll be on the post-project list? So I don’t even have to listen to this to give it a five star rating but I gotta stay on course with the program and am looking forward to putting this on once again. Probably gonna sing along to the whole record. What a great way to ring in the new year!
This is one of the albums of my life
Oʻoooooooooooooooooo
great album
Groupe et album connus. A l'époque de sa sortie le metal proposé par FNM était vraiment différent de ce que j'écoutais : en 89 sont sortis 'Beneath the Remains' de Sepultura, 'Streetcleaner' de Godflesh et 'Altars of Madness' de Morbid Angel, je les faisais tourner en boucle. 'The Real Things' introduisait des grooves inattendus et réussis, une basse de folie, des morceaux complexes et très travaillés. Les autres instruments sont tout aussi excellents. Et chaque morceau présente une partie originale qui donne envie d'y revenir. Le top de la créativité pour Faith no More ! Les albums précédents laissaient entrevoir (de loin) ce top, et de mon point de vue les suivants n'arriveront plus à ce niveau (je n'ai conservé aucun autre album du groupe). Cet album fait donc partie de mes préférés. 'Zombie Eaters', 'The Real Thing' et l'instrumental 'Woodpecker from Mars' font partie de mes morceaux préférés, toutes catégories confondues. Facile à noter donc ! =>5/5
Epic is one of those songs that I know from somewhere but idk where
One of my all time favorite albums! Definitely transformative for its time. The videos that came from this album were off the hook and the live performances by Michael Patton are etched into my mind.
Absolutely incredible experience and I have saved several of these songs.
Do I love 90s music? Do I especially love 90s alternative? Did I own this album? Did I already have a few of these songs in my personal library? All yes! I was predisposed to liking this, but on going back to listen to it, I had forgotten how excellent an album this was. Solely "Surprise You're Dead" is a disappointment to me, but even that has some campy charm to it. As for the rest, Epic is exactly what its name says. Falling to Pieces is anything but. Already loved those. But I ended up picking up others like From Out of Nowhere, Zombie Eaters, and the title track for my personal library. Their version of War Pigs is excellent as well, though any remake is never going to be good as the Black Sabbath original. All in all, a welcomed blast from the past in what is a tremendous album.
Super album! Masterpiece! All trach are perfect. War Pigs - RIP Ozzy!
I was bloody excited to see this generated. Been too long since I’ve listened to it but I still love it. Every track on here is great and Mike Pattons vocals are awesome throughout. Top Tracks - Zombie Eaters and From Out Of Nowhere
Nice
This album took me completely by surprise. I was so prepared to hate it, especially when I saw 'metal' in the description but when I actually listened, I found myself jamming out! It reminded me of - super niche theater kid reference - Holy Musical Batman funnily enough. Really enjoyed this and I could see myself unironically listening to every track many times over. My favourites are Falling to Pieces and War Pigs.
From the very first track I was loving this! The lyrics are all stupid and pretty meaningless, but the band knows this (Mike Patton says he focuses more on the sound of words than the meaning). I consider an album a great listening success based on how many times I make some sort of incredulous double take or if it introduced me to something new about music. There were themes of jazz, classical, hip-hop, progressive rock. The piano at the end of "Epic" was really awesome. I know I'll listen to this album a lot more in the future! My only critique was I feel like it could have ended more strongly than it did. 9/10, 5/5
Yes, the rumours are true. 2 years before Nevermind dropped, alternative music poked its little head out of its dirt hole and gave mainstream listeners a little kiss on the cheek. And it sounds even better now. Breakfast at my house never sounded so good.
I kept thinking, school of rock? Seeing jack black playing these songs in my head. War of pigs sealed that deal, I think. Loved this. Replayable. I see the influences of this band on bands I listened to growing up, big time thumbs up!
Awesome album! I think I would have probably given it a 4 except that it would be a disservice to the group playlist not to have Epic on there, so I am playing my part, rating it 5 and adding it to the 1001 top rated playlist ;)
Second time listening. Hit harder this time around though I don't think my rating has changed (for now). I think "Angel Dust" deserves to be here more but this is still a kick-ass album. Favorite track: Underwater Love 3.5/5
Amazing album, although a bit of a cash grab. Hurt, first song whatever it is are the best
Its December, 1990. I am 10, nearly 11. I am at a sleepover with 7 other 6th grade dudes. We all drank jolt cola and saw who could stay up the latest. Those that fell asleep first got their hands savagely put in warm water. A classic hallmark of pre-pubescent late nightedness was the appearance of Saturday Night Live. This evening's host was John Goodman: Costar of Roseanne, and comic relief from that summer's blockbuster: Arachnophobia. The show is great, including the instant classic sketch, " Bad Idea Jeans". The musical guest is this weird and raucus group called Faith No More. They play a song called Epic. It was indeed. Music underscoring a perfect memory.
I am a huge Faith No More fan, but for the longest time, I wasn't the biggest fan of this album because Mike Patton had a much more nasally way of singing on this album that he doesn't on future albums. I still don't think this is as good as Angel Dust, but it I now see it as a truly great album. Every song on here is just so much fun and it is such a unique style of music. High 5!!
One of my top 5 favorite albums. That's all.
This is, in fact, The Real Thing.
Oh Faith no More, habe ich sehr geliebt, Angel Dust, die goldenen 90er, Mike Patton, der Bass, die Orgel...perfekt! c
Det rocker hårdt. Det slapper bassen hårdere. FNM har aldrig holdt sig til en genre. Her er både funk-metal, rap-rock, trash metal og følsom ballade. Det er mere umodent i udtrykket end senere albums, men det er pisse sjovt.
Excellent.
Майк Пэттон – икона.
Muy bueno
This was awesome. I'd heard Epic before, but never delved into other songs. Faith Now More is a kickass band, it turns out. The opening track, From Out of Nowhere, is an electric song that pumps you up for the whole album, and there's so many more awesome songs to go with it. Falling to Pieces, their cover of War Pigs, and the aforementioned Epic, it all rocks hard.
Wow, 2 banger albums in a row. Yesterday it was Appetite for Destruction, today it's The Real Thing by Bay Area local band, Faith No More. Like many, I thought this was their debut album, but I quickly learned they had 2 albums previous to this, but they pale in comparison. "Epic" was the song that introduced these guys to the world, and what a great song it is. The whole album draws on a ton of influences and overall is a great listen. Mike Patton has such a quirky voice and Mr. Bungle aside, he's not a bad singer, just all over the place. Coke is a helluva drug. Their cover of War Pigs is top notch. Love it. Bangers: Epic From Out of Nowhere Surprise! You're Dead Woodpecker From Mars War Pigs 5/5
Hells YEA! Great album and great artist.
I recognize there’s some major influential songs in this album, but it was hard for me to listen to a song fully. So I give it a 4 being trailblazing, but it’s not my type. The track “Surprise you’re dead” was one that was easier to listen through. They have some heavy riffs that I see influencing metal that I enjoyed as the album went on. A lot of unique sounds for the time. “Woodpecker from mars” is something I wouldn’t have expected.
Pretty darn fire
Man, even though this is nowhere near my favorite Faith No More album, this album overall still really kicks ass. I'd take Angel Dust, King for a Day, or Album of the Year over this given the choice, but I still enjoy the hell out of Real Thing. 4.5/5
Still killer after all these years.
Forgot how good this band is, even with the somewhat annoying vocals and subpar rapping. The instrumentals are fantastic with hints of everything from Exhorder-like grooves to Dream Theater-esque melodies. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
I am embarrassed to say I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this whole album, and it is a certified banger that I def will revisit. It’s got touches of 80s synth cheese, but the slapping of the bass makes it worth it.
Banger
iconic brilliance. an all-time favorite.
This is such a great album. Heavy, fast and loud. More funk in their pinky fingernail than the entire Chili Pepper's catalog combined. Mike Patton has a unique vocal quality - is he being squeezed? Is he one of the smaller Muppets? No one knows for sure. In all seriousness, this kicks ass from beginning to end. I've heard Epic a million times, but the rest of this is even better. High energy weirdness. Aged really well. A new favorite. The more I listen the more I want to give it my highest rating.
Arguably their best/most accessible record. Most unique sounding record in their discography. Pattons first with the band. His voice changed after this album and during Angel Dust…so it’s a 5/5 for me. My favorite band and the album that started it all for me.
Gode låter hele veien. Smakfull bruk av keyboard. Vokalen tim Patton er bra, men kan bli litt mye av den nasale greia.
Have the Faith
What the hell is this? That's what I said when I was 17 and I heard this the first time. I must have listened to this literally hundreds of times since then. Oh my god. Versatile vocals. Superlative musicianship. Unique and interesting composition. I know you've heard Epic a THOUSAND times maybe, but it's far from the best song on this album. Falling to Pieces of a banner. Zombie Eaters is under appreciated. War Pigs was already good, and was a gateway drug for a young me to get into Sabbath. And we close out with Edge of the World, foreshadowing Mike's playful, loungey side he would let loose on later albums. Not their first album, but their first in the settled long time lineup that would yield good for a decade. Forget all the nu-metal rap-rock imitators, this is the real thing. Five Stars.
When I was a teenager I bought the set of Faith No More's albums from The Real Thing to Album of the Year. This is brining me back to summers driving around while blasting Epic and singing along to it. It's a shame with the ease of Spotify and streaming that it's so easy to avoid digging into a catalogue but there is no better way than a CD and many car journeys! I think I first found out about FNM after hearing midlife crisis on a Dad Rock compilation that had Midlife Crisis on it (which is an incredible pick for a Dad Rock album). I think it's hard to pick a more Gen X band than these guys. To call them Dad Rock is an offhand comment nowadays but it does them a huge disservice to how much they went away from the norm on many levels. They're weird. Maybe not Primus weird, and definitely not quite Mr Bungle weird (gonna get to that) but still weird nonetheless. It's interesting to have an album of a band that's on the precepice of finding its sound and it still sounds great! The biggest thing this album is lacking is variety. They're trying to find their sound and you hear some of their future peaking through but by and large this is the progression of Introduce Yourself's FNM with Patton now at the helm. I do wish we could've had an album between this and Angel Dust. For one thing there is a large jump in styles between the two albums that something inbetween could be interesting, albeit perhaps impossible. There was so much left to explore with that lineup that it's a shame we couldn't get more before Jim Martin left. There's low points to the album for certain! 'Suprise! You're Dead!' is bit half baked (that riff on the guitar is sick though) and Woodpecker From Mars runs a bit too long I reckon. Despite that, this album has a special place in my heart. It's fairly straightforward but it hides a weirder streak amongst itself. The growl of the bass that often comes alive halfway through songs, the drums that do anything but play a basic 4/4 rock beat, the weird midi keyboard strings that come in to disarm, some sicks guitar solos and weird riffs, and obviously Patton being one of the more unique singers in the rock world. This is one of those albums that formed a pillar of my music taste. I was hovering about 4 for this for a bit but that's me being more critical of an album because I love it enough to view all of its flaws. Highlight: Underwater Love Bonus Highlight: Cowboy Song from Live at Brixton Academy as an Outtake from the album (Also Patton is one of those singers I find myself identifying myself as a guy who loves singing in weird voices)
Kind of like the Weimar Republic, Faith No More is often discussed in the context of what followed on from them, and it's a total disservice to pigeonhole them as Mike Patton's funk metal band which gave us nu metal. This album draws from a lot of different musical and creative sources, vomiting them back up in a cascade of idiomatic and intelligent degeneracy - aggression, melody, groove, riffs, solos, synths, proggy shit, thrashy shit, backed up/propelled/lead by by one of the all time great bass sounds. Favourite tracks: Woodpecker From Mars, Zombie Eaters, From Out Of Nowhere, War Pigs
I enjoyed this album when I was a kid but damn it has aged like a fine wine. Love it now.
I’ve been developing into a Pattonhead over the last few years. So far, I haven’t put that much attention on Faith No More. That is obviously a mistake. This thing rules. It’s as weird and scattered as any other Patton thing, and the rest of the band is sick. I’ve never liked slap bass in rock, but I like it here! Hard to go any lower than 5 here, I was grinning like an idiot half the time I was listening.
This is my favorite band (or one of them - Mike Patton is my favorite artist). This was the album that got me into FNM to begin with, and it ended up being only the tip of the iceberg.
Fantastic! Wonderful harbinger of what was to come from this amazingly talented and woefully underrated band. I look forward to listening to the next (at least) 2 FNM albums.
Faith No More with Mike Patton? Easy 5, no reason to go into details. I just hope I'm going to see Fantomas on this list as well, his every band deserves to be included.
Not even my favorite FNM album, but still a masterpiece with Patton's budding genius and one of 90s alternative rock's best rhythm sections.
Man I love this album. I don’t even know where to begin. Faith No More was original in an era of a lot of very original bands. The way they blended metal with rap caught my attention at a time whew I stubbornly hadn’t accepted rap yet, but I was still transfixed by Epic. And the bass on this album is so freaking funky, especially on From Out of Nowhere. I can see how Patton’s voice might not be for everyone, but it serves these songs perfectly. They became one of my go-to bands in the early nineties off the strength of Epic and Falling to Pieces. Oh, and I can’t forget War Pigs. One of the best Sabbath covers in a world filled with Sabbath covers. Second only to Primus’ version NIB (which is even better than the original). Even better than Cake’s take on War Pigs. Man, I love this album.
I've heard about Faith No More thorough the years of my life and I never checked them or anything, they felt like a not interesting band. So, I played the album and at first I didn't enjoy it much but with every second it got better. I didn't like the vocals at first but after a bit I got used to them and saw some good stuff in it - harsher vocals were cool too. And the bassist was just phenomenal. I'll be going back to this album now. Edit: Okay, so it's been more than a year since I listened to The Real Thing for the first time, and since then - things have changed. Basically Mike Patton became one of my biggest vocal inspirations as a beginner vocalist myself. And well, my respect and love for his art has grown significantly, mainly through Mr. Bungle. I fucking LOVE Mr. Bungle so so so much. One of my favorite bands for some time now. So, I felt a need to come back to The Real Thing again. So I did, and I liked it very muchly, as much as I did in the past. But now I liked it for other reasons too, so well, it's a really great album. Great basslines. Amazing vocalist, of course. And well, I am glad. I am glad I came back to this one and it really needs an update. So, I am changing the review from 4 to 5 stars. Mike and the crew, thanks you.
Strait fire.
Obviously no Angel Dust but still an amazing album
Although I loved this album back in the day, the second side rarely got played. I would normally listen to the first four tracks, then switch over to something else. The original album didn't have War Pigs to look forward to either. Listening now, I expected the back half to be awful, but it actually sounded a bit more fresh, seeing as I didn't know it quite as well. The Spotify version sounded wrong though, like it had been remastered really badly by someone who just wanted to mess around with the levels to make the bass stand out more. There are a couple of weaker tracks. There's also some hate because "this was the start of pop-metal" which is kind of weird, as metal bands were regularly in the charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Lastly, there's the unfortunate comparison with the red hot chilli peppers (who I personally despise). However, there's a good variety of music here, with the band forming up to more than just a vehicle for their singer. I'm finding it hard to justify a full five stars, but harder to knock it back to four, so five it is.
Easy 5 star!
This was fantastic! Think linkin park but less angry. I would buy this recording.
Beautiful album show the clear path to the emergence of alt music
A criminally underrated but brilliant band. This album cooks and it's not even their best. (Angel Dust is better) A smouldering cover of War Pigs is just so aces. Everyone knows Epic and it is a classic but the entire album is so good.
Already a cool album, then they busted out the Sabbath cover.
Really enjoyed this one. Had heard a few of these songs but never the album. Heard a lot of Pink Floyd influence in some of their slow intros. Thanks for putting this on the list—it deserves to be there.
Heavy metal infused with a bit of rap. I used to play the hell out of this when it came out. It has aged well
If there's a better opening 1-2-3-4 than "From Out Of Nowhere" into "Epic" into "Falling To Pieces" into "Surprise You're dead" on an album, I've yet to come across it
You gotta have so much talent to make a cohesive album with this many switches in feel and genre. Loved this journey. Favorite track: From Out of Nowhere
Its a stone cold classic that kicked off alternative rock
Very nice
masterpiece
Great War Pigs cover.
Perhaps this is nostalgia speaking, but this was THE Faith No More album. All of their quirky arrangements and tonalities, the punk roots, it is all here. I spin this album probably at least once a year since purchasing it in 1990. The third album for the band and the first since parting with front person Chuck Mosley made the most of Mike Patton's vocal and style range to produce an album that perfectly represented the zeitgeist of American rock and roll in 1990. Even if you are not a Faith No More fan, you are still likely to enjoy the standouts of "Epic", "Falling to Pieces", "Woodpecker From Mars", and their cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". Following the aforementioned songs, I dig "Surprise! You're Dead!", "From Out of Nowhere", "The Real Thing", and "The Morning After". Though I enjoy the bluesy "Edge of the World", I know there are many that do not. In my opinion, the truly miss on this album is the cheeky ballad "Zombie Eaters". It doesn't quite come off.
Großartiges Metal-Album. Klassiker, unbedingt reinhören
The Real Thing es el tercer álbum de estudio de Faith No More, publicado en 1989. Fue su primera grabación con Mike Patton como cantante y significó un punto de inflexión.
Love it, nothing more to say. Part of the soundtrack of my youth. All praise the faith no more spiritual and theological centre.
Loved this as a kid. Always going to rank it highly, despite 'Woodpecker' being about 4 minutes too long and wishing they'd included 'Cowboy Song' on the actual record. The deluxe version is pretty comical, those live versions add so little.
I think this record is what opened my ears and my mind to harder rock – I’m not sure what it was in me that found Faith No More acceptable but never particularly felt the love for bands like Iron Maiden or later Metallica that many of my peers did. Maybe it was the humour behind Gremlins 2’s Surprise! You’re Dead! (poor Gizmo) or Falling to Pieces. Maybe it was Mike Patton’s awesome vocal range. Or maybe it was how frankly weird it was for a massively commercial record. Yes you, Woodpecker From Mars. Obviously it was all of the above. This was swaggering rock but never po-faced. But just when you’re getting comfy with the pop metal you’re hit with two 6-8 min worldies. Zombie Eaters should give pause to anyone getting broody (and taught young me the word ‘omniscient’), and the title track and centre piece is masterful, tying for me as the best tracks on the record. Obviously the huge smash of Epic first got my attention. Also, try listening to an album that starts out of the gate like From Out of Nowhere does and not getting excited. Later when I went clubbing in rock nights I’d often hear FNM, but it would be the big songs off Angel Dust that got played, the towering Midlife Crisis etc. However, The Real Thing reverberated through my childhood, and that’s the one to which I always return. I remember taking it on caravan holidays and doing kriss kross puzzles to it. Rackannrawlll. Faith No More changed with every album and moved with the times, and besides that any Mike Patton side project (and they are legion) is worth investigating. So that’s why. Finally, anyone who listened to late 80s music will tell you slap bass was awful. This record says no, it was just those other bassists.
Well, hello young Admiral, this record is a flashback. I don't want to admit it, but hearing EPIC was definitely one of the earliest times where I heard rapping. I remember getting the album from the library. It was a tectonic shift in what music could be.
Unimpeachable. Perfect album
Another selection of pre-grunge alternative weirdness. I love this album and have since it came out.
Classic
One of my favourite bands early 90s and listened a lot to this album, just like Introduce Yourself and Angel Dust and King for a Day. Not clear which one I like the most, might be The Real Thing. Score: 9/10
One of my favorite albums of all time. It’s still hold up after all these years.
Wow. One of those albums that comes out of nowhere for you, and blows your kind. Loved every minute
Oddly ecclectic in sound, this feels like the Bay Area answer to RHCP. I like it.
Some of the more nasally tones on this album remind me of Prince a little bit in a way that I can't describe. Also Epic was totally on Rock Band and I completely forgot because I didn't know the name of the song or the artist.
F’ing amazing! Sometimes we forget, and it’s possible for metal to have a lot of songs that are totally rockin and totally sound completely different from each other.
Listened Before? Y Thrash metal riffs, heavy metal grooves, keyboards, pop hooks, and Mike Patton's signature lyrics and voice. Yes. This album is basically all bangers from front to back. It's an all time genre-bending great. Also: throw in one of (if not THE) best covers of War Pigs ever recorded as a bonus. Amazing stuff. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist:
Did you know I (Courtney Love) was an early lead singer for the band? Neither did I until I researched the band a bit. Favorite song- ‘Surprise! You’re Dead!’ ‘Edge of the world’ is also amazing. This band had major influence on so many of my favorites
It would get a 5 from me for Epic alone....the rest of the album is just as fantastic front to back. War Pigs!!
EPIC
I love this album. Many of my favourite Faith no More songs are on The Real Thing and even their cover of War Pigs is a great track.
I got this album on CD and listened to it many times through the years. It's a truly epic, pun intended, mix between funk, metal and alt-rock. Mike Patton is an excellent addition to the band and I can't think of Faith No More without him. His vocals are certainly unique and he's using it to a full extent that's hard to find elsewhere. Faith No more blends styles seamlessly and switches between a Mother's Milk/Blood Sugar Sex Magik era RHCP and heavy metal. This is an easy (Angel Dust reference) 5/5 for me.
Love me some Faith No More. Broad range across albums and fun vocals. Anything with Mike Patton is gold. GOLD
Very good, really enjoyed it, very unique and catchy
I feel like I should preface this by saying that I’d get it if someone weren’t really into this after just getting it randomly here. I may tell you you’re wrong, but I’d get it. You just can’t fault Faith No More for their one of a kind sound and how insanely innovative they were. Also, can we talk about how iconic Mike Patton is? Grew up with this and still love it. Maybe even more now!
Death? Zombies? A War Pigs cover? This album truly is The Real Thing! What can I say? It’s EPIC!
I had forgotten how good this album is. I loved this album when it came out in 1989. I played it to death back then and saw the band open for GnR and Metallica. It definitely requires one to like rock/metal, but if you do, it holds up over time.
I mean, this album is near perfect. It was a major part of my musical listening at that time. At that time it was like nothing I'd ever heard before. So fun to go back and listen to this one.
Realmente é um disco monumental, base para formação do caráter.
One helluva ride
Wow walk down memory lane with this one. Fully expected to give it a straight 4. A relisten bumped it up 4.5. 5
Really excellent album which kind of set the tone for rock of the early 90s. 5/5
Love this album, from out of nowhere an epic collection of tunes where your dead wrong if you miss this album
Alternative metal. Ei vielä new metal. Albumin nimikkobiisi "The real thing" on se juttu... paras biisi. Albumi muutenkin todella kiinnostava kuunnella. War pigs.. Vähän huono cover.. Parempi cover maistuis.. Pallit löysä cover.. hyvin recordattu vocalit ja kivat reverbit.. ei tarpeeks raskas kuitenkaan.. war pigsin pitää olla raskas.. JA vain ozzy saa laulaa sen..
cool
Really love this album, it starts really strong with the first two songs, we can see Mike Pattons vocal range right from the start
This is ready one of my all time favorites. I remember when it came out and fnm were on top of the pops. Mike was mining terribly to out of nowhere. Off the back of that piss taking performance I bought this on vinyl and got tickets to rock city which I think was the next night. Not seen them since. Amazing live band. Amazing album. Got to love that slap base too
mondo loco
A very good funk metal album filled with some insane bangers ,and Mike Pattons brand of craziness. The final instrument track WOODPECKERS FROM MARS was amazing with kinda arbic style riffs. THE REAL THING is an eight minute masterpiece with some in and out monments and very thrash metal riffs and screaming The only bad thing is mike patton vocals could be naselly and very annoying in some places . So overall a very good album
I wore out more copies of this album as a kid than any other album combined - and it was CDs. One of the greatest albums ever.
frábært
Amazing album!
This is a seminal album from an influential band.
So good I listened a lot.
An easy 5, and old favourite. Big fan of FNM and Mike.
Although this is not my favorite album by Faith No More, it is definitely their most well-known because of "the song." Even with that song, I like this one a lot. It's funny, a friend of mine and I diverge right around here for FNM. I started to like them more and more, with this being where I really became more interested in them. By the time the next album came out, I was all in and my friend had bailed. The band has evolved so much past "Epic." However, you can hear a lot of their future endeavors in this, going from "From Out Of Nowhere" to "Zombie Eaters." Patton's voice is an interesting choice here. It is so much more than what is featured here, but I get the feeling he was trying to be a bit like Chuck Moseley, the previous singer. The trio bass/keys/drums really puts such an effective groove. I can pick out Bordin's drumming pretty easily, he has a very distinctive snare hit, kind of like Bill Bruford, actually. The music is wide-ranging, although not as much as later albums, which made it not so easy to pigeonhole the band. But as it is it's an amazing effort by the band. I wish that they had held onto Jim Martin for longer. But, the work he does here is great. I would definitely say this is the album to start with if you wanted to get into Faith No More, but it is not their best. I never bought "Edge Of The World", But one clunker doesn't mean the album sucks, right? And "Woodpecker From Mars..." holy crap is that great! So high praise for this one, I will give it 5, great intro album for this band, but their later albums really progress from here.
Lekker stevig album en toch melodieus, met een heel unieke sound. Veel leuke bass-lijnen ook
Hi- From Out Of Nowhere, Falling to Pieces, Underwater Love Lo- The Real Thing is really where Faith No More opens up and finds their sound. It opens with From Out Of Nowhere, harkening back to their pop/punk roots, before progresses into the more darker, bass-heavy funk/thrash metal sound that Faith No More is known for (Epic, Falling to Pieces), but also stretches them artistically in other ways, whether it's the otherworldly Zombie Eaters, the surreal Underwater Love, the an instrumental like Woodpecker from Mars, or the fantastic cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs, there really is something for everyone here.
Zombie is hauntingly beautiful. The range Woodpecker from Mars is a little meandering/long War Pigs cover is incredible
Quan el vaig escoltar per primer cop va ser una bomba, molt semblant al primer cop que vaig escoltar 'Nevermind', en els mateixos anys. La sensació que una nova década començava i que ho feia mitjançant la música, trencant amb tot al que estàvem acostumats. Amb els anys, el seu pols revolucionari ha anat deixant pas a un disc immortal, barreja de géneres feta amb la màxima inspiració i que sobresurt com una de les obres més importants d'aquells anys
Starts off very strongly with "From out of Nowhere" and "Epic", gets a little softer in the middle section but then ends with an amazing cover of "War Pigs".
Good fucking album.
Yuss! Love me some Faith No More! This is the only album of theirs on the list?! That don't seem right! Fave track - "Surprise! You're Dead!", but really I have such a longstanding affection for this album I could pick any of the tracks...
Absolutely great, I forgot some of these songs existed. Such a jam through and through
into it
Great!
One of my favorites
Кайф
One word wednesday: Epic!
Such a brilliant album
Fantastic!
Eigentlich eine 4, weil auch hier der Sound nicht wahnsinnig gut gealtert ist und Pattons Stimme auf späteren Alben doch angenehmer klingt. Wegen biographischer Relevanz wird aber hochgestuft. Somebody put me together
Classic album
high energy, good melodies, fun to listen to
Sommige platen nog veel beter dan het typische Faith no more dat ik kende, top album.
I'm not much of a metal fan but lucky for me this has an alternative/pop appeal packed in it. And it rips. I think everyone can get behind this one. Decent 9/10.
always a fav
lol I listen to this album probably at least 2-3 times a week, along with King for a Day. Amazing band, and this is their best album. Just riff city, awesome funky basslines, Patton doing his thing at the peak of youth voice. And tbh Epic is the worst track - the rest is so much better, but even that song is still great haha. I love it when an album actually deserves to be on the list! 5/5.
Listened to probably half but it was pretty good.
Really enjoyed this. “Epic” album.
From my other group I'd given this a 4 with no explanation. So apparently it must have been "good and enjoyable but not great and worth words" to me.
I never got into Nu Metal except what was unavoidable during that time. I do like System of a Down, but don't think they belong to that genre. Maybe that is why I lij parts of this so much. The music especially the bass playing is incredible. I had only heard "Epic" back when that video was on MTV in between "Gerardo" and "Paula Abdul." So I was surprised by how varied this album is track to track. There is a prog rock undertone like SOAD , but not an overly noodling or showy way. I would love to hear just an instrumental version and will l listen to more music by this band.
An album that truly was ahead of its time. Varied, but still pretty consistent. The first 6 tracks are solid. The next three tracks unfortunately prevent a top score. That, along with Epic (which it is) paving the way for Limp Bizkit, or even worse, Kid Rock
actually really freking good?
Really fun, honestly thought it came out in the 90s early oughts with the kind of sound they had. Really good time, will relisten
Despite RHCP's "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" having a seismic influence on me as a youngling, Faith No More struck me as straight-up goofy. Apparently, slap-bass sex goblins in tube socks were fine, but Mike Patton doing six voices over a keyboard solo was where I demanded artistic restraint. I am a man made entirely of contradictions - and, apparently: horniness. The problem was mostly Patton, who seemed determined to sing every line like he was cycling through mugshots on the county arrests Facebook page: nasal brat, carnival barker, lounge creep, escaped psychiatric patient, sneering rapper, and as suggested by my esteemed journalist colleague: children's television host with a sealed court record. I found it exhausting, which meant I barely noticed the absurd amount of musical activity happening beneath him. Thirty years and a few unsettling forays into sexual experimentation later, I finally get both sides of the operation. This thing is completely unhinged, but the chaos is controlled to military specifications. The songs are huge, catchy, bombastic singalongs built on a funk-metal chassis, hauling around a prog keyboardist, a thrash guitarist, enormous pop instincts, and a rhythm section bouncing and bludgeoning its way through nearly every genre. It's like a demolition derby choreographed by light-loafered Broadway professionals: ridiculous, violent, and somehow perfectly on cue. I'M ON BOARD.
Actually amazing! Always thought faith no more was a whiney punk band but this is very creative, diverse and interesting to listen to. Can clearly hear the Mr. Bungle vibes (and how this definitely influenced Limp Bizkit later on).
Epic!
Faith No More may be the least interesting of Mike Patton's projects, and the one that showcases his vocal talents the least, but this is still a pretty good funk metal album
Very cool. I enjoyed this. Great bass work
Great album, I have never actually heard the whole thing before today but it's great. Several big hit songs that were played every day on the local rock radio station twenty years ago. I would assume they still play them regularly although I haven't tuned into them in a long time. I saw them play live one time opening for Pantera. Machine Head was also there and Faith No More went on after Machine Head but before Pantera. The audience was super pumped up after Machine Head and pretty much turned on Faith No More. It just wasn't the right gig for them to be successful. It didn't help that the lead singer kept mentioning that Gavin from Bush was in the audience. He asked if there were any Bush fans and the crowd booed him really badly. It was kind of a bummer because their show was otherwise great.
This felt groundbreaking at the time I heard it in the late 80's, and listening now, I still get that feeling. Nobody was quite at this spot then. It was like the beginning of something, like alternative rock but harder or definitely a hip hop precursor. Also, it absolutely has not aged. there is no scream of 80's and no filler. yeah, this is good stuff and is worth kind of reviving.
4.3/5
A bit repetitive but I give these guys extra points for an “epic” early hip hop thrash crossover. 1989!
Huh, I guess I get why they have a huge legacy. 4/5
Pas mal
Je connaissais pour Epic qui me fait franchement chier à cause de la voix du chanteur. Le reste était une très bonne surprise
A classic. Many hits
They sound ahead of their time
‘Epic’ was the big hit here, but the other tracks were pretty solid too. Really decent cover of ‘War Pigs’, I’m sure I heard several other songs before but nothing seemed too familiar. Overall 3.5/5
Faith No More operate at somewhat of a deficit for me because their thing is kinda corny, mostly the lyrics and Patton's at-times Anthony Kiedis-like delivery. But they've got riffs and they've got grooves. Can't deny the head nod. Four stars.
This album is a dynamite work showcasing Mike Patton's vocal range. I come back to this one on a regular basis and use it almost as a palate cleanser.
Epic!
One of those radio bands I never knew the name of. Good stuff!
Aangenaam verrast 🤯
The rock tracks are powerful. The rock hip hip tracks also. A memorable album.
Album #89: The Real Thing - Faith No More Genre (W): Alternative metal, funk metal, rap metal Singles: From Out of Nowhere, Epic, Falling to Pieces, Surprise! You’re Dead!, Edge of the World I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: This is an album with such a unique sound. I love the way it combines hip-hop with metal music, and I love how seamlessly it feels. It feels like the two genres were always meant to converge into one. Overall, it’s a great album thanks to the lyrics and especially the genre-bending. Favorite songs: From Out of Nowhere, Epic, Falling to Pieces, Surprise! You’re Dead!, Zombie Eaters, The Real Thing, The Morning After, Woodpecker from Mars
Fun cover of War Pigs thrown in there, it definitely seemed to play with several styles and seemed to have a foot in the 80’s and a foot in the postmodern rock
From Out of Nowhere — it’s a good start Epic — this is a pretty good song to be their most popular though a bit repetitive Falling to Pieces — somebody put me togethaahh Surprise! You’re Dead! — it’s a fun song Zombie Eaters — Out With a Bang? The Real Thing — it’s okayy Underwater Love — i liked this one The Morning After — this one’s also gooodd Woodpecker from Mars — okay go off instrumentals War Pigs — its like woodpecker but a smidge of vocals and 2% less cool Edge of the World — diff vibe to the album but not a bad thing
Original. A mix og metal, hard rock, punk and glam.
Wow- I remember when epic was the song of the moment. I was a kid, my brother and I would imitate its lyrics and delivery as basically the answer to everything: “you want it all, but you can’t have it….” I never got into Faith no More. I think because of their fan base. The Nirvana problem. Bad association. But man, this album is awesome! Sorry if you don’t feel it, but today me loves this album and is so, so glad I heard it as an album. Epic is probably the weakest song on the album- crazy. This is seriously going into rotation. I’m not going full 5 ‘cause I am already too much of a cheerleader. Boolean: yes, really. I think this has aged incredibly well. So glad I heard it before I die.
Un des albums qui ont bercé ma jeunesse. Beau mélange se claviers Fuzzy et guitares électriques déchirantes
Seemed like a bit of a novelty at the time it was released (at least to me), but it is a pretty solid album. Certainly one of the first really combinations of funk/metal/rap. The snotty-ness of the vocals wears on me over the course of the album, but overall still pretty great.
Классная группа со своим уникальным стилем и сильным материалом, особенно в этом альбоме. Отлично балансируют экспериментальность и дурашливость альтернативного рока с металл тяжестью (по тем временам по крайней мере). Майк Паттон успешно демонстрирует свою универсальность, одинаково комфортно чувствуя себя и в мелодичных припевах, и в читке в духе RHCP. Вторая половина альбома по мне сильно проседает, но все равно достойный образчик эпохи. Особенно крут конечно легендарный трек Epic - тут все уже в названии, полное соответствие содержанию.
Майк Паттон мой краш, поэтому готов простить ему нелепый речетатив, в остальном база
понравился, 4ка, ну и не сильно испортили кавер на любимую песню bs.
> the Beatles
Angel Dust marginally a better album but still a great album. Epic is such a huge tune
I really liked this album a lot. I have no problem with the vocals that other people seem to - Mike Patton is awesome. Great album.
Groundbreaking
Guter Mix von guten Stilen, da geht die Post ab!
First full Faith No More album but I have heard Mr Bungle & Loved it. I've known Epic & the War Pigs cover. So I know Mike Patton. Excellent singer, great range & interesting vocalizations. The bass is awesome too. I know see the Chili Peppers comparison except FNM has a singer who can actually sing. 4
I was only familiar with Epic before going through this album. I'm glad to say that it maintains that kind of energy throughout. The last three tracks slightly undermine the rest of the album, but they're far from bad, just slightly worse than the rest. Favourite track: Zombie Eaters
buen primer tema, me gusta el rock solido corte deftones.
I've heard this album quite a bit. Weird, funky vocals by Mike Patton. Pretty fun album overall.
As a younger Gen-X er I was suprised that Faith No More were around for as long as they were. I never cared for them that much back in the day, but this albums sounds great for 1989, when I was listening to Roxette and MJ.
I liked this album despite all of the tracks being one size fits all. The formulaic approach to songwriting didn't do them any favors, and Mike Patton's weird voice can get old pretty quick. I wonder if in a parallel universe, these guys were huge and Red Hot Chili Peppers were an afterthought. Falling to Pieces and Edge of the World are my favorite tracks.
First thing to say is that when "The Real Thing" popped up on my phone at a bleary 7.30am in the morning, I was looking forward to hearing the Toxteth funk pioneers, the "Black Beatles", the grandaddys of Brit soul. But, alas, it wasn't to be... shame they don't have an album on this list. But reality was almost as sweet. I've never listened to any Faith No More except that which I've heard accidently. And this was a revelation. A well structured album, heavy but melodic. Great tunes that I didn't find at all repetitive. Dud final track though (Woodpecker From Mars). I didn't consider War Pigs in the review as it's not on the original album and I generally only listen to albums as they were intended. Though I did listen to War Pigs - cos it's War Pigs - and it was a good faithful (excuse the pun) cover, more a tribute I think - which is maybe why it didn't make the final cut. A positive day after all.
A wonderfully twisted, genre blurring roller coaster of a ride. Honestly I believe Epic is the weakest song on the album even though for the time it was probably the most radio palatable track. I bought this on cassette when it first came out and it was shocking just how different it was from everything else on the radio at the time yet it still had a couple of toes in the poppy alternative box. This is easily one of my favorite records, its not perfect... this is the stepping stone to when they did get it perfect on Angel Dust.
Epic is as good as it always was. I don't think I've ever listened to the whole album. None of it was bad, a few tracks were great. It seems they tried to add metal to every other genre imaginable. It mostly works.
Solid album, melodic and heavy and even with moments of rap in there. The songs are great too and were played and sung very well. 4/5
Album starts strong but meanders a bit in the middle. The War Pigs cover at the end is pretty great. The trio of Epic, Falling to Pieces and Surprise! You’re Dead! Has always been the highlights for me and remains so.
I remember the singles from back in the day… “From Out Of Nowhere” still sounds brill – those keys! “Epic” remains a touchstone track, and “Falling to Pieces” could’ve been a contender. I wish I’d bought the album. 8/10
did not expect this albums to sound the way it did, but i kinda dig it. it is definitely a mix weird of genres but it works out pretty well imo.
This album is kinda fascinating. Definitely unique. It's very carefully crafted, written, and performed. I don't completely vibe with the timbre of it the entire time, but I do like a lot of this record and respect the artistry and effort of it. 3.8/5
Fantastic album by Faith No More. I still think King for a Day is my favourite, but can' understate how much I enjoyed discovering the full album. Love Mike Patten, love Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle and Fantomas, but I also go back to Faith No More.
Cool funky proto-metal
What a blast from the past this is! We've got a whole range of styles here, from the rap rock of Epic to the more thrashy Surprise! You're Dead! while From Out Of Nowhere and Falling To Pieces are virtually pop! Throw in the sonic fest that is Woodpecker From Mars and the creepy lounge jazz of Edge Of The World and this ticks a whole load of boxes. Some songs outstay their welcome a bit, but this has been a really enjoyable weekend listen. A solid 4 stars.
:D
This is probably Faith No More’s best album. One of my favorite things is that it sounds like RHCP’s early years, while still having a quarter of it sounding like Blood Sugar Sex Magic. The cover of War Pigs is solid too, even though I thought the singers voice was a little annoying. Overall, I think this is a good Alternative album.
Rocky and chill mix
Took a weird jazzy turn at the end. I'm OK with it.
Epic was a cool tune but never really grabbed me and Falling To Pieces is a great track. The rest of this seems like a manifesto that comes to fruition on Angel Dust (which must be on here, right?) The Real World in particular is like a blueprint. Pretty cool album though. Maybe a 3.5 for me, but bumping.
A classic. Great album.
Way ahead of its time, Epic is obviously their one hit and it's awesome, but the rest of the album is a super quirky mix of metal, funk, and something that vaguely resembles jazz. Best cover of War Pigs I've heard, easily the most faithful version of ozzys voice while still making it very much their own.The Real Thing and Woodpecker from Mars were two new found highlights.
A wild ride that translates poorly into the current sounds. Ripping guitar and raging intensity that aren’t easy to duplicate
I was really into this! Mike Patton is forever a legend and this is a super fun record.
Nice
I knew exactly one Faith No More song. Obviously, that song is Epic. The song that is responsible for some of the worst music of the late 90's and early 2000's and the song that I shall give no quarter to because of what it eventually led to. That is all I knew about Faith No More. This was a pretty good album, though the rapping could probably go away and I would not necessarily give a crap. I find the rapping to be a bit cringe but that may be the post-Limp Bizkit PTSD kicking in. Mike Patton made an album with the Avett Brothers this year, so he can't be all bad, right? Overall, I liked this one and would never have listened to it prior to my death had it not been for this list. My favorite songs: From Out of Nowhere Epic (I have to admit it's not an awful song) Falling to Pieces Surprise! You're Dead! The Morning After War Pigs
I'd forgotten how all over the place this album is. It's in a good way, mind you, but wow does it leap around. Excellent stuff, Mike Patton sounds great, the band sounds incredible. This is my favorite Faith No More album hands down. Still only 4 stars as it's an "if I'm in the mood" album rather than a throw it on any time kind of album
Not my favorite Faith No More album (that honor goes to Angel Dust) -- but still really good!
music for nana fans (guilty as charged)
7/10
Favorites: Epic, Woodpecker From Mars Least favorites: Surprise! You're Dead, The Morning After Rating (out of 10): 8/10
#854. Mike Patton joins mediocre band, and then they immediately release an absolute banger- coincidence or conspiracy? 4/5: awesome
I've been a fan of Mike Patton since I listened to Mr Bungle's titular album. Today, I ended up listening to "The Real Thing". "From Out of Nowhere" has to be one of the best openers of the '80s. "The Real Thing" continues to be great, following "Epic". Some songs towards the end of the album aren't on the same league asthe first half. 4 stars for "The Real Thing".
Epic album :D 7/10
Honestly. super fun. really weird and corny blend if done by any other band but the energy is just there. Truly feels like an oddball blend of 80's style but 90's aesthetics. Kid Rock wishes he was this. Limp Bizkit wishes they were this good.
I like faith no more and I have come to learn that Mike Patton is a really talented guy. That said his singing on the first three songs of this record is so freaking annoying. Whiney almost baby talkish. Give me angel duet over this any day. This is better than a lot of the three stars I’ve given so I am rounding up to 4 - don’t love the song but when epic was released on MTV it was very different from everything else in 1989.
Pretty fun listen. I find myself liking this kind of rock more each time I hear it.
Epic is...epic. Didn't know they paved the way for the RHCP or even Rage Against the Machine in terms of rap/rock.
Funny how epic is the worst song on this album. Loads of bangers, war pigs cover not needed
Epic!
I quite liked it. Got a lot of attitude. Probably good to run to. Lyrics interesting/odd in places. But still, good.
Never heard of the band, but there were some bangers on this album!
4/5 - Would give 3.5 if I could, I enjoyed it almost enough to listen to again. I liked the cover of War Pigs, aside from that consistently good.
I lived this album when it came out, and it holds up well today. Dynamic, diverse, challenging musically and lyrically, and just exciting. Mike Patton’s vocal style may not be to everyone’s taste, but he can certainly sing.
This album earned a reluctant 4.0 from me, dammit. Metal, rock, 80s, 90’s, hip hop, what?
I didn't realize this came out in 1989, I thought it was more of a 90's album. That being said somehow this managed to meld a bunch of different styles into something cohesive, and was a fantastic listen.
Never heard of this band before but really enjoyed this album
If one Faith no More album should be on this list, it should be Angel Dust instead of this. However, I still like it though it is a bit corny, Mike Patton can sing about any way he pleases, so it was an interesting choice to sing like that... It was 1989 I suppose. Still though, good album.
loooveeedd. this reminds me of my dad in a way, it’s like i went back to the 80s and wish i never got back
3.5 but rounded up since I can’t rate half’s. Knew Epic and enjoyed some of the other stuff I’d never heard. Even appreciated the War Pigs cover and was surprised I’ve never come across it. Solid effort overall
Another band whose biggest hit being overplayed kept me at a distance for far too long. My biggest criticism is that this is not their best, but it's the only one on the list. For shame.
I love this album .
A seriously underrated album from an underrated group. Epic was such a huge single, it overshadowed some very good tracks.
Not my favorite - but definitely see why it’s on the list. Had a couple songs I knew
4.4 but why did we have to close with the pedo song
Good but genre confusing haha
Pretty good. Wow track 3 sounds like a chili peppers song (but better as the peppers suck ). Obviously Epic is super recognizable. Excellent cover of sabbath.
Yeah these guys rock.
Enjoyable grunge/alt rock, I recognized one song - great listen all the way through
Great debut from an underrated band
liked this one!!! played in the background while i played sudoku and first three songs were so so good, sadly couldn't keep it up for me through the rest of it
Would listen again
Really solid, though there are so odd choices that make it less than stellar.
201225 9:12 3.5
8.0/10 Another big album for me in high school...
Fantastic album that is a bit better in the first half than the second. It’s a solid 4.5 for me.
Deliciously eclectic combo of styles, quite unique! 3.9
Angel Dust will always be my favourite FNM album, but this is really nice...
Great album. Love the mix of genres. I'm very lucky to have seen them live at Download Festival 2009. I should listen to more of their albums really.
Very solid rock album! Really enjoyed the bass in particular!
Really dug this one. Forget which song, but was like "Hey, I know this song!". Singer sounded like Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy at times lol
Good, but the “War Pigs” cover can’t help but remind you that, no, this is not the real thing.
Strong 3, soft 4. Not necessarily the kind of music I gravitate to, but the music was catchy and tight. The singer’s vocals were crazy - I could see the influence they probably had on the nu metal scene.
The Real Thing was where most people first heard Mike Patton. Mike's one of my favorite musicians of all time. But while this album is good, it's definitely not one of Faith No More's best. It was one of the first to spearhead that funk metal sound. I think Infectious Grooves perfected that. If this were the first time hearing it, I'd probably give it a 3. A high 3. But under my own system where an album earns a fourth star if I'd seek it out again, this fits that bill.
Classic hard rock/metal album that I think helped kick off the nu-metal movement with Mike Patton's lyrical delivery, Jim Martin's searing guitar solos, Billy Gould's pounding bass work, and Mike Bordin's drumming. Oh yeah, don't forget Roddy Bottom's piano stylings on Epic which became the soundtrack for flopping fish everywhere.
Really fun, unique alt-metal album. One of the few to really do the funk-metal type sound. It works very well. The songwriting is great, the musicianship is great. Had a lot more fun with this one than I was expecting.
Was great but didn’t save much
I was worried during the first song that this would get old very quick but was delighted to see the sound jumped around. Good variety while still feeling cohesive. Nothing blew me away but I had a good time listening to it and enjoyed the War Pigs cover towards the end.
Ah, 1989, quelle année de merde. Le mur de Berlin allait tomber, mais musicalement, on était encore coincés dans les limbes, quelque part entre le rock de stade boursouflé, les dernières fumées du hair metal laqué et un truc bizarre qui commençait à sortir des campus américains, qu'on appelait "college rock". Et puis, il y a eu Faith No More. Ne tournons pas autour du pot, je vais résumer la situation avec une précision chirurgicale : "Faith No More, c'est tout ce que les Red Hot Chili Peppers n'ont jamais su faire." Amen et loués soient les saints Patton et Gould. C'est la pure vérité, à la même époque, les Red Hot, c'était la Californie, le soleil, les planches de surf et, avouons-le, les chaussettes sur la bite. C'était le "funky styley" pour les mecs de fraternité qui voulaient se déhancher. C'était un bassiste de génie (Flea, soyons honnêtes) et un chanteur... soit un chanteur qui faisait du Kiedis... soit un mec qui rappait des listes de courses sur Los Angeles, la drogue et les filles, avec le charisme d'un animateur de colo sous amphétamines. "The Real Thing", c'est l'antithèse, c'est le funk metal pour les adultes, c'est la version vicieuse, sombre et sarcastique de la fusion. Et tout l'album repose sur un événement sismique : l'arrivée de Mike Patton. Le groupe existait déjà, bien sûr, d'ailleurs l'album précédent, "We Care A Lot" (avec Chuck Mosley), était sympa, mais anecdotique. Mosley a été viré (trop de "problèmes"), et le groupe recrute ce jeune type de 21 ans, ce psychopathe vocal venu d'un groupe expérimental nommé Mr. Bungle. Et là, c'est le drame... Pour les Red Hot, en tout cas. Là où Kiedis avait (et a toujours) une palette vocale aussi large qu'un timbre-poste, Patton déboule avec un arsenal complet. Le mec sait tout faire, il peut rapper avec un flow agressif ("Falling to Pieces"), grogner comme un damné, chialer comme un crooner des années 50, et soudainement, sortir la mélodie pop la plus évidente et accrocheuse du monde ("From Out of Nowhere"). Patton, c'est le Diable, c'est un caméléon. Kiedis, c'est un lézard qui bronze. Mais Faith No More n'est pas qu'un chanteur et c'est là que la comparaison avec les Red Hot devient insultante (pour Faith No More, évidemment). Faith No More avait quelque chose que les Red Hot n'ont jamais eu, et n'auront jamais : des CLAVIERS. Putain, les claviers de Roddy Bottum, c'est le génie de cet album. Le mec plaque des nappes de synthé froides, presque new wave, parfois carrément gothiques, sur des riffs de guitare énormes (merci Jim Martin) et une basse ronflante (merci Bill Gould). C'est ce qui donne à "The Real Thing" cette ambiance bizarre, ce côté "film noir" sous acide. Les Red Hot, c'était "chaud" tandis que Faith No More, c'était "froid". Et "Epic" ? Parlons-en, c'est le "Smells Like Teen Spirit" du funk metal. C'est le morceau qui a tout fait exploser, ce putain de piano mélodramatique, ce rap sec, ce riff metal, et ce final apocalyptique... C'est un mini-opéra de la frustration. C'est tellement énorme que ça en est presque ridicule, et c'est ça qui est génial. Le reste de l'album est à l'avenant, ça part dans tous les sens mais ça reste cohérent. Ils reprennent même "War Pigs" de Black Sabbath, juste pour montrer qui sont les patrons. Ils balancent des morceaux qui flirtent avec le prog sans jamais tomber dedans. C'est du metal, mais ça groove. C'est du funk, mais c'est lourd. Alors, pourquoi 4 sur 5 et pas la note parfaite ? Parce que The Real Thing, aussi bon soit-il, n'est que l'échauffement. C'est un "putain de bon album", mais ce n'est pas encore le chef-d'œuvre. La production est encore un peu trop marquée "fin des années 80", un peu trop sèche, un peu trop "metal". Le groupe se cherche encore, même s'il se trouve brillamment. Le véritable chef-d'œuvre, le monument de noirceur et d'intelligence, ce sera pour 1992 : "Angel Dust". Mais en 1989, "The Real Thing" a mis un coup de pied dans la fourmilière. Il a rendu le metal intelligent, le funk dangereux, et les Red Hot Chili Peppers complètement obsolètes. Note : 4/5
never heard before, quite good
Great 4/5
4/5
82/100. Heavy riffs, funky basslines and wild vocal ranges that bounce between rapping, screaming and melodic hooks. I’d say it’s pretty good.
After a few more listens I feel like this album will really click for me. Epic is a classic, and I love that the same chord progression was used later in the album. I’m a sucker for musical callbacks. Sick War Pigs cover. Other songs had enough moments that I’ll put this at a 4
This was kinda shit, but also it kinda ripped. 4/5 Highlights: Woodpecker From Mars War Pigs
Definitely a precursor to 2000s nu-metal. Also, I’m usually not a fan of covers but I think War Pigs is well done.
Patton's voice is definitely something. With how weird he is I'm not surprised this album takes some strange turns. I enjoyed it more than I expected, great run from Epic (the only song I knew prior to this) through The Real Thing (did Coheed & Cambria base their entire style on this song?) and I really liked Woodpecker From Mars as the closer. Very solid War Pigs cover and a weird jazzy bop as bonuses.
What a great opening track, straight into it. "Epic" is a great track that I knew before listening, but I never really connected it with Faith No More. It does feel a bit out of place though, since it slows down the momentum after the killer start from "From Out of Nowhere". As a vocalist, I have to be honest, I really don’t like the whining vocals. It’s a fun gimmick, luckily this was only really a thing at the beginning of the album. It really sounds like something that came later in the 90s, so they were probably ahead of their time and shaping that new sound before anyone else. "Woodpeckers From Mars" has such cool instrumentals. Great energy, great tone. And that album cover? Fantastic. 8.5/10.
Day648 - sometimes all you need is one good song