The Real Thing

While I think I may enjoy Mike Patton's other project(s), such as Mr. Bungle for their more showbiz-esque nature, this is still very enjoyable, albeit kind of long winded. I have to give credit to Patton, though, not only for his voice and range, but also for being one of the musicians out there that respects and has even worked with Sparks, always bonus points for that, as I am a Mael brothers shill, just the way I like it. Anyway, good album.

Still rocks. A mixture of heavy metal, funk and rap. Lyrics are a little weak. Nice cover of War Pigs.

I’ve been aware of this album and more specifically Epic since the early 2000s. I may have first heard of them during the VH1 top music videos of the 90s week long special they did. I remember the one critic describing the video and asking ‘why is there a fish flopping around at the end? It doesn’t matter!’. But I’ve mostly just filed it away as a curio from the 90s. I have come to realize in the last couple of years this is actually one of the most influential albums of the 90s and is responsible for plunging us in to 1000 years of darkness as Limp Bizkit and Korn took their musical style largely from this record specifically. This is still better than those guys though. Really evokes the stocky men in zip up-sleeveless hoodies and long basketball shorts vibe.

Quite a nice surprise. Though i was familiar with Epic, wasn't sure what to expect from the rest of the album. Though not all the rap works for me, it is blended with with aggressive/energetic music, melodies, and some decent singing. I think even instrumental pieces work here and the war pigs cover is really good. Strong album.

Brilliant, 4 stars

Bon vieux Rock Métal

Love everything by Patton.

Not sure if I was t a faith no more fan that I wouldn’t be saying it’s of it’s time.

Neat, kinda metal coolness

Like a heavier RHCP; though I don't think this quite hits the highs of some of their best, it's better than a lot of their stuff, and I'm always happy with a little more Mike Patton.

Took me back for sure, used to listen to them in early teen years. Started strong but tailed of 4 songs in. Loved the bass sound ans the vocals.

Was going to be a three but the sabbath cover moved them up.

Brill. Can’t beat a bit of FNM.

This is where they hit the map. Bringing on Patton and setting MTV on fire with Epic. I think Angel Dust is a better album, but this was an intro for a lot of folks and brought their weird but infectious vision of progressive funk metal to the masses.

I liked this, although I like their next album “Angel Dust” more. Still a good listen.

Loved it.

Perfect example of 80’s metal crossing into 90’s grunge time. I love it, but apparently Angel Dust is the one I listened to more.

First time listening (aside from Epic)! This album surprised me. I liked the cool bass riffs sprinkled throughout. And how theatrical (?) it was. There were times I thought “wtf is this?!”, and there were times I had to dance along to the bouncy drums. Falling to Pieces was my fave. And the Sabbath cover was rad. I hope the overlords in my friend group will keep me after this review. 🙏

Epic is….epic!

The vocal style took a bit to get used to, but I like the overall sound.

They're a weird mix of rock, and screaming metal... with ballardy backing guitar. They've got some epic songs... pun intended. Shame the best song on the album is a cover of War Pigs.

This was surprisingly good (other than Epic). Like a Kmart RHCP or Muse vibe going.

Extra Spicy Red Hot Chili Peppers. 4

Vet album, veel originele nummers. Redelijk afwisselend bovendien.

Yes, finally something that I like!

Faith No More grabbed my attention when I first heard their first single (At least, the first one released in Australia); We Care A Lot. In 1987 I traipsed down to the Virgin Megastore and plonked down my hard=earned for a copy of the 12", pressed on criminally flimsy 80s vinyl. it was so thin, I initially thought there wasn't a record inside the cover. That single was later stolen from a share house I lived in, and I wish I knew what bastard took it so I could explain to them in short, percussive terms how displeased I was. I managed to pick up a 7" copy to replace it quiet recently. I should pull that out and give it a spin... This album was released in late 1989. My mate Tim and I loved it, and used to play it a _lot_. It was a point of reference for the band we were trying to form. So, when FNM announced an Australian tour, playing at the (tiny) Marquee Club in Camperdown, we jumped on tickets. That must have been in about March 1990. In July, they released Epic as a single, and it went gangbusters. It entered the chart at #22, about two weeks before the gig on 5 August. But the end of the month it was #1 on the ARIA charts. Needless to say, the shows became a very hot ticket. Everyone suddenly wanted them, and Tim and I had them. I could not wait for this show; much anticipation. And then the day before the gig, I started coughing. By the afternoon of the show, I could barely stand with some horrible pneumonia-like chest infection. Despite being 19 and generally feeling invincible, even I could tell that going to the show would probably kill me. So Tim scalped my ticket and made a tidy profit. He said the show was a fantastic, but I missed it. I still regret that I didn't see them in a small club at the height of their powers., when I was _that close_. But I still love this whole album. It's basically a bludgeoning metal album, although the rhythm section swing a bit more than a typical 80s metal band, and they don't take themselves too seriously (which immediately makes them more listenable than, say, Megadeth). There are tunes you can sing along with, Mike Patton is a charismatic front man, and the keys lift the arrangements (even if the cheesy digital synths are hilariously of their time). The influence of musical genres outside of straight metal help maintain interest without descending into willfully "weirdo" genre-hopping pastiche or collage (cf Mr Bungle, Mike Patton's other band). There were other bands doing similar things (Fishbone, Living Colour, Bad Brains), so it was hardly unique, but it was well done, and certainly more listenable than most of the horrible rap-rock that followed. or "nu-metal", even worse. This was one of the first initial pre-shocks of 80s alternative busting into the mainstream. Nirvana really kicked the doors down, but bands like Faith No More were among the vanguard. And I really dug it when I was 19. I enjoyed revisiting it now, 30 years later. I miss Tim, and this album reminds me of him.

A very good disk

Well I'm biased - loved Faith No More in the past, but now, with the exercise of listening to some of my favourite records in my youth, and sometimes feeling the cringe - this is kind of less so. Yes Mike Patton feels less interesting to me than he did in the past from this record, but there's a hint of what's to come in the dark but silly sense of humour in songs like Surprise! You're Dead! and some of the Pattonisms littered throughout. Also musically the record is solid, albeit a bit too much on the tail end of the 80s metal production - and while there is the undeniable similarity to the Chili Peppers, at least refreshingly they did not inherent the schoolyard sleaze and the misogyny. And the closing instrumental 'Woodpecker from Mars' has aged well.

First time actually listening to this album. Knew a couple of songs going in, but the only full Faith No More album I've ever properly listened to is Angel Dust - while a handful of the songs I know best are actually from King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime. I really dig Mike Patton but have listened to a surprisingly small amount of his vast body of work. It seems kind of a shame, but also means I get to keep enjoying new discoveries for a while longer. I definitely think I dig later FNM more than this one but will be listening to it more for sure. Which isn't to say I dislike it by any means, I just feel like things got better once Patton and the band had a bit more time together. Given that the music for this was already recorded and Patton basically wrote and recorded his parts over it in under two weeks after having just joined the band at barely two decades of age, I'd say that this is actually a damn fine album.

Not my style. But enjoy the hot Epic.

Legends

I was surprised by how many songs I’d heard from this album that I thought was totally obscure. Both epic and war pigs are tracks I’ve heard around but never knew their origins, with war pigs being solid and epic being meh. This was also a very eclectic album as the super heavy war pigs was followed by like a chill nick cave style closer. Falling to pieces was maybe my fav

1989, when this album was released, was quite an interesting place for music in hindsight. the eighties and rock and roll were winding down, and metal and alternative were about to blow up. after listening, it's no surprise when this album was released. it has an eighties touch but it's facing forward, especially with the metal. i heard some similarities with pantera and system of a down, and i have no doubt that faith no more served as some influence. there's a pinch of hip hop in here, too, so again forward facing to the gangster rap of the early nineties. overall, one of the most unusual albums part of this project but an enjoyable one.

This album really surprised me. There is SO much influence here not only for alternative metal bands of the 1990s, but even for nu-metal bands going into the 2000s. I could fill this review with band names, all of whom I guarantee were inspired by this band and album dating back to 1989. The album is full of booming guitar riffs and drums and funky bass lines and vocals. The album had an overall feel and "signature", but the individual tracks were diverse and unique. Being a band with such a diverse cast of characters with different musical histories, this makes total sense; I'm glad they used this to their advantage. Woodpecker from Mars, an instrumental on the album, really hit me and I listened and jammed to it multiple times. This song just SLAYS. I was leery about a cover of War Pigs, as well, but they really did it justice -- no complaints here! Really, I just appreciated the album way more than I was initially expecting. But as someone who enjoys 90s and 2000s alternative and nu-metal, it didn't end up being that surprising. I'm not sure if this is quite a 4, but I'm gonna give it to them anyway, because I really did enjoy this. Just a good listen for anyone who likes this genre.

good themes and background, singing is not my favorite. loved epic, the real thing, and falling to pieces, though they were all good

Introduced to this by my college roommate in 1990-91. He woke up our other roommate one time at 4:30 AM by getting right in his face and yelling, "Can you feel it, see it, hear it today? If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway!" I think he wanted to wake him up because he had just put thumb tacks in his slippers and figured shaking him awake singing the lyrics to "Epic" by Faith No More was a surefire way to compel him to put on his slippers. I don't think our roommate - some of us called him Hoops, some called him Diamond Dave - ever did wear those sweaters, which is probably for the best. Hoops likely would have accused me. But shoutout to Jason Jorgensen, who I forever owe a debt of gratitude for introducing this album to me. And for making me laugh at the thought of Hoops putting on a pair of slippers filled with thumb tacks. Good times.

It was alright in my opinion but not my favourite rock/metal album on here. It was cool to see that this is an early rap metal album, but it still doesn't change the fact I don't really like much rap metal in the first place. Beyond that, there were some excellent riffs, the songs that weren't rap metal were alright, and their War Pigs cover was superb. Favourite: War Pigs

Really good structured hard rock album

Buen disco de rock con voz peculiar y potente. A ratos salvaje, a ratos más melódico.

Epic is awesome. Strings section is amazing

What a weird album, what a weird band, what a weird period in musical history. This album certainly does not sound like it was from 1989, but I'm also not certain when it does sound like it's from. There's so many musical styles present here, and a lot of it presages what will be happening in music during the 90s as emerging styles start to blend together. Bringing on Mike Patton as the vocalist was unquestionably the correct move. His incredible vocal range, his lyrical talent, and his odd sensibilities fit the band perfectly. 4/5

This band seemed to come From Out of Nowhere for me when this album hit. I wasn't familiar with the Chuck stuff that came before this record until well after it. Probably like a lot of other kids who were in different, or even in my case, adjacent music scenes it was the Epic single and accompanying "goldfish" video that was our introduction. Overall, I like this record well enough — there are a few undeniably great tracks — and I thought Angel Dust was an improvement but I could never get into the band 100%. I always wanted them to be heavier, darker, more aggressive, and less "jokey". Another way to say it in the context of this album is that I enjoy it when it's heavier, darker, more aggressive, and less "jokey" than it sometimes is. It's another record that makes me wish I had half-stars to hand out. In this case, I'm inclined to rate it higher on the whole stars...

LOVED this album. Kid rock owes them a big thank you card for his career. This album seemed so groundbreaking and different to me. Is it rap? Is it metal? It was just good. It was also a bit cheeky - which I liked.

Learned about war pigs liked the rap fusion

oh that was so reallll

It's like if the Chilli Peppers didn't suck. Maybe I don't hate this genre as much as I thought if it was done by actually interesting people. 3.5/5

Pretty cool. Not quite a 4 but better than 3

I had a super cool bestie in college that had this album, and as a result, I got to know it. This style of music really isn't at the top of my list of favorites, so if not for that connection to my bestie, I am sure that I wouldn't like it as much. It was really great to revisit it today!

This was a favorite of mine back when it was new. So most of what I felt listening today was nostalgia. They're bass-y and shout-y and if the songs were new to me, I don't think I'd appreciate them as much today. But this one has the benefit of familiarity.

I had kind of forgotten everything I might have known about Faith No More, and when this album came up I had a negative reaction. But I started playing the album and loved “From Out of Nowhere.” Then I realized that I knew and liked the song “Epic.” By the third song I was starting to think I misjudged. These guys sound like they’re on the brighter side of hard rock/metal - more in my wheelhouse than your Metallicas and Panteras. Then suddenly “Surprise! You’re Dead!” lurched hard right… uh oh. It was followed by “Zombie Eaters”, a ballad that starts off quietly. Now I’m not sure what to make of this… This album is a bit of a journey through a lot of styles, some more appealing to me than others. While I didn’t necessarily need a remake of War Pigs and some of the harder songs didn’t appeal to me, I respect a band who can serve up a smorgasbord of metal like this.

4.0

If this album doesn't wake you up, nothing will!

This is a pretty solid album. I'm pretty much over "Epic" after hearing it a million times over the years (the local butt rock station still plays it regularly) and the War Pigs cover seems pointless, but there's plenty else to like here. I mean, Mike Patton is involved how can it not be good just on that alone? Honestly, I like the FNM albums that followed better. This albums is pretty influential, unfortunately some of the bands it influenced are pretty awful, but I can't blame the band for that. 3.5 being bumped to a 4 because Mike Patton is a God tier vocalist.

It's good Metal. People forget. The hit is great but it was popular for a reason. It was good and all we had was fucking MTV.

Metal, hard rock. Experimental.

It's the Red Hot Chili Peppers for those who would've eventually become Linkin Park fans in the 2000s. Don't really have much to say other than it's a good album with some very cool songs like Edge of the World, The Morning After, Zombie Eaters and Falling to Pieces.

Mér verður hugsað til unglings-mín sem var dissuð og hædd fyrir það að fíla rokk. "Rokk er ekki fyrir stelpur." Fkn sjitt. Þessi plata er góð, Epic er epískt og ábreiðan af War pigs er asskolli fín!

Not ever song was great but solid album.

Really awesome heavy metal pop album

I have spent so many hours listening to this. This band influenced so many other bands,

Real nice.

Leuk album. Lekker poppie deuntjes, soms wat stevige rock, maar altijd toegankelijk. ****

I owned this album when it came out and nearly wore it out from playing it so many times. Now some 30ish years after my last full listen, I remember every downbeat, every nuance, every little element of every song. FNM's legacy is very secured from an album that was one of the first to mix genres like rock, prog, rap, classical, and jazz. The Real Thing is a true winner. 4.5/5.

All anthems. Surprised I much I enjoy it!

I know everyone says this is a "funk metal" band, but this album goes between synth-metal, Mother Love Bone glam, and Alice in Chains w/o the harmonies. That's not a bad thing because this record still sounds great and is a great intro to Mike Patton and the directions the band will take on the follow up record.

Couple of bangers in there. I didn't realize there was so much more beyond the hits.

I have a theory that Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Fishbone are actually the same band but they originated in different dimensions than ours.

Well Epic is just that and sort of leaves everything else in it's shadow. That aside Epic does represent this album fairly well. They don't move away from the formula of alternating rapping and singing over heavily bass driven music. Probably their best album and certainly deserves a place in the 1001 As a whole the album is a bit too frenetic in that even when they do start something slowly it inevtably ends up being 100mph. Even the one cover version (War Pigs) has this quality though the original did this too. In general this will be a love it or loathe it album, but for me it is OK but not great

Great great rock, but also some cool more jazzy art stuff too.

Grew up on this and Angel Dust in junior high/high school. I may not like some of the things that spawned in its wake, but this is some seriously original genre bending metal, especially for its time. One thing that I don't love is that some of the synth tones are so dated/out of the box, but in a way it's charming because it brings you back to that very particular time period. Mike Patton's voice is definitely their greatest instrument. He convinces you he is completely unhinged at times, yet what he is doing technically assures you he is in absolute control. Though I prefer Patton's more experimental work with Mr Bungle, etc., this still will always work for me due to nostalgia.

Nice, really like "Epic"

This was the last album I bought in vinyl when the world had moved on from the format (I’ve bought others since, but it was the end of an era). Epic is a blast but there’s other stuff on here that’s great. Falling to Pieces and The Real Thing especially.

I could listen to Mike Payton all day

still remember this one well from high school. hard rocking, nearly metal, with some prog influences. i can see why i liked it.

Enjoyed a lot, think my teenage self would have enjoyed more though

Badass. Love Epic, sweet War Pigs cover, loads of smashes.

Really enjoyed this apart from the nasal vocals. Which is quite a big part but I will give them 4 stars anyway. Congratulations faith no more

When Mike Patton isn't a complete madman with his other projects, he's out here with Faith No More offering some good and fun funk metal tracks. I especially got a kick from the two bonus tracks at the end. Favorites: "Epic", "Falling to Pieces", "The Real Thing"

Being late 80's funk metal not all of this has aged well, but it stands up suprisingly well. Not my favourite FNM but still bangs.

I had a teacher in college who loved Faith No More. I did not enjoy that teacher and had avoided Faith No More. It turns out that they were right about one thing and this album was a banger.

What a great album. It's one that I've only fairly recently started listening to, which is weird.

Enjoyed Epic and a good war pigs cover. Otherwise middle of the road. 3.5, I'll round up.

tkm

3.5/5 Good, but not something I would search out.

I remember really enjoying this at the start of high school and wondering what was wrong with me because none of my friends liked it. Turns out, I’m not in Tool.

Singing this album from front to back. It's one of my youth favourites. From Out Of Nowhere grabbed me the first time I heard it. It's album 3 of the band that was still growing. Album 4 was their masterpiece.

Was surprised to see this album on the list. I really did enjoy it though. War Pigs remake did it justice.

if most other bands put out this album it would be their best album, but in their catalogue it's the weird middle child while they were changing their sound and it's really not very memorable outside of a few standout songs. also mike patton sounds like someone punched him in the throat for like the whole album for some reason

I was not expecting much, I was not expecting to like this album, but the funky groove that threads itself through most of it and the soulful almost Tricky-like vocals won me over. And the songs which often lean towards bombast are pretty good too. In that way the remind a little of Nine Inch Nails. I bet their damn good live. Finish things off with a pretty inspired version of War Pigs and what we have here is a 4 🌟 album.

A hidden favorite of mine that flies under the radar for most of modern music fans. Solid from the get with From Out of Nowhere through Edge of the World.

Another one of those bands that was changing the rock scene behind the scenes in the late 80's and early 90's. You can hear their metal upbringing on songs like Surprise! You're Dead (sounds like Megadeth). But especially on their 3 singles you hear more melodic rock and a fusion of rock, metal, rap, and funk. Just listen for the bass on Falling to Pieces. Or anything on Epic - did you hear the opening minute? That track is a classic because of how unique it was and remains to this day. From out of Nowhere feels like it's 10 years ahead of it's time; just a different melody and song structure than most songs of that era. Zombie Eaters is a lesser known with a style all Faith No More's own - a combination of sombre, soaring, funky rock-rap. The Real Thing is a bit heavier - a more noticeable thrash undertone - but still with plenty of nuance to give it that soaring ballad feel. Woodpecker from Mars was a cool instrumental song. I like their cover of War Pigs, although it's not all that much different from the original - likely a good thing since the original is so good. So, great imitation but not much innovation. I will say this album really grows on you; the album as a whole is better than the sum of its parts. I still thought most tracks were solid but they really complement each other well. I was torn about whether it deserved 4 or 5 stars, but rock is definitely in a better place because this album came along.

Strong start and middle. Wanes a little towards the end but not too much.

I don’t recall hearing the album before, but I knew almost every song. Awesome, hard rock, rap, kinda prog?, metal.

Basically a Mr. Bungle side project.

hyper energetic and eclectic alt metal. Its really really hard to combine funk with more metallic sounds and have it not end up a trainwreck but faith no more really do thread that needle. Sure, it's got some synth design and guitar tones that are very much from their era, but the actual songwriting here is pretty unique. I listen to a lot of metal and alternative music and can't really think of many artists who sound like this.

Of course I love Epic but there are some other good songs too.

Hadn’t thought about this album in a long time and had forgotten how it dominated rock/alternative airplay and MTV back in 89/90. Solid rock, some occasional bits that didn’t age well (such as the fairly lame scraps of rapping).

gooddd

Faith No More's "The Real Thing" is nearly prophetic in its sound for 1989. It would be some time until some weird band from Seattle would put the kill-shot on the electronic and synth-pop that dominated the 80s. This rock album is powerful in its delivery, the engineering of its sound is very clean and does away with the pseudo-sound of synth-pop, stadium echo on the snare and drum machines that had heavily invaded rock music at the time. While not quite metal, it is heavy enough to pass for it. It definitely has a more of what would be considered alternative, but the quirkiness of the lead singer brings us back to the decade rather easily to where this still very much an 80s band at this time. This listener expected something familiar to the sounds of growing up in the 80s, a little bit of embarrassment from what seemed like a transitory decade from the grit of the 70s, to the glam of the 80s. Great album, and the "War Pigs" cover was nice.

Epic is clearly the, well, epic track here, but a great example of the beginning of the "nu-metal" / rock & hip-hop cross over genre.

Not the greatest sign that my favorite song was a cover of War Pigs, but this was alright!

I remember this some from when I was young but it is obvious that this is what many metal bands are TRYING to do.

I remember getting their next album because I really like "Midlife Crisis" and being really disappointed in the rest of the album. Was expecting the same here but I was really pleasantly surprised. Everything on the album is good, although it does fall off a little bit in the 2nd half but the only real dud was "Woodpecker from Mars".

ну ничо так, даже понравилось, слушабельный рокешник

First of all, this is on of the ugliest album covers yet. Good energy in the leading track, but as others've said, these old synths are really bad. Does really sound like RHCP. But mixed with some darker metal songs. Actually quite like this one. Really good, that's a 4

Really enjoyed this, some great songs on this album and you can play it loud!!!!! 4 stars

Ha sido una gracia leer y escucharlos sobre Faith No More, sobre todo porque me he dado cuenta que NADIE los conocía bien realmente (yo incluido). Es muy curioso porque esperaría que, como mucha gente, cuando pienso en Faith No More los demás pensarían en la canción “Epic” y su correspondiente video musical (lo cual también me da curiosidad ver que no mencionaron mucho). Siempre pensé que "Epic" sería una especie de Faith No More-light. Ese era el single y sería lo menos metal de ellos y que el resto sería mucho más pesado. En mi cabeza estaba seguro que eran casi hacia un Stone Temple Pilots con un poco más metal. De hecho tienen un elemento funk que yo no conocía, que casi los acerca hacia un Jane's Addiction (que es de mis bandas más entrañables de todo ese monton). Quedé sorprendido. Diría quizá que es más hard rock (y a veces metal), con funk y un poco de rock progresivo. Al escribir esto caigo en cuenta que también me recuerdan a Red Hot Chili Peppers, quizá una mezcla entre los Chili Peppers y Mars Volta lo resume bastante bien para mí. Bueno, dejemos de comparar, un disco muy sólido, creo que la canción que más me agradó fue "Falling to Pieces" (me sorprende que no haya sido un sencillo más grande y que todo lo que se recuerde sea Epic, siendo que se me hace mucho mejor canción). Esa canción instrumental también bastante bien lograda.

Nunca les había puesto atención y fueron un gran descubrimiento. Suenan excelente y aunque la canción más famosa incluye letra rappeada que siento que no va con el resto del disco, tampoco se me hace mala. Sí me hizo sentir un poco mal la idea de que seguramente estuvieron en algún festival al que asistí y los pude haber visto. 3.5 que sube a 4 porque definitivamente quiero escuchar más de ellos. Songs: Surprise! You're Dead!, Woodpecker From Mars

Love this album. Takes me back to when bands tried to push the envelope and try new things.

These guys had hot iron fame in my house when I was a kid. Mike Patton’s vocals grinding, but somehow is what makes the album.

Very surprised this came out in the 80s. You can definitely hear their influence on future bands, as it sounds like the predecessor to nu meta and other sub genres. The instrumentals are awesome, not a fan of the vocals.

Faith No More is Epic! As in the only song I knew going into it. Good album, not a five as it’s dated, but still pretty good. 4/5

Proper band with an album full of solid tunes.

What a hard rocking record. Funky, heavy, and energized. Mike Patton is an acquired taste but has the perfect voice to pair with the music, and everything just fits. Sometimes sounds a little too much like a RHCP knockoff but otherwise a great album.

A little dated now but loved it back when.

You know? I kinda like this. It's weird, yeah, but there are some thick beats underneath.

musically pretty interesting, but the lyrics and vocals were kind of obnoxious. 7/10

7/10. I feel like these guys listened to some metal music and were like "Wow, what if we made something like this but made it occasionally sound good?" I enjoyed most of these songs, Epic and War Pigs stood out as things I have heard before.

84/100 Top 3: "Surprise! You're Dead!", "Zombie Eaters" and "The Real Thing"

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. This music was interesting for its refusal to stay within a hard rock/metal framework. The funk and hip hop influences reminded me of RHCP with better songwriting and arrangement. I see why this band is so influential. This is not something I would have sought out for myself, but I'm really glad I got to listen to it.

3.75

Great band. Great album. Zombie Eaters is fantastic.

Classic

Great metal album by Faith No More with classics like "From Out of Nowhere", "Epic" and "Falling to Pieces". As always great guitar riffs and the vocals are excellent.

In Conclusione: i Faith No More sono praticamente la versione metal dei Sonic Youth, sono l'ispirazione base della maggior parte dei gruppi metal o pseudo metal che apprezzo. Devo dire che non sono mai stato un grande fan della voce di Mike Patton, per quanto sia innegabilmente bravo sembra sempre un po' troppo sopra le righe e che solo perché sa cambiare 15 registri li deve cambiare ogni due secondi. In ogni caso di sicuro i Faith No More sono più di Patton e questo album è ancora più innovativo di una gran parte dei gruppi metal di oggi ed è praticamente contemporaneo di ...And Justice For All. A prescindere dal valore storico devo dire che alcuni pezzi mi fomentano ancora e in certi momenti lo stile di Patton e la musica fanno click e il risultato è davvero figo. Gli dò 4 anche se forse è un 4 scarso ma li premio per rilevanza storica (le regole le faccio io e faccio come me pare). In più ci tengo a dire che chi odia la voce di Mike Patton non ce capisce un cazzo di musica e se non è d'accordo lo aspetto sul gruppo di WhatsApp

This is another tape I wore out. It was kind of exactly what I needed after graduating from the Poison and Metallica diet I had been on up to that point. The same hard-edged music that was just a good bit weirder. I think the tunes and performances hold up.

More than just "Epic." Great bridge between genres of 80s and 90s. Really enjoyed the War Pigs cover.

Another solid 4.5 that falls to the 4 star rating side, really wish we could do half stars. I'm a little "over" Epic, but the rest is super good. Can't mistake those bass lines for many other bands.

I really like this unique brand of metal going on here..."Underwater Love" was an especially creative track.

Fetzt

Enjoyed Underwater Love, and would probably listen to the album again. One of the better albums so far IMO. Has a definitive style and doesn't try to be something its not.

Partono qui ne aveva 21 di anni

I like this a lot. Nice and rocky.

Great

I liked this one. The heaviness factor gyrated and occasionally got too heavy but most the time I was digging it. I'm rounding up here but wtf

I was not expecting this. Really good, some songs I already knew. Mix of genres.

I’ve been a fan of this band for a long time, but I’ll be honest, it was more from a Greatest Hits album I found as opposed to the actual albums (Album of the Year withstanding, that’s a great one). This did not disappoint. The opening three tracks are killer, it flows from there. Really enjoyed this one and will explore more of their discography

(already heard this a bunch, including recently, so I will just rate it!)

Pretty much what I want out of a rock album, swaggering, full of personality and high energy. (Maybe would’ve cut a few songs for length but hey)

Pretty good and definitely better than other albums we've heard (*cough* auteurs *cough*), I liked the funky bass and blending of genres in some songs. Faves were Epic and Woodpecker from Mars

Some great tracks 👍

One of the best one-two opening punches in rock music, and in truth, the quality doesn't dip much from the onwards. The only weak link is Bottum's keys work, which sounds a bit rudimentary - especially so as I think his nagging, insistent riff throughout 'From Out of Nowhere' propels the song. A small quibble though, overall such a strong, meaty and fun album!

I thought I hadn't heard these guys before but there is song on here called Zombie Eaters that Ill Nino covered on that same album that had Territorial Pissings from the Nirvana album. I enjoyed this album, they felt like a slightly angrier Red Hot Chili Peppers. Besides that song, I really enjoyed Epic, too. The War Pigs cover was great and some of the others had some good pieces like Woodpecker from Mars. Interesting album cover as well. This was a welcome surprise for a monday!

Oh man. I love this band. I liked them for years but never went full convert until the 2000s. While this album undoubtedly spawned some terrible other bands, I still look at it specifically as a gateway record for me to get into alternative music. They had a top 20 album BEFORE Nirvana, which I think provided a real blueprint for weird, heavy, melodic music to find commercial success in the midst of hair metal mania. (For better or worse.) That said, it’s in no way my favorite Faith No More record and Mike Patton’s voice is so nasally and whiny in places here I wonder if he himself can even believe he made that choice. Still, I love “From out of Nowhere,” “Zombie Eaters,” and “Woodpecker from Mars.” And in 2015 I saw them and Refused play an outdoor show in Raleigh on a perfect sweaty night and you know what? “Epic” fucking ruled right down to the somber ending, which is one of only about three things I kinda know how to play on the piano.

respect

Good rock/rap album, I feel like they started this genre. it's not something I ever listened to outside of Rockband.

Pretty nuts that this was released in 89, feel like this record inspired a lot of bands. I remember reading Slash's autobiography and he said this album was the shit when it came out. A cavalcade of genres blended expertly, with one of the wildest vocalists. Only complaint is the keyboards sound dated as hell. Favorite tracks: "Surprise! You're Dead!", "Zombie Eaters"

Was very pleasantly surprised by this one. Didn't expect it to be nearly as good. 7.5-8/10

I really enjoyed this… more than I expected!

Good album, some real bangers on it. Vocals are annoying, overall sound is class though.

3.5/5

It’s like if the beastie boys and Bon Jovi had a baby, but the child was adopted by 90s era King Crimson

It was alright, I've heard a couple of the hits off this one before. Kinda 80s rock/grunge style, it's acceptable but nothing worth revisiting IMO.

An interesting blend of rock with various musical stylings, like metal, funk, and hip-hop. I found the vocals to be grating at times in their pitch, but overall matched the demands of the styles featured by each song. Unfortunately, none of the music appealed to me until the instrumental track Woodpecker From Mars, which exemplified the talent of the musicians in the band and their ability to shine on each of their respective instruments. The War Pigs cover carried this show of talent further as each player was able to add unique flourishes to each of their parts, making this track more enjoyable than most covers. Overall, I feel that Faith No More is generally a band whose musical quality is less than the sum talent of each individual member, and this album is no exception.

I like the excitement, the poppy semi-punk energy, of the opening number, From Out of Nowhere. What I can immediately tell will be irritating as the album progresses is the lead singer's voice. Patton's singing is kind of whiny and performative, something that is sometimes used to bolster songs into something stupidly good (Epic, War Pigs) and in other cases completely unhinged, almost gratingly so (The Morning After, Edge of the World). The track Epic definitely makes sense as the "popular" track. IT contains nicely spaced horns, adding a sort of rise-and-fall climactic element to an already dramatic piece. Nice guitar injections as well, both in the high and low register. The intro to the piece is completely unexpected – almost like a more 80s-esque Beastie Boys. It's followed by the similarly strong Falling to Pieces, whose vocal is extremely prominent but is softened a bit by the backing vocals and omnipresent synths in the back. After the poppiness and positivity of the opening trio, one might expect the music's intrigue to slowly diminish as we hear piece after piece of the equivalent of 80s easy-listening. But Faith No More clearly isn't afraid to diverge into much harder, less tonal rock – as seen with Surprise! You're Dead!. The fast, lengthy riffs and constantly changing time signatures and tempos remind me a bit of TOOL, though with a sort of thrash metal vocal much harsher than Keenan's. Then we get whiplash delivered straight to the gut, for Zombie Eaters is a (relatively) beautiful, soft ballad featuring only vocals, very quiet acoustic guitar, and held keyboard synth notes. At least, until a couple of minutes in. The song takes a bizarre turn into... hard rock, I guess? But not very good hard rock. Apparently the lyrics for this album were written in 10-12 days – yet I would've guessed 10-12 minutes: "So hug me and kiss me / And wipe my butt and piss me". I imagine this song could grow on you after many listens, but honestly I'm content with just a single run-through. At the beginning of side 2, we have a pretty nifty drum line, which absolutely sells the track. I guess the singing is relatively strong, too. But only as compared to the other songs here. The whiny delivery at 4:15 (and other places) is unequivocally crap, though. I generally like the smooth, simple rock of Underwater Love, contrasting texturally with some of the earlier tracks. The band seems to really love those high drone synth notes on the keyboard, though. We've heard it a few times before, and again it shows up in The Morning After. The singing also has that unbearably whiny, nasally quality that can't be good for either the ears or the larynx. Cool grungy bass part, though. Woodpecker From Mars is a pretty solid way to end on a climactic note. Plus, it's a purely instrumental track. Those two bonus tracks are actually some of the strongest on the album. Patton does a rock-solid Ozzy impression, to the point where the War Pigs cover could genuinely passed off as a live Black Sabbath performance. The only big difference from the Sabbath version is the various tempo changes throughout. Great cover of a great song. Weird choice to have a fine-dining (or elevator music) piano line as the hook for Edge of the World, given the rest of the music is worlds apart from fine-dining, but... sure. 3/5 Key tracks: From Out of Nowhere, Epic, War Pigs

As y'all know, I do not dig the snarly whiny so this singer is a no go for me..but it's a pretty kickin' album nonetheless and of course I remember Epic from back in the day

Good album, not great. I can see how FNM influenced an array of bands moving forward as their sound is definitely unique but not everything hit for me

Another band I found through Tony Hawk, kind of a more punk Chili Peppers? Epic is by far the standout, but I liked “Woodpecker from Mars” and the War Pugs cover. Doesn’t quite click for me like some of the other 80s punk.

So to start off: I know Mike Patton is one of the most versatile vocalists known to mankind, but I've never been a big fan. His voice just kinda annoys me, though not in a major way. Of course, this album isn't just Mike Patton, it's Faith No More. And this Faith No More album, it's fine. A lot of different styles, including some rap rock that may or may not have inspired nu metal. But while nothing sucks here, it's also true that none of this rises above mediocre to me, either. It almost feels worse that such a diverse sounding album is so mid, but I'm keeping this rating a low 3.

The band is really good, and then they have the most annoying vocalist ever

I was previously familiar with the track Epic from this album. This is a cross-genre album, covering rock, metal, and even some other elements like funk and rap. I already knew that I liked Epic, but there are some really interesting parts of this album. Woodpecker from Mars is a particularly nice instrumental. I would listen to this again.

Epic is worth the whole album

I liked it. At some points it was too heavy metal but I would definitely listen to some songs again

Epic is an amazing song, but the rest of the album isn’t great.

It felt a bit corny at times. Felt similar about Incubus as it sounded amazing at the time but hasn't aged that well musically. But still some good songs in here

Pretty good, I appreciate the music but I didn’t have many saves, I’ve listened to epic before and it lives up to the name ITS EPIC, and the energy of it is also, THE GUITAR TONE IS GREAT

i've managed to see mike patton twice by happenstance. once opening for tool with tomahawk and once at a poorly attended, one-time festival with peeping tom. since then he's popped up on my radar on a few john zorn records. tomahawk - decidedly not my thing in 2002, but have never revisited. peeping tom - a fun watch and i have a copy of the album, but it hasn't been a thing i've listened to since 2006 probably. it does have some cool collabs (rahzel, dan the automator, kool keith, massive attack, kid koala, norah jones, dub trio). the live group also had rahzel dub trio. john zorn - hell yeah. anyways, faith no more... i'd only ever heard "epic", so i assumed it was all rap rock. it is definitely not that. "epic" might be the least exciting tune on the album. it's far more eclectic and veers far more towards metal and rock. "zombie eaters" and "the real thing" are great tunes. an instrumental is an odd way to end the album tho, imo. the "war pigs" cover is a fun bonus.

Pretty decent. Fav: “Zombie eaters”

Few good tunes.

Was this the birth of nu metal? The war pigs cover was pretty good but most of it seemed quiet and tame. Still a good time

3.5

3.75 overall great, but there are some real stinkers in there early.

It was a ery eclectic album that was pulled down by its pwn nature of one song being great. Then style changing into something different and less good.

Epic still remains the centrepiece of the album and I have a lot of nostalgia for it. Ultimately, it can't save the album and the rap-rock sounding dated.

A classic rock album. The Album as a whole was just ok but there were some iconic songs on there like war pigs.

Fun little time capsule of an album.

74/100

Surprisingly solid.

“You want it all and you can’t have it.” I didn’t want it anyway.

I had a cassette of this in high school. It might have been the last cassette I ever bought. Not sure. I never really liked Mike Payton’s voice. I find it grating. I like the range of the writing and the idiosyncratic vision, though.

I still like Falling to Pieces a lot; Epic a little less so but it was fun to hear again. The War Pigs cover is decent. The rest has moments but nothing stands out.

Good album, not great. I can see how FNM influenced an array of bands moving forward as their sound is definitely unique but not everything hit for me

I was really looking forward to listen to this album, when it popped up aaand... kind of a bummer. It feels wrong though: gotta go with a 3 and a promise to myself that I'll revisit it.

Not bad

Half stars would be nice. This is right on the edge of where I'd almost be excited to hear it again in 6 months, but not quite there. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a whole album in the style of "Epic". It didn't disappoint, but it also didn't light me on fire like I'd hope.

It was fine - a little to Metal for my taste, which is more Alternative.

I like this.

It is out of sight

пока не научилась отличать от фейтлес но в целом не)

Assuming that Faith No More were more inclined to whining grunge (and Lionel Ritchie covers), this was a decent surprise. Aside from 'Epic' I knew of no others. 'Epic' could be the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a jolly good version of them at that. White boy funk, sizzling guitar, and catchy chorus, if absolutely meaningless lyrics. Whilst most of the album isn't the characterless grunge I expected, as it goes on the novelty wears thin and the tracks start to feel a conglomeration of the humdrum. In truth it's higher than a two but lower than a three. Yet a two is too harsh when the album they've produced is decent.

Fajne. Takie 3,5. Najlepszy był cover Black Sabbath xD.

I'm glad to finally hear the album behind their epic single (get it?), as it's a lot more interesting than I expected, or that the opening track "From out of nowhere" would lead you to think. I can understand why the band resisted being labeled metal (at least in the Mike Patton incarnation), as they're a lot more varied than and certainly not as hard-driving as most contemporary metal bands. I'm impressed that Mike Patton was only 19 or 20 years old when he got recruited to anchor the album, and watching the album's singles' videos reinforces how *young* he was (and very much *not* dressed or acting like a metalhead, or even a rocker; Boy George comes to mind at times). I still think Patton was even more suited for his work with Mr. Bungle, but it's kind of fun to hear echoes of that bizarre experiment in the longer tracks like "Zombie eaters" and "Edge of the world" (and perhaps the title track). Who cares a lot? Mike does!

I didn't not know that this band was metal. So now I know, and this album is actually quite good.

Better than Coldplay

Great nostalgic trip down memory lane. I always enjoyed this album as a kid but haven’t listened to it in a long time

Interesting heavier rock album. Some good songs but overall not quite my taste.

Not bad, not great

I can see how it was formative for lots of bands, but hasn't aged very well imo

do not like singer's voice

While "The Real Thing" is undoubtedly a fine album, I have never been able to fully connect with Faith No More—and I am still not entirely sure why. On paper, all the individual elements are there for me to like them a lot. However, across the albums I have listened to, those elements rarely come together consistently enough for me to consider their work truly essential. This record is no exception. "The Real Thing" is a solid and influential release that features strong individual components, but ultimately lacks the overarching consistency needed to make it a personal favourite. Three stars. The Spotify version I listened to had two extra tracks to the original release: firstly, an excellent cover of Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' and then a jazzy track called 'Edge of the World'. 1 "From Out of Nowhere" (3/5) 2 "Epic" (4/5) 3 "Falling to Pieces" (3/5) 4 "Surprise! You're Dead!" (3/5) 5 "Zombie Eaters" (3/5) 6 "The Real Thing" (4/5) 7 "Underwater Love" (3/5) 8 "The Morning After" (3/5) 9 "Woodpecker from Mars" (instrumental) (4/5) Total - 31 Average - 3.44 355/1001 190/355 albums reviewed were new to me.

'89, way ahead of its time - ceiling is still only so high though

It was okay, low 3* 3/5

"The Real Thing" has like traces of Red Hot Chili Peppers but with more metal. The parallel makes more sense when the vocalist at times sounds like Anthony Kiedis, at other times like he inhaled helium. If you take that away, I hear some pretty ordinary metal with a hint of funk beats.

Like it 3/5

This one was fine. Not amazing, not awful. I didn't want to throw it across the room or kiss the speaker. The musicianship is OK, but it feels like they're going through the motions. There's a good riff here and there, but nothing that made me want to dive deeper. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Epic - Falling to Pieces - War Pigs

Patton's sometimes grating vocal delivery and the dated rap rock-elements really drag this down, but you gotta appreciate the effort that goes into some of these tracks.

From an instrumentation perspective I enjoyed parts of this. I however think the vocalist can get annoying. He has a wide range and is very eclectic, but sometimes I feel he’s geeking a bit too much- and that takes me out of it. I can think of a few artists of the top of my head this work could’ve inspired. One of the being Limp Bizkit, and (walk with me) a more contemporary analogue would be the hardcore band Drain.

You want it all by you can’t have it… an inoffensive but fun romp that introduced the world to a legendary single.

Epic vocals as the song the rest of the tunes are repeating , however nice par metal like the peppers

Random thoughts: * Did Faith No More get kind of tagged with one-hit wonder status because Epic was so popular and ubiquitous? * This seems like a solid rocking band. And probably has a dedicated and passionate fanbase. * I think they may have suffered by not really fitting into 80s hair metal and they weren't really grunge once the 90s rolled around. They did a different kind of rock music that was more aligned towards Rush. * I was passively listening and I stopped and said to myself: "This sounds like Black Sabbath". Oh hey! It's a cover of Black Sabbath! lol * I listened to this one through 2 times through while working. Was solid and I might revisit again but I doubt I'll come back except for Epic.

ROCK

Meh it's got that one hit in it and unfortunately popularized rap metal

Interesting album. Hits a lot of different things while still being directional, but I don't think it's fully formed, either. Mike Patton's vocals are hit and miss and I just don't groove to it the way I want to, though I will echo everyone that the War Pigs cover is great.

it wasnt too bad. Wasn't a fan of the vocal. Drum not bad at all

Love the music, hate the vocals

3.4

3.9

Lots of different sounds on this album

Metal utan att vara metal. Starka låtar. En stark trea

Explosive alternative metal driven by churning riffs, slap-heavy bass lines, sharp funk rhythms, and wildly elastic vocals feels like being trapped inside a carnival ride operated by a stand-up comedian with a grudge—chaotic, theatrical, and surprisingly precise. The collision of metal, funk, rap, and hard rock constantly threatens to spiral apart, yet the performances keep everything locked together with muscular confidence. Its restless experimentation makes for an uneven but undeniably influential listen. *War pigs" caught me the most ("just like witches at black masses").

was surprised to find war pigs cover in there. interesting listen, was a mix of genres.

This was a weird one. Wide range of 2000’s nu metal peeps these dudes influenced it seems. Definitely ahead of its time while still having some weird growths. I found myself rocking out half the time and half cringing. Not a huge fan of their new vocalist, but sometimes I like him— weird! Anyways the RHCP beef is hilarious and I see the connection. Fuck peppers though. At the very least you’ve got to give it to FNM for being a unique sound, even if it’s a sound you don’t like. 3.5

Los escuché porque le gustaban a mi hijo adolescente. Hoy resulta ridiculo ver el video de Epic. No han envejecido bien.

Обычно я очень всеядный человек, но, наверное, первая группа из пика, которую я никогда не слушала и вряд ли еще когда либо захочу включить. Абсолютно мимо меня. В таком жанре бывает настроение что-то послушать, но данные личности совсем не заинтриговали. Для 1989 года возможно и круто, не буду этого отрицать. Но боринг ас фак, вокал раздражал всю дорогу. Американские дядьки. Еще и так долго. Наверное, просто не мой cup of tea.

variable

Enjoyed how eclectic this was, decent war pigs cover

Yeah it’s alright, doesn’t truly stick with me much but it’s some solid alt-rock. It’s something that’d sound amazing after a few beers. Standouts are From Out Of Nowhere, The Real Thing, The Morning After and Edge of the World.

Lowkey ate but it could’ve ate harder

Está bueno para innovar, es el rock que me gusta a mi. Pero igualmente tienen canciones medio raras y tranquilamente podría morir sin escucharlo. (Buenos bajos)

Some really good instrumentals here, not sure if I like or hate the vocals but it's definitely different. Quite a fun album to listen to, but not one I can see myself coming back to anytime soon.

Overall Rating - 2.86/5 (5.72/10). Middle of the road, mostly. If you're going to cover Sabbath, you need a vocalist much closer to Ozzy, not someone who sounds whiny, thin, and reedy.

Better than what I’m about to say suggests, but such a precursor and inspiration for nu-metal that it isn’t even funny.

Epic is not bad (though completely overplayed), but this record is tough to swallow in a lot of places. Some areas seem solid, others are cringy.

This in an ok album. But it is not insignificant that the best song of the record is a Black Sabbath classic.

*1989. San Francisco band. *Epic is the big hit here ("You want it all but you can't have it // It's in your face but you can't grab it") *This was fine - it's all kind of the same vibe as Epic. There are much better options though if I'm in the mood for grunge/rock. RATING - 6.5/10

2.5

The first half of this album reminds me of a 2000s emo band and it’s just ok. Then it gets more rock and I started liking it more. The Black Sabbath cover is a great cover and I like it the most.

there may be a time and a place for this

This isn't really my thing, but I think it's a good version of the thing they're doing.

Interesante, el vocalista tiene una voz muy versátil El cover de War Pigs les quedó bien Tienen unas instrumentales dignas también Este álbum es del 89 por lo que es una marca de lo que los 90s iban a representar en su momento eso es de destacar 3.4

Love the Black Sabbath cover

It is okay as an album, with one fantastic song in Epic.

Que metal tan poperon!

More like no more faith in een goed album eyoooo. Nee maar serieus, geen heel boeiend album muzikaal gezien, wel tof dat dit een duidelijk pre-cursor was voor nu-metal én dat de zanger van Mr Bungle en Faith No More een en dezelfde persoon is, leuk weetie.

I loved Epic at one time, but never known anything else about FNM. That song is still fun but it is kinda corny. The rest of the album is quite boring (especially for a loud rock album) until the Black Sabbath cover. Which just goes to show how uninteresting the FNM penned songs are. Tbf I did then find the slow rumbling closer quite interesting. 2.6/5

Mid

Very generic butt funk rock with the twist of having maybe the most talented rock/metal vocalist ever. Mike Patton is in his element here, but the record is kind of a mess, slowing waaaaay the fuck down after the first few songs and just generally unable to keep attention. Still, among their peers they were a tighter, more balanced band and Mike Patton clears Anthony Kiedis every day of the week.

Favorite Track: Surprise! You're Dead!

Theres a particular infatuation amongst gen x people and early milenials of this band that ai never quite bought. But as I get older I think I see the appeal now. Its a smorgashboard of musical influences, counter culture relevance, and enougg societal sarcasm that it speaks to an older middle age listener. Which for me when I was young, I was surrounded by middle age gen x and millenials. Interesting. Its not the best albun ever, but its got bitchin riffs and sounds quite authentic.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. With the band name I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a pretty solid album. Nearly a 4 but it's more of a strong 3 for me.

I'm on board for high-octane hard rock so this was pretty enjoyable listening for me. I didn't love the vocals, generally. They feel a bit overdone, and the odd synthy moments are a little too 80s. Take a few layers of polish off and there's some great stuff lurking under it all.

It's alright. For a few songs I was pretty excited but it started to wear on me as the album continued. It sounded bad, something with the production made it a little fuzzy or harsh sounding. But I really liked the creativity and bombast and the way each song was a journey.

Good times, the big jam remains a big jam.

This was fun, and I don't think I knew how varied Faith No More's music style was.

Good range. Like if guns and roses met red hot chilli peppers. I had this on at the gym and probably enjoyed this a bit more than either of those bands. Probably a decent 3

I like his voice. It’s very put on (I think now he does a lot of voice acting - certainly he was The Darkness in those class games) but it’s unique. My dad got me into faith no more years ago, with Angel Dust which I remember loving. This was good but nothing touched the quality of Epic

Solid album, good energy

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 was decent in places but nothing special

Epic is a great track but the album is weak overall. #johnsCDs

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

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.

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.

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."

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

Sometimes I feel like I really like it. Then sometimes I feel like it is everything immature and annoying about numetal.

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

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

Great record. A 3,7

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.

okay

Tooootally forgot about Epic! 3/5

I wanted to love this, but I love the music it inspired so much more that this mostly paled in comparison.

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.

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...

Neke pisme hype neke ne, al ok je sve u svemu. 6/10 Najbolja pisma: Epic

(66/100)

Still got faith hahaha

I like the music progression but I’m not really into the vocals

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.

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???

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

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.

Some good hits but all in all boring