Reviews (page 3 of 9)
Solid album, good energy
Cool funky proto-metal
So, after a casual glance at my record collection, one might be surprised at the lack of Faith No More, I could just never really jive with them. I did enjoy today's listen tho, so maybe it's time to reconsider.
It’s not my sound. But if it is your sound it does seem like it came out ahead of its time for its sound
It was decent in places but nothing special
For album called *The Real Thing*, this sounds like a goof, gluing together asymmetrical chunks of metal, hip-hop, funk and symphonic rock for giggles and topping it off with some weird, nasally vocals that alternate between supposed-to-be-ironic (?) rapping and singing that sounds like a parody of hard rock vocal tropes. The bright spot in the middle of all of this is the work of keyboardist Roddy Bottum whose melodic sense and sharp playing provides the substance that keeps the disparate pieces on this record from completely falling apart. (Docked a point though for the excessive use of slap bass, which after a while was like a burr under the saddle.)
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.
Epic is a great track but the album is weak overall. #johnsCDs
: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
The Real Thing is easy to respect but harder to love. The band is undeniably talented — Mike Patton's vocal range is staggering on paper, and the musicianship is tight enough to pull off a genuine War Pigs cover that actually works. Knowing they could inhabit a song like "Easy" with total authenticity reframes that cover not as a novelty but as proof that this band understood dynamics and emotional range on a deeper level than their most bombastic moments suggest. The problem is that those bombastic moments dominate. Patton in full upper-register shriek mode sounds more like a technical demonstration than an emotional one, and the lyrics to tracks like "Zombie Eaters" haven't aged gracefully. There's Metallica in the DNA and a lot of RHCP-adjacent funk-metal swagger, but the record too often substitutes spectacle for feel. The moments of restraint — War Pigs, the more melodic passages on "From Out of Nowhere" — hint at what a more disciplined version of this band could've been. A solid record of its era, not a timeless one.
It’s early to the game with harder rock that’s hip adjacent. A lot of bands will sound like this in the years to come. Unfortunately, no bands that I would consider listening to nowadays.
Arguably the album that spawned an entire genre of lackluster rap/rock imitators. It’s a Bay Area classic, but that sparkly early 90s production sounds kind of dated now.
ChatGPT, generate me a subpar 1980s rock album that doesn't have an identity.
Good album. I like their cover of War Pigs and Zombie Eaters. The metal plus rock combination shines here. 6.9/10
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
I have always tried so hard to actually like this and I need to stop trying. The hit song is not that good cause his voice is annoying and the structure and transitions are weird. I at least thought the cover of war pigs was okay at best.
Only song that I knew before was Epic which I feel like everyone knows and for good reason because it was the best one of the lot but overall a solid album that I would consider giving a 4 with another listen.
I am not here for any of this apart from the funky basslines
Epic
I haven’t heard of the band before but thought the album was alright to listen to no standout song and I felt their best song was a cover
This was a bizarre album to rate...first couple of songs sounded like (poorly aged) late 80s/early 90s rock, until Surprise! You're Dead! Turned it into a cheap Metallica knock off. Generously giving 2.5 stars bc the war pigs cover is decent
Was ok. The one song I liked but the others didn't grab me.
Took a weird jazzy turn at the end. I'm OK with it.
Credit where credit is due: somehow they managed to figure out the one perfect use case for their vocal style ("Epic"). Somewhere in this one is the beautiful lyric, "So hug me and kiss me / Then wipe my butt and piss me."
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.
Favorite Track: Falling to Pieces
Love me some Mike Patton
there are some really dope moments on here, but its really old by the second half.
Müsst‘s eig es zweits mal lose. Wär dänn vlt es 4i
Omg sind die vocals scheisse. Ich bin fast gstorbe während epic. Einzig tolerierbare song ischs war pigs cover. Wills halt nd faith no more isch
A classic. Great album.
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.
i coudln't go through entire piece it was a challenge not my vibe
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.
Sometimes I feel like I really like it. Then sometimes I feel like it is everything immature and annoying about numetal.
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.
Leuk album. Eindelijk weer even een beter genre. Wederom jammer dat ik maar hele sterren mag geven, want ik vind 4 te hoog, maar 3 eigenlijk te laag
Ok. Rick. Big. Out there. Soundtracky. Interesting. Oh man. His voice is annoying. An hour of this?? Really?? Like yeah. Ok. Sure. Epic reminds me of Rock Me Amadeus. Good song. Get more German pilled immediately. Me when I want it all but I can't have it. What is it man. Just kinda unremarkable and similar sounding tbh. Nothing special. Oooh my god I don't gaf. I'm sure there's a guy with a fedora out there who doesn't play about ts. Favourite: From Out Of Nowhere Least favourite: Surprise! You're Dead!/Zombie Eaters
I struggled with this one. I would probably give it 1 star if not for the “War Pigs” cover which is actually pretty good.
Never really got into this band. Epic and War Pigs are good songs but a whole album is a bit much
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!
Is time listening to entire album. Some good stuff - like use of early rap - other songs (War Pigs) are old school 70's epic rock. Good mix
music for nana fans (guilty as charged)
Great record. A 3,7
7/10
Faith No More – The Real Thing (1989) On Day 66, The Real Thing provided a decent listen with a high-level of production and impressive genre range, but it wasn't enough to guarantee a long-term return value. The album showcases great technical chemistry—especially in the way it blends rapping with a metallic rock sound—and the rendition of War Pigs was definitely a highlight. Tracks like The Real Thing, Edge of the World, and the classic Epic stood out for their energy and tuff rhythms. However, as a complete body of work, it didn't quite have the emotional pull or consistent soul to reach that 4 or 5-star level. It's a solid, well-executed project, but ultimately a 3/5.
80s butt rock. The first song is good, the rest is a letdown. Would rate 2.5 but not feeling generous for this one.
Favorites: Epic, Woodpecker From Mars Least favorites: Surprise! You're Dead, The Morning After Rating (out of 10): 8/10
Epic was the only half decent song they ever made...but it's not enough to save them.
I'm giving it a 2 because it is marginally better than all the garbage it spawned. I think I remember them not being awful back in San Francisco, but I'm not sure.
okay
Zombie eaters is such a dreadful song I'm not sure the album can recover from it. It's difficult to tell if it's satire or just genuinely awful. Seemingly the birth of some absolute shit nu-metal.
Too bad little J vibes
Tooootally forgot about Epic! 3/5
Love it
I wanted to love this, but I love the music it inspired so much more that this mostly paled in comparison.
A classic from my childhood, still holds up
Rhcp meets pantera with some awsome guitar work
I used to own this CD but it's long since been traded in, nevertheless a good quality rock album with elements of metal and funk. Fairly typical of its era, sounds a bit dated now.
#854. Mike Patton joins mediocre band, and then they immediately release an absolute banger- coincidence or conspiracy? 4/5: awesome
There are a few highlights (Epic is entertaining nonsense) but it goes on a bit long and lacks consistency.
Didn’t realise that soft metal could be a genre. Seems like it has a bit of a personality crisis and doesn’t know if it wants to lean into a Run DMC/Aerosmith vibe, continue the legacy of Sabbeth et al, or add some more funk elements in the vein of Rsge Against the Machine. In the end it doesn’t really do any of them and so comes out lacking any defining features for me.
One of the best metal albums I’ve ever heard, 2/5
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".
01) From Out of Nowhere - 6,5 02) Epic - 7,0 03) Falling to Pieces - 6,5 04) Surprise! You're Dead! - 5,5 05) Zombie Eaters - 6,0 06) The Real Thing - 5,0 07) Underwater Love - 5,5 08) The Morning After - 5,0 09) Woodpecker from Mars - 5,5 10) War Pigs - 6,0 11) Edge of the World - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,82 (58/100) Current ranking: 672/817
It’s the bridge between 80s metal and indie/grunge and can see why it’s on the list. Very pop sounding these days. It’s ok for me. Nothing more. 3
Good background noise
Some of it is pretty good, like a lesser version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but that annoying, sneering voice...
Epic album :D 7/10
Neke pisme hype neke ne, al ok je sve u svemu. 6/10 Najbolja pisma: Epic
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.
They get a catch a lot of hate for the bands that follow after. I don't think that's particularly fair or relevant. 1. That's not their fault. Just because they were a little ahead of the zeitgeist doesn't mean they should be blamed for all the bad songs that put mediocre rapping over guitars. 2. Yes there is a bunch of terrible nu-metal, but there is a lot of terrible music of all kinds. I don't blame De La Soul for Vanilla Ice. Still, I don't like it. The singers voice is not pleasant. The rapped parts are not catchy or clever. The music is Guns and Roses coded, but without Slash, so a bit disappointing. A few decent bits here and there, but not one I'll circle back to. 2 Stars
This album contains the bands most famous song, Epic. And a spectacular cover of Way Pigs. But otherwise is mostly forgettable.
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.
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
Not for me
Correct, you can blame this stupid fucking record for spawning the trendy rap-rock scourge that inflicted upon the culture the likes of Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Crazy Town, System of a Down, Korn, 311, Incubus, and Kid Fucking Rock. No thanks. I thought it was lame when I was a 14 year-old with hardly any taste, and I think it's 27x lamer now.
(66/100)
Pretty fun listen. I find myself liking this kind of rock more each time I hear it.
Täyden kympin levy! Tätä on tullut kuunneltua julkaisusta asti säännöllisen epäsäännöllisesti ja löytyy omasta levyhyllystä ainakin muutamana eri versiona.
Still got faith hahaha
I like the music progression but I’m not really into the vocals
Epic is...epic. Didn't know they paved the way for the RHCP or even Rage Against the Machine in terms of rap/rock.
1: Falling to Pieces 2: War Pigs 3: Surprise! You’re Dead!
I'd like it more if there wasn't that one nasally singer. Definitely some cool tracks on here. I can't tell if they were ahead of their time, just experimenting, or both. I feel like there's lots of cool stuff in here. For example the bass in a few tracks hits hard, and their attempt at rap is sometimes cool.
I love Faith No More but this isn't their best work, should have been Angel Dust imo or King For a Day, Fool for a Lifetime.
Funny how epic is the worst song on this album. Loads of bangers, war pigs cover not needed
High spots and low spots here. This one still sounds good but end to end a little uneven. Still a fun listen and who doesn't love Epic???
I preferred their heavier tracks on this, there was too much experimenting going on which spoilt the listen for me
Fun to listen to but also a bit scattered and not every song was that successful
This album is good, but hasn't aged particularly well over the years. It's successors are all superior albums, especially Angel Dust which would be an easy 5 for me. Still though, ok while it's on. 3/5
Really good stuff.
Epic!
3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/faith-no-more/the-real-thing/ Don’t know about this one. It’s really a product of its time (the bass playing, the rap-rock!!!), but I can imagine it was quite groundbreaking then. Might appreciate this more upon relistening.
I hadn't listened to this in so long, and I'd forgotten how many bangers it has. A great, inventive, fun album.
This sounds like it was recorded as a joke. A proto-Limp Bizkit, utter trash. In the sense that it opened the door to Limp Bizkit and their ilk, this is groundbreaking for 1989, but I think I would have liked that ground to be left undisturbed, or at the very least that the descendant bands didn't have their own slots on this list.
Some good hits but all in all boring
Really wanted to like this, and some moments are genuinely well done, but there's also a lot of 90s pomp here that I can't get behind. That puts it firmly in middle ground for me.
Самые популярные песни из альбома на удивление вообще не понравились, думала, что весь альбом будет мимо, но ближе к середине нашла для себя что-то близкое. Zombie Eaters, The Morning After
THey are good at what they do but I'm not a big fan.
Didn't get this at all. A bunch of corny metal songs? Is that it?
Very 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!
One of my favorite bands, despite never having owned an album.
Maybe it was revolutionary at the time, but this is really well-trodden territory. Very earnest. And an entirely unnecessary cover of War Pigs.
I actually did not like this album that much. The vocals were too over the top. Hard to explain
Some enjoyable tracks, some not so much; overall listenable.
I'm all for experimenting don't get me wrong it's great and when done right it's important to push the boundaries and create new experiences. However in my opinion the way this album merges heavy metal, funk, rap and at times like synth ballads is just a completely jarring experience. Maybe it's just me but the rapping in "epic" just felt so uncomfortable and unnatural. There was some good music but when you think about all the other stuff coming out at that time (I wanna be adored, Dolittle, 3 feet high and rising) it just falls flat a bit. I just found it overall too unsettling and just jarring to fully enjoy.
no 🫶🏻 (war pigs can stay)
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.
This album has Its moments but overall it is inconsistent. 3 stars. Fave track - Epic.
Heavily biased by nostalgia
Álbum excelente! Músicas incríveis e bem executadas. Truthear Zero: Red.
Wide-ranging mashup of genres.
Props to this band for bringing genre-blending into metal, being openly goofy and theatrical, and somehow still being a mainstream success, even normalizing the diversity of sound in a previously closed-off genre…and props for their mastery of their respective instruments (DAMN Mike Patton can play)…but UGGGGHHHH I can’t stand Mike’s nasal voice or painfully cringey rapping. Aziz Ansari, at his most intentionally annoying Tom Haverford moments, sounds exactly like Mike Patton. I have always, since the first time I heard it, hated “Epic,” and the rest of the album is not much better. Academically I get why it’s on the list, but I felt like I was being punished after a few songs, and toward the end of the album I was just so tired of it…then suddenly there’s a very good, and minimally nasal, “War Pigs” cover, which earns the album a second star from me. Ironically, Ozzy Osbourne is another nasal vocalist I’ve never been wild about (RIP, mad respect), but at least he didn’t rap. Ugh.
Bangs but then falls off in the latter half of the album.
Epic. No, really. This album is fucking rad.
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.
Kind of terrible in an interesting way. I mean it does just sound like a metal red hot chili peppers
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
Solid rock album. Some heady bangers.
Liked the music but the guys voice was a little irritating at points. It was a high 3 from me
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.
Ik ken de naam, niet de muziek. De stijl van de zanger doet me op een gekke manier een beetje denken aan Red Hot Chili Peppers, maar de gitaren zijn een stuk meer metal. Daarnaast heb je nog wat vreemde 80s synths die er eigenlijk niet helemaal bijpassen, er zijn koperen blazers, een piano. Een wat gekkig album eigenlijk. Het klinkt alsof dit misschien een van de zaadjes is waaruit nu-metal is ontstaan; een genre wat ik altijd heel vet heb gevonden. Als ik het zo hoor heb ik het vermoeden dat ze een paar jaar later misschien muziek zijn maken die ik net iets vetter vind, want de basis is aanwezig maar de lelijke 80s schijnen er af en toe nog net iets teveel doorheen. En ook die Britney Spears imitatie (al was die nog niet bekend toen dit gemaakt werd) van de zanger bij 'The Real Thing' en 'The Morning After' vind ik verschrikkelijk. Qua cijfer zit ik op een 3,5. Het had van mij nog iets mogen rijpen, het is me nog iets te fout in plaats van stoer. Gezien de recente ratings voel ik me haast verplicht om er een hele lichte 4 van te maken, ik kreeg alweer bezorgde berichtjes met linkjes naar de MIND Hulplijn (het vroegere Stichting Correlatie) namelijk. Toch denk ik dat een 3 meer op z'n plaats is.
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
Pretty average
I like it, but it's too loud for me in my old age. 3.5
It's not great but it's not terrible
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.
Acceptable rock.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 fits its era surprisingly well — a moment when grunge, funk metal and alternative rock were all starting to cross-pollinate. The album mixes heaviness, oddball humor and sharp musicianship in a way that feels very late-80s sliding into early-90s. Mike Patton’s voice shifts wildly between styles, and the band’s tight, genre-blurring approach gives the record its character. Their cover of 𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗴𝘀 is a fun reminder of how proudly eclectic they were, even if the overall album sometimes feels more like a snapshot of its time than a fully compelling statement today.
No diré mucho. No me pareció gran cosa el disco. No es para nada mi estilo favorito. No me gustó la mezcla, siento que en general es un disco que tiene mucho ruido y suena poco, para mí le falta profundidad al sonido, pensé muchas veces que le faltaba volumen y estaba al máximo Jdjsjdj. No hay nada que me haya deslumbrado y no me transmitió mucho. La voz del vocalista no me gusta, hay alguno que otro riff de guitarra interesante y creo que el bajo en ciertas ocasiones destaca bien en cuando al sonido. Le pondré un dorila Canción favorita: Falling to pieces (dejando afuera war pigs que es un cover de black sabbath)
Not sure it’s my cup of tea. Some nicely written and performed songs, but it just did not grab me
This holds up and absolutely still slaps
I love this album .
Disclaimer : ระบบรันเพลง rock มาในวันที่ดิฉันปวดหัว อาจจะเซ้นซิทีฟต่อเสียงโหวกเหวกนิดหน่อย Falling to pieces - ก็ได้อยู่ Zombie eaters - ชอบท้ายๆเพลง กว่าจะเริ่มร้องก็ปาไปครึ่งเพลงละ เป็นปกติของแนวนี้มั้ง แต่นี่ชอบเพลงที่ร้องเลย ไม่ต้องอารัมภบท55555 The real thing - ชอบท่อนก่อนฮุค(เขาเรียกว่าไรนะ?) ก็ไม่แปลกใจเพราะชอบ soft rock มากกว่า rock แท้ๆ55555 แต่ชอบเนื้อเพลงของบั้มนี้นะ ภาษามันสวยแบบบทกวีเลย Underwater love - แอบกระดิกตีนตอนฟัง มันออกแนว 80s pop5555 The morning after - นี่ล่ะ 80s rock ที่ถูกต้อง War pigs - เห้ย ฟังแล้วชอบเฉยเลย นึกว่าบั้มนี้จะตุ้บซะแล้ว Edge of the world - ชอบสุด เพราะมันตรงเทสเลย5555555
Fun alt metal! some songs are a tad bit dated as they are “rap-metal” but there are some standouts like “Surprise! You’re Dead!” 7/10
Better than I expected
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!
I love The Real Thing so much. I haven't heard this album before but i definitely do know some songs from it quite well including Epic, Falling To Pieces and even that War Pigs cover. And listening to this album has shown me again not only just how good these songs are but how good the rest are too. It really has everything i could wish for in an album like this, Great guitar riffs, some heavy basslines, fun vocals and enough 80s charm that made it such a fun album to listen to. In fact, i really can't think of a single bad thing to say about it because no matter what this album did, it did it very well. Definitely a top tier album for sure. Best Song: Epic Worst Song: Surprise! You're Dead! Side note: Since this is my last album of 2025, Happy New Year everybody. 2025 has blessed us with some great albums, let's hope 2026 does the same.
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
Another enjoyable experience when I really didn't know what to expect. I'd heard the bands name before but I could not have named one track, album or band member if my life depended on it. The lead vocalist can be a bit whiny at times. It's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, I'll go with 3.
Some good. Some ok. I hate to be giving so many 3s, but I think it’s fair.
4.4 but why did we have to close with the pedo song
fuck that tbh
That was lame and terrible.
It's okay.
This is one of the albums of my life
Fun enough, but hate his voice. Kinda cringe.
Good but genre confusing haha
A bit heavy for me but great musicians
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
This sounded so familiar, but I don't think I've ever listened to it before. Weird
This is #day501 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Faith No More, much like Jane's Addiction, have always been a band I could never quite wrap my head around. Of course, I understand the influence and all that, but somehow this particular combination of vocals and music doesn't click for me. I'd rather put on some early RHCP instead (think Mother's Milk). This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day502.
I was willing to forgive them for the legacy of Limp Bizkit and bad rapcore bands that came in their wake, and I thought this was okay until they covered "War Pigs." Then, I remembered how much better that song was than any of the original songs on this album. They were probably at four stars until that moment.
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
Gave up halfway through the album. I thought I loved "ryaaaaaa!" guitars 0.o just... meh?
Would listen again
If it hadn't been for these guys we wouldn't have had Limp Bizkit or Korn. What a terrible legacy. Whatever this is--nu metal, rap funk, alt arena rock--most of it falls flat. There are a few decent songs here and there like "Epic," the opening song "From Out of Nowhere," and, especially, the cover of "War Pigs" which wasn't even on the original album. They always seem like they're trying way too hard. The lyrics are, for the most part, nonsense including a screed against babies on "Zombie Eaters" and a song from a pedophile 's POV ("Edge of the World"). I have no idea why this album is seen as being very successful and influential.
Like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but worse, with a touch of Korn and Limp Bizkit. On the other hand, I guess they have some pretty profound lyrics. "So HUG me, and KISS me, then WIPE my BUTT and PISS me" in what seems to be a protest song against.. babies? This shit sucks so bad, maybe not musically the worst but I hate the main style they're going for here. The War Pigs cover is probably the highlight because its not their own
One for the ‘worse as it went on’ club.
Really solid, though there are so odd choices that make it less than stellar.
201225 9:12 3.5
Not my style but the guitar work was impressive
Mike Patton the most interesting voice in rock and roll. I knew of epic and it has always been one of my favorite songs but never listened to anything else. I like this album. I head some things that would become what metal/post hardcore/alternative would come to sound like in the next two decades.
Oʻoooooooooooooooooo
good dad picks but less that 2 songs i’d listen to again
It's amazing to think this passed as cutting edge in 1989, and there's no denying its influence on 90s metal. Not to say it's bad at all - it's a solid slab of heavy rock with a bit of a groovy edge in which no tracks really stand out as especially good or bad - just that adding a bit of slap bass to metal isn't really all that big of an imaginative leap. It's also kind of telling that the best track on the reissue is a Black Sabbath cover version.
Man, I just hate the vocalist's voice. Woodpecker from Mars and War Pigs saved this album from a 2 for me.
Never a big fan of this band but a lot worse on the list for sure. Title track, Epic and War Pigs are great.
I never liked this record. And listening to it again after many years, I still never liked this record.
80s hair metal combined with occasional rapping. It didn't work for me, but hopefully it works for someone.
I had no problems with this album, but didn't think it was great, either. It's fine.
Great 1-2-3 combo to kickstart the album. However as it goes on the flaws start to show. If we take the LP tracklist we end on a good instrumental, but if we follow the CD tracklist we have a great cover of War Pigs and a whimper to end the project. I still dont see why Anthony Kiedis saw Patton's rap/sung delivery as his own. 3/5
In didn't find anything about this album to stand out. It was kind of heavy metal, but didn't really scratch that itch.
8.0/10 Another big album for me in high school...
Watered down rock with whiny vocals
See Nevermind review (less influential). God I used to love FNM. Can barely stand them now other than the pre Patton stuff for the laughs. A signed copy of this got me into record collecting so extra nostalgia points.
I didnt really like the album, but at least they didnt fuck up War Pigs
Fantastic album that is a bit better in the first half than the second. It’s a solid 4.5 for me.
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
A 2.
Deliciously eclectic combo of styles, quite unique! 3.9
6/10 I respect Faith no more. Enjoyment is too strong a word, but it isn't too far off. 12-03-2025
Epic is one of those songs that I know from somewhere but idk where
I'm pretty sure I've seen this album cover before, though I've no clue what genre of music it belongs to. I'm hedging my bets on something metal-related, if only for the typography, flame imagery and year of release. Metal. I enjoy relishing in my victories every once in a while. This is a pretty unique showing for the metal genre. A funky, rapping, metally kind of thing. Safe to say, this isn't my cup of tea, though I can appreciate the ambition. There's some decent instrumentation, and the vocals pack an admirable level of punch. "Epic" is Solid. The rapping during the verses is decent, though I must admit that the chorus greatly loses me. The guitars are, fittingly, quite gargantuan in their scope. I won't lie, I completely spaced out for the rest of this thing as I was tired and decided to go to bed midway through the album. I was gonna give this a second go from start to finish, but ehh. I'm not expecting to change my opinion on this anytime soon. Book time. Three big singles. Influential in the then-evolving nu metal genre. I can see this being a classic within it's genre. It's alright across the board and appears to have a decent level of influence, so I don't need to take a stroll over to Wikipedia. I cosign this inclusion.
Angel Dust will always be my favourite FNM album, but this is really nice...
Wasn’t a fan and haven’t heard of this group before this.
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.
I thought I was going to hate this. After all, metal gets on my nerves big time. But, no! After some of my recent albums on here, this was upbeat and refreshing. At least it has some oomph!
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.
Not for me - this band was completely unknown to me - I can’t even speak to if this is good for this genre bc it is simply not for me so how could I know - there were parts of songs that were better than others
A few spectacular songs
Very solid rock album! Really enjoyed the bass in particular!
Absolutely incredible experience and I have saved several of these songs.
not a bad cover band
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
I’m running out of ways to say an album sucks.
Their beats remind me a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the lead singers whiny voice meshes well with the very pronounced bass on each track. This album seems to combine heavy metal with punk and alternative rock yet somehow the band does well with each style. There are a couple of standout songs, namely Epic and Falling to Pieces, but overall this was worth a listen. The cover of War Pigs was a nice addition.
Faith No More … more like For the Love of God No More! I’m pleased to report that their A & R guy got it right on this one and found the only song that could have possibly been a single. Let’s face it, if that fish didn’t suffocate and that piano didn’t explode, we never would have heard of this band and the world would have been a simpler, more tuneful place. The vocals are grating, the instrumentals are boring and the overall effect is more annoying than anything else. I mean they even screwed up the cover of War Pigs by losing the rhythm and pushing the tempo in the first chorus… it’s a near perfect song and they did nothing to it except play it poorly. ‘Da fuck? This sounds like taking all the bad Red Hot Chili Peppers’ albums and then removing any actual funkiness - and nobody needs to hear that. I would have been fine on my long parade to the grave without needing to hear this one in full.
This is underbaked and immature. Epic and Falling to Pieces were the singles I knew going in and are the highlights. The rest was mostly good, with a couple really bad misses and a rad cover of War Pigs. They were going for rap metal/nu metal before it was a thing, so points for what is actually a really good effort. I'm curious to hear how they matured and may give a later album of theirs a listen. Although they were a bit off the mark here I dont hate this.
So skeptical when I was there was a war pigs cover but damn they killed it.
Maybe my first introduction to the idea that a band did not need a set lead singer from the jump. At least with Van Halen and DLR/Hagar, I had a sense that the personalities involved produced some strife. But FNM promotional interviews and such always highlighted that the lead singer, Mike Patton, was from some other band. Like he was on loan and this might just be a one time deal, so enjoy it today! To me, in 1989-90, Patton looked like a compatriot: maybe a skater bro, but also into music. Plus, by contrast, the rest of FNM looked like out of central casting for late 80s metal band guys. The music also had that same jumble, which I found relatable as any other kid who liked rock but also rap. They also seemed kinda fun or even harmless? Not as overwrought and scary as Metallica and the rest of late 80s metal, with all the satanic panic shit still hanging in the air. No, this was intelligent enough (because they had keyboards?) not to be confused with cock rock, aggressive enough to fit with metal and its sub-genres, but didn’t entirely take itself seriously (even when it sounded serious). Surprise! You’re Dead! Slap bass! Symphonic synths! Wacky vocals! Alas, fun as the singles were, The Real Thing had several long songs I’ve still never heard all the way through. I’m glad FNM was around for 12 year-old me, but aside from giving Angel Dust a few spins, I didn’t think much about this crew after 1990.
Preferred 'introduce yourself' to this and 'Angel dust'. But Epic is er, epic. The album starts off strong, but falls off quite quickly... Zombie eaters is a filler, the real thing is a filler, it's stuck in 2nd gear, never really gets going. Underwater, the morning after, the (6 minute instrumental) woodpecker from mars, edge of the world all have no redeeming features. Rest in peace Chuck Mosley.
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.
Eepy and tyty and naunau and grogro. Some ok riffs. ONE.
Good God this is bad. These guys clearly had chops. But their collective musical sensibility leads to an accidental self-parody of epic proportions. I dislike a great many of the musical influences that are so unabashedly and awkwardly aped in this mess. (Love Slash, Axl makes me cringe; never understood the Peppers' appeal; and for the love of all that is righteous and holy, did the world really need a synth-metal revival?? (Ironically, the keyboard player's next band - Imperial Teen - put out an album that I've always thought brilliant (it sounds nothing like this and he doesn't play synths in it).) As for the influences I do like, I’m offended by the banality of the "flattery” offered here. Without a doubt, though, the worst thing about this offal is that it inspired Limp Bizkit.
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.
This one is pretty decent. I'll give it 3 stars.
Godnondeju wat zijn albums van bands op het randje van heavy metal, hair rock en grunge toch een partij worstelen. Soms lijkt het iets meer richting grunge of RHCP-funk metal te gaan, wat me wat beter ligt, maar over het algemeen heb ik me nauwelijks vermaakt. Ik haal hier gewoon niets uit. 5/10
God ja, wat moet je hier mee. Blend van genres dat ik uiteindelijk alleen als fout kan bestempelen. Misschien klinkt het een beetje als de beginjaren van RHCP maar ik vind dat je hen tekort doet om ze over één kam te scheren met Faith No More. Ook Pearl Jam en Soundgarden zijn ontsproten uit de wortels van dit soort Glam-metal. Maar die vinden uiteindelijk wel een geluid dat ik kan waarderen. Met The Real Thing van Faith No More kom ik helaas niet zo ver. 5/10 Highlights Underwater Love
I’m tickled to learn this band was local to me in the SF Bay Area. It lent some indulgence and grace in my assessment of them. The right age, I of course remember the iconic video for “Epic” that played ceaselessly on MTV in 1990, the song then hard and catchy, now a bit cringe with the white guy rapping. Still, FBM does hard and catchy quite well. The album has some great riffs that inspire some head banging. I like it.
As the outro to Epic plays I feel like I'm about to be welcomed back to 105.7 The Point with Lux in the afternoons as I drive home from my senior year of high school. Other than that this album is just hard to go through, no real theme. Sometimes it feels like Megadeath, sometimes it feels like Descendants and it's confusing all of the time.
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.
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.
Not for me. 1/5
This definitely rocks. An entertaining heavy metal banger from an era dominated by groups that too often seemed to be parodying the genre. Falls in love with its musical virtuosity a little too much for my tastes, but it's still an entertaining way to spend an hour.
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.
It goes through a range. I think some of the metal sounds a bit too standard in places and although war pig is good, is unnecessary as I'd always prefer to hear the original.
I quite liked the rap rock and metal, the quieter bits I found a bit... Bland. Good in places but there's better metal. 3
Bad Guns N Roses .. when they rap it hurts me
Hilariously bad until it becomes tedious.
Faith No More has a real range but I find the vast majority of it very silly. The occasional flirtation with Metal works best but the vocals consistently put me off, whether theatrically whispered, delivered with a gung ho yell or nasally eeked out. I struggle to work out exactly how ironic it's supposed to be.
Faith No More are bonkers, I think the reasons I didn’t like this in parts are why some people love it, mainly the vocals. I do enjoy the range of instrumentation though and the art metal rock thing throughout but could really do without the rap rock sections, low 3
A little bit too much metal for me. Not my thing.
maybe 3.5
Was great but didn’t save much
Couldn’t finish. Thought it was almost unlistenable
ahaha what on earth is this. The second track with the rap is so bad I can't believe some of the shit this book turns up with sometimes. The vocals are just pure cringe. An album where I can't really picture a target audience, who actually likes this? Think the sabbath cover really sums this up, like it’s just a terrible pastiche. All the trappings of heavy music without any of the edge.
Not bad. Bit of drive an excitement.
Nja, grungeaktig rock fra 90-tallet. Helt Ait. Sterk 2
cool album art
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.
Pretty meh except for the one hit epic
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
Super album! Masterpiece! All trach are perfect. War Pigs - RIP Ozzy!
An album that feels like a precursor to a few different genres and eras, and the stepchild of a few others. A few things really held this album back for me. 1. The singer's voice. He sounds like a what a Muppet version of Tina Turner would sound like, if that Muppet were also a bird. I just couldn't not stand it. The texture and grit behind it works for some people. It really did not at all work for me. 2. It's too dramatic. Both the lyrical content and the arrangements. I just couldn't get with it. Everything felt like a big deal and I couldn't hang with that for a whole album. 3. The genre whiplash. One minute it's a fun, almost poppy rock song. The next it's heavy metal with some scream vocals. It's absolute whiplash and I couldn't do it. It works with other genre mixes (hip-hop and jazz, rock and funk, funk and soul, etc.) because they're closer and share more elements. The genres they chose to blend here (rock, metal, screamo, rap(?), and probably more) are dispirit enough that it just didn't work for me. Overall, this was an interesting but otherwise tiring and laborious listen and I really wasn't moved by much if anything. Two stars. Standout Track: From Out of Nowhere
I was worried that this was going to be that horrible, Metallica-like fast-paced metal that pummels the ears relentlessly with horrible percussion and uninteresting guitars. And it was, absolutely that, for the first 3 or 4 tracks. After Zombie Eaters, however, this album becomes a very early example of what you might call ‘alternative metal’, with a distinctly heavy sound but without the nagging chug-chug-chug of shit guitar or the aforementioned consistent pummelling of drums. This sound develops and stays consistent through to the end, almost like the band wanted to get all of the ‘user-friendly’ stuff out of the way before making some proper music. Nice.
First track is very energetic. The bass is great. Dominant drums aswell. Singing caught me of guard a little bit. Still figuring out if i like it. Second track Epic is kind of a metal rap tune. I'm going to say it now, so there will no surprises- I don't think it's the genre for me. Guitars sound good though, and I liked the piano outro. 5 songs in and I'm enjoying. Not suffering per se but not enjoying. So dramatic. The band is better than decent, but the singing style is tough for me. It might be someone's favorite thing. But I unfortunately can't follow this one. I really feel like there's something good content on here, but I can't get through the vocals. Too American. What we call nowadays- cringe. 9 is an instrumental which I hoped would be better. But replacing the embarrassing vocals, are some questionable keyboards. I don't think I'll continue for the 2 CD track. What can I say... I expected so much more from this. But it's just not for me. But more so, Even if it was for me, I don't find anything special or memorable about it. But maybe I am the problem. It's a flat disappointing 2.
Whiny butt wipes. Hahaha
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
what is it
Solid album held back by a fairly derivative sound and at times a very nasally vocal performance. Wasn't a fan of the popular hits on this album, but there are more than a few hidden gems that lean into some very fun musical creativity in a very satisfying way. Perfectly fine alt metal album. Top tracks: Surprise! You're Dead!, The Real Thing, Woodpecker From Mars
I really enjoyed a couple songs but mostly thought it was generic 80s rock. Would give it 3 and a half stars if I could. War pigs was the best song and I really dug it.
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
Frenetic rock’n’roll doesn't’t do it for me. I did like Edge of the World.
never heard before, quite good
Impressed by vocals and musicianship even if it’s not really my thing. 3/5
Nothing too outstanding. The sudden rap part in Epic took me by surprise tho
Too aggressive
When the singing is really unleashed and the guitars are given the freedom to go for it, this is good. Overall strong but some of it wasn't super exciting in the last third.
I really didn’t know what to expect with the record since I was almost completely unfamiliar with the band. However, I enjoyed it more than I expected, particularly the instrumental music. One thing that really colors my opinion though, is whether or not I like the vocals; I probably give this factor too much weight, but that’s who I am. Needless to say, I didn’t like this vocalist at all...the sound just seems all too contrived. What might have been a four star album for me gets downgraded to three stars due to vocals.
Great 4/5
Nah
The kickoff of bad 90s music. His voice really got old. Also, no xp for War Pigs cover to fill the album.
Just not for me
It has some moments, but it's far from the most interesting release in it's genre. The closing instrumental track was surprisingly good though.
4/5
I paid some attention to “Epic” when it came out as a single. It’s the best thing on this album, and even it’s not essential. The album falls somewhere between actual metal, proto-grunge, and what passed for prog rock in 1989. It’s not doing any of those genres any huge favors, tbh. The vocals are . . . idiosyncratic. That’s usually a plus, but is it here? Hmm.
Liked that more than I thought I would. I had only ever heard ‘Epic’, which is kind of fun, gotta admit. Good version of ‘War Pigs’ to top it off.
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
3.5
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.
The vocal affectation turns me off
I liked their hit "epic", but didn't liked the voice or lyrics otherwise
Rock, it can mean many things. This had a big range from more intense to more introspective. I liked “Surprise! You’re Dead!” just for the drama.
considering i only know of this band through 'easy', this album came as quite a shock as the tracks are nothing like it. i found it quite cringey and annoying at times - i could see what they were going for (that rage against the machine type sound) but it didn't do it for me
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.
Feels harsh because this is an influential album, but it was a painful experience listening to this in the year of our lord 2025.
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!
"The Real Thing"? Eher ned. Sehr uswechselbars Rockgedünse wo weder id richtig krasse-abriss-Rock gaht no id gmüetlich-zum-lose-soft-rock. Und mit dere nasale stimm als hett er 20 jahr verstopfti Nase. Denn no versuecht chli dri-zrappe a la DJ Bobo? Denn no lieber de OG René Baumann. Zwei verschnützti Nastüechli
Ganz nachm ueli maurer mussi am morge sege: ha kei luscht
I fucking love this album. I remember watching the music video for epic, the fish flapping around at the end, at my high school formal. lol. I played in a band that tried its hardest to be Faith no More. We definitely looked like Faith No More, but the talent was questionable! This album was my gateway into a band rated among my all-time favourites. This is an odd album choice for the list and although awesome, it was mostly complete when Mike Patton was hired to sing it. He wrote all the lyrics in just a couple of weeks (at the age of 20)! Every album after this is more Patton-influenced, and is more of the Faith No More I love. I'm not sure if there are any more of their albums on the list, but do yourself a favor and listen to Angel Dust! That said, this album is full of bangers. The energy in 'Surprise Your dead!', the emotional menace in 'Zombie Eaters'. 'Woodpecker from Mars' goes off, and the cover of Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' is next level! I fucking love this album.
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 ;)
I didn’t mind Faith No More growing up. I didn’t know a lot of their stuff, except for the obvious tracks that anyone who has listened to mainstream rock radio would know. Having now listened to an album of theirs from start to finish, I can say that ‘The Real Thing’ is just fine. It's ok, it’s listenable, but it doesn’t really grab me how I hoped it would – There’s just nothing new here. 700+ days in, and albums like this don’t really pique my interest much anymore. Kind of reinforces why I never really had them on my radar or ever cared to delve into their catalogue. Apart from ‘Epic’ and ‘Falling To Pieces’ the most interesting thing on here is their cover of Sabbath’s War Pigs. Make of that what you will.
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
Conflicted on this one. A cool blend of styles and you can see the influence on later bands. Have always liked Mike Patton’s weirdness. The funky slap base was annoying though and a couple of the songs have not aged that well.
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.
Really so far from. Real this is a horrible mish mash of stuff. Like a yellow label cheap option. Should be nowhere near this list.