FAITH NO MORE: The Real Thing

Produced by Matt Wallace and Faith No More

Released: 1989

Part metal, part funk, part rap and often publically dysfunctional, Faith No More was a groundbreaking act for its time and one so original that even now there is no other group that sounds quite like them. Although they had released two albums before this, The Real Thing was most people's introduction to the quirky genius of this San Francisco five piece, and most people's introduction to this album was "Epic". A stunning combination of genres that epitomised the group's style perfectly, "Epic" remains to this day possibly the most bizarre-sounding song ever to reach #1 on the Australian chart and began a love affair with this band that was sustained by Australian audiences until Faith No More split up eight years later.

While it was the best-known and most identifiable song from The Real Thing, "Epic" was only one of an entire album's worth of fantastic songs, and it succeeded as a heavy rock album in spite of owing very little to the standard heavy rock conventions. Instead of the pre-requisite lead guitar work of almost every other band playing anything even remotely metal, The Real Thing had virtually none, while in its place keyboards surged prominently and heavy metal riffs clashed with funk-laden bass grooves. Jazz tunes about paedophiles sat alongside funked-up Black Sabbath covers and crazy organ-dominated instrumentals. There were dark songs about child-rearing sung from the baby's point of view and extended stream-of-consciousness tales like the title track. Topping it all off was Mike Patton's schizophrenic vocal style that shifted guise as often as the music, crooning, whining and--most conspicuously--rapping. His innate ability to syncopate spitfire lyrics with Jim Martin's metallic riffage even inspired and influenced rappers and set the scene for a myriad of so-called rap-metal acts that were to follow in the decade to come, almost none of which were able to match the level of originality, wit and inspiration on display on this album. What made this even more phenomonal was that the band had already completed the album when Patton joined. His disturbing and thought-provoking lyrics and vocal acrobatics were added virtually at the last minute.

Both a breakthrough album for its creators and a groundbreaking one for heavy music, The Real Thing has also outlasted its legion of imitators, most of which have already been forgotten. It's a perfect and timeless release difficult to fault and almost impossible to tire of.

1. From Out of Nowhere
2. Epic
3. Falling to Pieces
4. Surprise! You're Dead!
5. Zombie Eaters
6. The Real Thing
7. Underwater Love
8. The Morning After
9. Woodpecker from Mars
10. War Pigs
11. Edge of the World

Rating: 100%