Spurred by a lazy crossword clue in The Onion (36 down, four letters: “Faith No More’s only hit”), MetalSucks contributor Anso DF dedicates every single day in August to celebration and exploration of the San Francisco alt-metal greats. Here we prove that history’s greatest band landed more than one commercial hit (crossword answer: “Epic” natch), we revel in FNM’s embarrassing wealth of winning album tracks (themselves often fit for chart topping), and we dip into the staggering best of the b-sides (ditto). Along the way, we survey the context of FNM’s big break (amid similarly seminal acts Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Ween) to post-Nevermind, panic-based music commerce in which the brilliantly versatile, fearless powerhouse band operated until their 1998 demise. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Song ”Caffeine”

Written by Patton (L); Gould, Patton (M)

Released 1992

Appears on Angel Dust album

Produced by Matt Wallace

Guitars by Jim Martin

Key lyric ”The world expects the pose/It’s perfectly natural/Loosen up”

Single? No.

The climate In 1989, The Real Thing‘s title track hinted at Faith No More’s capability for foreboding, violent songcraft; three years later on Angel Dust‘s second song, “Caffeine,” that hatched into full-bore bloodlust.

Awesome song elevated to supra-awesomeness by cinematic storytelling, found in large supply on Angel Dust. I don’t know what “Caffeine” is about (the aftermath of a murder?), but I know it would fit snugly over the end credits for Le Samurai (“Make contact/Up to my neck/I confess in quicksand”), Irreversible (“Do you have something to tell me?”), and Bad Lieutenant (“I’m warning you/I’m warning you/I’m fucking you/I’m warning you”).

Didja know? The lyrics to “Caffeine” are the product of a Mike Patton sleep deprivation experiment. Also, keyboardist Roddy Bottum stated at the time that Patton used no drugs except for caffeine. Wait really?

–ADF

METALSUCKS’ 31 DAYS OF FAITH NO MORE

5 “Caffeine”

4 “Falling To Pieces” (read)

3 “Stripsearch” (read)

2 ”Ricochet” (read)

1 ”Land Of Sunshine” (read)

Spurred by a lazy crossword clue in The Onion (36 down, four letters: “Faith No More’s only hit”), MetalSucks contributor Anso DF dedicates every single day in August to celebration and exploration of the San Francisco alt-metal greats. Here we prove that history’s greatest band landed more than one commercial hit (crossword answer: “Epic” natch), we revel in FNM’s embarrassing wealth of winning album tracks (themselves often fit for chart topping), and we dip into the staggering best of the b-sides (ditto). Along the way, we survey the context of FNM’s big break (amid similarly seminal acts Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Ween) to post-Nevermind, panic-based music commerce in which the brilliantly versatile, fearless powerhouse band operated until their 1998 demise. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Song ”Stripsearch”

Written by Patton (L); Hudson, Patton, Bordin, Gould (M)

Released 1997

Appears on Album of the Year album

Produced by Roli Mosimann (Swans, Wiseblood), Billy Gould

Guitars by Jon Hudson

Key lyric ”Don’t be ashamed/Next in line/Close one eye/Just walk by”

Single? Yes, AotY‘s third and final (preceded by “Ashes To Ashes” and “Last Cup Of Sorrow”)

The climate Faith No More might’ve been ailing by Album of the Year, their most grim and least cohesive release with Patton. If “Ashes” and “Sorrow” defined band mood, then “Stripsearch” hammered at it: despair. And the rise of Limp Bizkit was still to come. A 1999 FNM record would’ve been interesting.

Awesome song elevated to supra-awesomeness by a few awesome touches: There’s that cool squelchy loop, Patton’s cry-for-help backing vocals, and the track’s guitarlessness ended by Hudson’s starkly beautiful solo — that last thing makes a fan want more FNM with Hudson.

Didja know? Bassist Billy Gould was quoted saying that the five-note loop saved “Stripsearch” from sounding like Queensryche and helped it to sound like Portishead. When asked for comment, Geoffs Tate and Barrow replied, “We wish.”

-ADF

METALSUCKS’ 31 DAYS OF FAITH NO MORE

3 “Stripsearch”

2 ”Ricochet” (read)

1 ”Land Of Sunshine” (read)

Spurred by a lazy crossword clue in The Onion (36 down, four letters: “Faith No More’s only hit”), MetalSucks contributor Anso DF dedicates every single day in August to celebration and exploration of the San Francisco alt-metal greats. Here we prove that history’s greatest band landed more than one commercial hit (crossword answer: “Epic” natch), we revel in FNM’s embarrassing wealth of winning album tracks (themselves often fit for chart topping), and we dip into the staggering best of the b-sides (ditto). Along the way, we survey the context of FNM’s big break (amid similarly seminal acts Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Ween) to the post-Nevermind, panic-based recording industry in which the brilliantly versatile, fearless powerhouse band operated until their 1998 demise. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Song “Ricochet”

Written by Patton (L); Gould, Bordin, Patton (M)

Released 1995

Appears on King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime album

Produced by Andy Wallace

Guitars by Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle)

Key lyric “And I’d rather be shot in the face/Than hear what you’re gonna say”

Awesome song elevated to supra-awesomeness by Patton’s alternating of wide-open, cracky shouts and perfect pitched singing, sometimes in the same phrase (see 3:27). Impossible to fake. Studdd.

Single? Yes, King‘s second (preceded by “Digging The Grave” and followed by “Evidence”)

The climate “Ricochet” faced Modern Rock radio competition from such timeless greats as Better Than Ezra (“Good”), Live (“Lightning Crashes” barf), and Bush (“Comedown”).

Didja know? it’s been reported that “Ricochet” is shorthanded as “Nirvana” on setlists because it was written on the day of Kurt Cobain’s death.

-ADF

METALSUCKS’ 31 DAYS OF FAITH NO MORE

2 ”Ricochet”

1 ”Land Of Sunshine” (read)

Spurred by a lazy crossword clue in The Onion (36 down, four letters: “Faith No More’s only hit”), MetalSucks contributor Anso DF dedicates every single day in August to celebration and exploration of the San Francisco alt-metal greats. Here we prove that history’s greatest band landed more than one commercial hit (crossword answer: “Epic” natch), we revel in FNM’s embarrassing wealth of winning album tracks (themselves often fit for chart topping), and we dip into the staggering best of the b-sides (ditto). Along the way, we survey the context of FNM’s big break (amid comparably rad acts Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Ween) to post-Nevermind panic-based music commerce in which the brilliantly versatile, fearless powerhouse band operated until their 1998 demise. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Song ”Land Of Sunshine”

Written by Patton (L); Gould, Bottum (M)

Released 1992

Appears on Angel Dust album

Produced by Matt Wallace

Guitars by Jim Martin

Key lyric ”Do you feel sometimes that age is against you?”

Single? Yes, promo only (preceded by “Midlife Crisis” and followed by “A Small Victory”)

The climate As the opening track of Angel Dust, “Land Of Sunshine” welcomed listeners back to a now bleaker land of Faith No More, in which singer Mike Patton — fresh off recording and touring with Mr. Bungle — began to contribute more than just lyrics.

Awesome song elevated to supra-awesomeness by keyboardist Roddy Bottum’s vertiginous, carnivalesque arpeggios throughout the chorus, which underline the song’s — and the band’s — recurring thread that life is seasickness.

Didja know? According to Wikipedia, “Land”‘s lyrics were inspired by fortune cookies and a Church of Scientology questionnaire. Oh so that’s why Tom Cruise bumps this jam.

–ADF

Reader Dan Wolfson maxin’ and relaxin’ at home

Early this week I kinda ripped on reader Dan Wolfson for making me listen to Painted in Exile; I may have been a little rude, but in my defense, Dan called me us “idiots” and “fools,” and I’m pretty grumpy even when someone is nice to me.

But Dan e-mailed me later that very same day to make nice and “redeem” (his word, not mine) himself. So I thought we might all check out these bands together, and see if there’s not anything that washes the taste of Painted in Yucky out of my mouth.

Click to read more…

We bid fuck off to 2010 tonight ,and that’s sad cuz this year contained the last days of  Type O Negative’s Peter Steele and metal’s Babe Ruth, Ronnie James Dio. We also have to prematurely turn the page on Paul Gray of Slipknot (see you in lefty heaven, dude), Bay Area legend Debbie Abono, and Makh Daniels from Early Graves. It’s like we’re leaving them behind in ’10 and will be forced to forge a path beyond 2011 without their support. What a rip-off.

Okay, this is turning into a real bummer and, worse, it’s redundant to our oft-blubbery reportage of these deaths and others. But today, let’s quickly acknowledge that outside of the MetalSucks coverage umbrella fell the passings of two friends of metal, actor Tony Curtis and filmmaker Satoshi Kon. Curtis may’ve been a marquee leading man and master of frantic comedy in the ’60s, but he first delivered the single greatest, metallist, brilliantest line of dialogue in the history of cinema in 1957′s The Sweet Smell of Success (see headline). Even Mike Patton and Tomahawk made it the refrain of their jam “Laredo” (above, at 1:40). Which is odd cuz that album also has a track named “Sweet Smell of Success.”

Then there’s Satoshi Kon, whose mind-mangling 13-part series Paranoia Agent is one of those works that metal people can love for its non-damning treatment of outsider fuck-ups and its flip, fatalist depiction of mankind’s collective narcissism. It brings to bear the desolate panic of Hitchcock, Lynch’s themes of futile struggle against unfathomable evil, and inevitable dead-end violence, as found in Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Which is odd, cuz the star of that movie reminds me of Mike Patton.

Cheers everybody! See you back here in 2011!

-ADF

There is something both inspiring and kitschy about the melding of unexpected musical genres.  Rockabilly, surfpunk, jazzcore, deathpolka…..it’s rather hard to smush two (or more) wildly different sounds together and have it flow seamlessly (unless if you’re Fishbone).

But Brooklyn’s own Dub Trio have been succeeding at such a feat since 2004.  The group has taken instrumental heavy progressive riffage and the almighty dub, and is able to flip on a dime between the two genres without it seeming abrupt in the least.  How do they do it, you ask?  Well obviously exceptional musicianship, for starters.  And the most interesting factor comes from the rhythmic shifts, which in and of themselves could be called unusual or daring, but the drastic style-flip always feels original, even when one might be expecting it.

And fear not, my br00tals…..over the years, the sound has evolved into something quite aggressive.  At least until the dub pedal activates.

Click to read more…

My nuts in yr soup, bloop!!

-KW

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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (sometimes) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.

There weren’t any real hot button topics this week, so we decided to just play a fun game that used to keep Vince and Axl occupied for many a lunch period when they were kids:

The MS staff’s answers after the jump.

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Remember when there was a character on the soap opera All My Children who was obsessed with Mike Patton? Well, now that same show has name dropped Genghis Tron. Check it out:

Do we think that Mookie Singerman ever thought in a bajillion years that he’d be kinda-sorta mentioned on a soap opera? I feel like Genghis Tron have arrived!

And, incidentally, I think Mookie is a Mets fan. Just sayin’.

-AR

[via Metal Injection]

I’m still smacking myself for taking this long to discover Dub Trio, a band that combines two of my musical loves by striking a perfect blend between heavy, progged out Helmet-style metal and deep, delicious dub grooves. It might seem like an odd pairing, but somehow it just works. Given the fact that the band hail from my backyard of Brooklyn and are on Mike Patton’s Ipecac Recordings… how the fuck did I miss them until now?

Apparently I’m not the only one, as their Wednesday night show at the small downstairs lounge at Santo’s Party House was just half full, but boy did they play hard and impress the fuck out of all those attendance. I’m still in shock by how heavy, tight and just good they were; it’s one of those of shows where I spent the whole time being transfixed by one band member or another (usually uber-slick drummer Joe Tomino) and before I knew it the whole thing was over. If someone told me Dub Trio were playing again tonight, I’d cancel my plans to watch the Mets sweep the Philthies and be there, front row center.

-VN

Until last year, I had no idea what a frickin Juggalo was. And I’m still pretty goddamn perplexed by the whole scene…..whwhwhwhy???

I always knew that the Insane Clown Posse existed but (for obvious reasons) avoided their klown-a-verse like a 3-ring plague. And now that I’ve finally heard their “music” I can wholeheartedly say that they are straight-up terrible — I can only imagine how retarded the fans who are buying this po-dunk rap shtick must be. Yeah I said it, no secret how awful this ICP nonsense is…….COME ON!!!!!!

And yet I can’t help but ponder that if this world was a just place, the most appropriate soundtrack for a band with demented circus leanings should be BUNGLE.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of that first amazing Mr. Bungle album, and it still sounds as revolutionary and fresh as ever. Required listening for Mike Patton fans.

The entire Mr. Bungle debut album after the jump.  Bigtop this, bitches.

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EVERYBODY SING WITH ME NOW: “I FEEL PRETTY, OH SO PRETTY, I FEEL PRETTY, AND WITTY, AND BRIIIIIIIGHT!”

No West Side Story fans in the house? No one? Okay, fuck it. Here’s what happened in the world of FUCKING METAL this week:

• We’re streaming Mantric’s The Descent in its entirety.
• We’re giving away new tracks by Nevermore and Heaven Shall Burn.
• We debuted a new video by Karma to Burn.
• Cynic’s Paul Masvidal meditated on unexplained healings, As I Lay Dying’s Nick Hipa gave us a refresher on L O S T, The Austerity Program’s Justin Foley thinks it’s okay to enjoy music by scumbags, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable wants your help naming his new band, and Eyal from Daath and Levi/Werstler wants you to start ordering CDs online.
• We spoke to Mike Patton and Brian Posehn.
• Slayer and Megadeth are both doing full album performances on their American Carnage tour; Testament, not so much.
• Rose Funoral just can’t live down their past.

Next week brings so many interviews and exclusives it’ll make your head explode. See ya then!

-AR

It’s true. I interviewed Mike Patton. Do I even need to do an introductory paragraph for this? You either know who Mike Patton is or you have no fucking business reading this website. Disagree? Suck it.

I will say this, though. Mr. Patton’s latest album, Mondo Cane, is a collection of Italian language cover songs, recorded with a forty-piece orchestra. And it’s fucking great. While that might not sound very metal, it makes sense to anyone who’s followed his career of making exciting, challenging, and even befuddling music with groups like Faith No More, Fantomas, and Mr. Bungle. Check out what he has to say about Mondo Cane – and much more — below.

Click to read more…

Musicians are strange creatures. Their work hours and habits are almost always odd, hygiene is often suspect, and sanity questionable.

If I had to point out one thing that ties all musicians together, it would be inspiration, often drawn from a simple but strong love for music. Inspiration comes from all varieties of thoughts and experiences though, and most will agree that it is a mystical and almost spiritual matter that is difficult to qualify. For me, personally, my inspiration is the most important thing I have in life because it guides all of my goals and efforts to blast through them. Although it may be oriented around music for whatever reason, the specifics of what I am inspired to do are not crystal clear. It is not instrument, genre, or socially based. It is just to create.

I have always been in awe of musicians that are able to look past the world’s conceptions of genre. For some bands, it is absolutely correct for them to do their thing 100% their way and use their tested process over and over, record after record. I don’t mean being stale, either… Development and growth between records is an assumed necessity for me to take a band seriously. Examples of bands that know their sound or process well and tend to stick to it (with great results) would include bands like Meshuggah, Megadeth, Behemoth, Muse, Deftones, and even more progressive bands like The Mars Volta, Opeth, and Dream Theater. But the musicians that REALLY get me thinking these days are ones who understand how to take a complete 180 degree turn: drop the world’s, or maybe just critics’, perception on its head, and use new influences from a completely different angle. It is almost as if they side-step into a bizarro dimension and are running two or more separate careers. Musicians that can accomplish this demonstrate a certain type of understanding and mental clarity that is all too rare. Here are some of my favorite examples:

Click to read more…

This past August, former Faith No More vocalist Chuck Mosley claimed that the band had invited him to participate in at least one of their European reunion shows, but that he couldn’t partake because “my passport expired and I couldn’t get it in time.” This was part of the same interview in which that he asserted that that firing Jim Martin “was as big if not bigger a mistake than getting rid of me” because without Martin (who Mosley said was “the personality” of the band), “That Jagger/Richards, Plant/Page thing was gone.” My point being that once you’ve argued that the Great Pumpkin is really real, you lose all credibility, and I was never really sure that Mosley had been invited to participate in any FNM reunion.

Well, a bag of crow I doth eateth, ’cause Mosley hopped on-stage with the band last night in San Francisco for a rendition of the group’s classic song “We Care a Lot.” [And some others, as it turns out. -Ed.] Unfortunately, his voice sounded like shit, he managed to muster all the excitement of Gene Hoglan being told he has to eat a salad, the song was not done as a duet with Mike Patton [Although "Introduce Yourself" was. - Ed.], and poor Chucky had to stoop to sharing the stage with Jon Hudson, Martin’s replacement that less than a year ago Mosley claimed he couldn’t even name.

The FNM dudes are mensches for having Mosley on-stage, but when they come to NYC this summer, I seriously hope they leave Mosley in SF. ‘Cause as much as I like this song, I always thought it sounded better with Mike Patton. The way pretty much everything sounds better with Mike Patton.

-AR

[via Rib]

I haven’t been able to shake this cold, and so I’ve actually been playing a lot of on-line Scrabble with a friend this week (because I’m just that cool). It would be really hard to play Scrabble at a metal show, though, not least of all because so many metal d00dz can’t spell.

When we weren’t beating this whole Uno debacle to death like it had just heckled us, here’s what was happening in the world of metal:

• We streamed Mutiny Within’s self-titled debut album, and premiered a track by Dallas Coyle’s new project, Genetic.
• God Forbid’s Doc Coyle defended mainstream metal, As I Lay Dying’s Nick Hipa discussed the cliffside cave list on L O S T, and, yeah, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable and Daath’s Eyal Levi each weighed-in on a certain incident involving a certain card game.
• Each of the MetalSucks writers endorsed a finalist for the Scion No Label Needed Contest.
• We checked out new albums by The Breathing Process, Hayaino Daisuki, and Bane and Rhinoceros.
• We debated the morality of a label head posting a link to an album leak.
• We are woman, hear us roar.
• We looked at Mike Patton’s penis, and are now increasingly happy our shrink is coming back from vacation next week.
• Our homeboy Corey Mitchell is co-authoring Phil Anselmo’s autobiography!

Okay. Back to Scrabble! See ya Monday. Stay warm.

-AR

Well, the headline says it all. According to The PRP, Mike whipped out his Patton during a recent Faith No More performance in Australia. And since we’re equal-opportunity offenders here at MetalSucks, fair’s fair…

So, after the jump, have a look at Mr. Patton’s penis. Needless to say, it’s NSFW.

Click to read more…

Here’s something about you probably don’t care to know: I used to work in the non-music side of showbidness. During that time, I had a professional relationship with the New York theater actor, Jeffrey Carlson. I remember when Jeffrey got a gig on the soap opera All My Children – probably not the most artistically satisfying gig, but it sure pays better than theater work – playing a character who was, in no small part, obsessed with Mike Patton. I’m not even sure that Jeffrey knew who Mike Patton was at the time.

ANYWAY, a reader calling himself “G Hat” sent us this clip, which reminded me of the reference. Hey, if it got a few lonely housewives to buy Faith No More or Mr. Bungle albums, I’m all for it.

-AR

In no particular order…

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