ALBUM REVIEW: Faith No More – Sol Invictus
Words: Jessica Howkins
Sol Invictus, the first FAITH NO MORE album in 18 years, with high anticipation for the release, it is safe to say fans of the band won’t be let down.
Featuring the line-up of the last recorded album, Album of the Year and being produced by themselves, it is clear that Sol Invictus is not just a reunion album, it is a ‘look who is back and ready to rock’ album.
Introducing the album is the title track, with a sound that immediately sucks you in. With a dark sound, it is a perfect introduction to leading into the charged up, thunderous Superhero. It is just a taster of how excellent Sol Invictus is executed and how FAITH NO MORE have not given up on experimenting with their sound, despite being hidden away for so long.
Introducing a side order of Ska and Funk to Sunny Side Up, there is a glimmer of the sounds that FAITH NO MORE were loved for back in the days of their incredible previous work. From the somewhat jolly Sunny Side Up, Mike Patton may as well be demonstrating his vocal work for The Darkness (game) in Separation Anxiety. With a demonic sound to his vocal style and the way it works against the music, it is definitely a track that should be left to long-time listeners of FAITH NO MORE.
Cone of Shame is definitely one of the highlights on the album, displaying what makes FAITH NO MORE so loved, Billy Gould with that bass. Throughout the career of the band, one of the most loved elements in the music is of course how the bass has been delivered and Cone of Shame gives everyone what they’ve been missing.
Rise of the Fall, gives Mike Patton yet again another opportunity to throw out his twisted and creepy vocal style that he has kept throughout Sol Invictus. Mixing it in smoothly with the backing of Reggae and Samba, it is proof that experimentation is the way FAITH NO MORE work.
With stunning acoustic guitar elements, Black Friday is a stunning track that constantly builds up and makes room for expectation of it ready to take off into another world but never does in possibly the best way. Motherfucker was FAITH NO MORE’s second single from Sol Invictus, amusingly showing the band may not have wanted radio airplay at all. Despite being fuelled with foul language, it is a track that shows off Jon Hudson’s beautiful guitar playing, being the only noticeable solo on the album.
Matador, one of the finest tracks to be on Sol Invictus and one of the most ambitious that the band have written to date. Chilling, funky, everything in between, and everything you can expect and want from a FAITH NO MORE track.
A stunning closure to the beginning of FAITH NO MORE’s return, From the Dead sets the perfect feeling for a track that leaves everyone remembering exactly what it was they missed about this band and why Sol Invictus is more than just a comeback record, it is the sort of past that none of us mind digging up.
With excellent experimentation, superb vocals, beautiful music and incredible production, Sol Invictus is the perfect way to walk back into a room and remember that some things, we should not let go of and FAITH NO MORE is one of them.
Rating: 9/10
Sol Invictus is available now via Reclamation Recordings.
