Faith No More

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979.Template:Refn Before September 1983,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men<ref name="vh12015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and later Faith No Man.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band, having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several early lineup changes, and some major changes later. The lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.

After releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faith No More officially announced its breakup on April 20, 1998. The band has since reunited, conducting The Second Coming Tour between 2009 and 2010, and releasing its seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015.<ref name="facebook.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> After the touring cycle of Sol Invictus, Faith No More went on hiatus once again. In November 2019, the band announced that it would reunite to embark on a 2020 UK and European tour, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Touring was due to recommence with 2021–2022 dates, but the tour was cancelled with Patton citing mental health reasons,<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the band remains on hiatus as of 2025.<ref name="theprp 2024">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="blabbermouth 2025">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

File:Faith no more logo.png

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Early days (1979–1984)Edit

The genesis of Faith No More was the group Sharp Young Men, formed in 1979,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> by vocalist Mike Morris and keyboardist Wade Worthington. Drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Billy Gould joined afterwards. Morris called the name "a piss-take on all the 'elegant' groups at the time".<ref name=mike-morris>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later, he proposed the name Faith In No Man, but eventually the band settled on Bordin's suggestion, Faith No Man (stylized as Faith. No Man).<ref name="mike-morris"/> The band recorded "Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", released in 1983. The songs were recorded in Matt Wallace's parents' garage, where Wallace had set up and been running a recording studio while the band was still recording under the name Sharp Young Men,<ref name=chriazi22>Template:Harvnb</ref> with Morris, Gould, Bordin and Worthington. Worthington left shortly thereafter. The band's name was changed to Faith No Man for the release of the single, which featured two of the three songs recorded in Wallace's garage,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Roddy Bottum replaced Worthington. Bottum, Gould and Bordin quit the band shortly after and formed Faith No More. They chose the name in September 1983 to accentuate the fact that "The Man" (Morris) was "No More". The band played with several vocalists and guitarists, including a brief stint with Courtney Love, until it settled on vocalist Chuck Mosley in 1983<ref name="chuckdead"/> and, later, guitarist Jim Martin.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Their first release under the Faith No More name was a self-titled cassette in 1983, which featured a live performance from that year on Side A, and a 20-minute instrumental track on Side B.

We Care a Lot and Introduce Yourself (1985–1988)Edit

File:Chuck Mosley.jpg

Faith No More's singer from 1984 to 1988, Chuck Mosley (photo from 2016)

After the name change, the band initially started recording We Care a Lot without backing from a record label and, after pooling their money, recorded five songs. This gained the attention of Ruth Schwartz, who was then forming the independent label Mordam Records, under which the band, after getting the necessary financial support, finished and released the album. It was the first official release for both the band and the label.<ref name=reflex25>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In late 1986, Faith No More was signed to Los Angeles label Slash Records by Anna Statman.<ref name="iyfollowers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The label had recently been sold to the Warner Music Group subsidiary London Records, ensuring a widespread release for the band's following albums. Introduce Yourself was released in April 1987, and a revamped version of their debut album's title track "We Care a Lot" saw minor success on MTV. Mosley's behaviour had started to become increasingly erratic, particularly during a troubled tour of Europe in 1988. Incidents include him allegedly punching Billy Gould on stage,<ref name="tr"/> the release party for the album Introduce Yourself—during which he fell asleep on stage—and one of Mosley's roadies getting into a fistfight with Martin during the European tour.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="tr">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mosley was eventually fired after the band returned home from Europe. Gould reflected, "There was a certain point when I went to rehearsal, and Chuck wanted to do all acoustic guitar songs. It was just so far off the mark. The upshot was that I got up, walked out and quit the band. I just said: 'I'm done—I can't take this any longer. It's just so ridiculous'. The same day, I talked to Bordin, and he said: 'Well, I still want to play with you'. Bottum did the same thing. It was another one of these 'firing somebody without firing them' scenarios."<ref name="tr"/>

Mike Patton joins and The Real Thing (1989–1991)Edit

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Faith No More in a promotional photo for The Real Thing, c. 1989–1990

Mosley was replaced with singer Mike Patton in 1988. Patton, who was singing with his high school band, Mr. Bungle, was recruited at Martin's suggestion after he heard Mr. Bungle's first demo tape, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to Patton, he first met the band during a 1986 gig at "a pizza parlor" in his hometown of Eureka, California.<ref name="followerstape">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two weeks after joining Faith No More, he had written the lyrics to the songs that made up the Grammy award-nominated The Real Thing, which was released in June 1989.<ref name="fnm.com"/>

"Epic" was released in January 1990 and was a top 10 hit. The music video received extensive airplay on MTV in 1990, and angered animal rights activists for a slow-motion shot of a fish flopping out of water at the end of the video.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That same year, Faith No More performed at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards (September 6) and on the 293rd episode of Saturday Night Live (December 1).<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "From Out of Nowhere" and "Falling to Pieces" were released as singles, and a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" was produced for non-vinyl releases. In 1990, the band went on an extensive U.S. tour, sending The Real Thing to Platinum status in Canada, the U.S., and South America. The album also had big sales numbers in Australia, U.K., and the rest of Europe, pushing the total sales well above 4 million worldwide.

File:Mike patton.jpg

Vocalist Mike Patton joined Faith No More in 1988, succeeding Chuck Mosley

In February 1991, Faith No More released its only official live album, Live at the Brixton Academy. The album includes two previously unreleased studio tracks, "The Grade" and "The Cowboy Song". The same year, the band contributed the song "The Perfect Crime" to the soundtrack to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Martin also made a brief cameo in the film as "Sir James Martin" as the head of the "Faith No More Spiritual and Theological Center". Patton's original band Mr. Bungle went on to sign with Slash and Reprise Records's parent label Warner Bros. Records in 1991, after the worldwide success of The Real Thing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Angel Dust (1992–1994)Edit

Faith No More displayed an even more experimental effort on its next album, Angel Dust, released in June 1992.<ref name="fnm.com"/> One critic wrote that the album is "one of the more complex and simply confounding records ever released by a major label"<ref name="allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and another that the single "'A Small Victory', which seems to run Madame Butterfly through Metallica and Nile Rodgers [...] reveals a developing facility for combining unlikely elements into startlingly original concoctions."<ref name="trouser press">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Aside from "A Small Victory" (which received a nomination for Best Art Direction at the MTV Video Music Awards), the tracks "Midlife Crisis" and "Everything's Ruined" were also released as singles. The album included a re-recording of the theme to the film Midnight Cowboy, and later pressings included a cover of The Commodores' "Easy", which in some parts of the world became the band's biggest hit. Angel Dust charted one spot higher on the Billboard 200 than The Real Thing, but was not as commercially successful in the U.S., selling 665,000 copies there. It outsold The Real Thing in many other countries. In Germany, the record was certified Gold for sales of more than 250,000 copies. The album also matched the sales of The Real Thing in Canada (Platinum) and Australia (Gold), and surpassed it in the Netherlands, France, Russia, and the U.K. Worldwide sales are around 3.1 million copies.

After touring to support Angel Dust in the summer of 1993, longtime guitarist Martin left the band due to internal conflicts. He was reportedly unhappy with the band's change in musical direction on Angel Dust, calling it "gay disco".<ref name="the real story 2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to Bottum, Martin was fired via fax.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Martin himself states it was his decision to leave.<ref name="autogenerated3">Template:Cite book</ref> Both Godflesh guitarist Justin Broadrick and Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker were reportedly invited to join Faith No More after Martin's departure, but declined.<ref>Archived copy Template:Webarchive</ref> The position was filled by Mike Patton's Mr. Bungle bandmate Trey Spruance, who left after recording 1995's King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime, just before the band was to begin its world tour. Spruance was replaced by Dean Menta, the band's keyboard tech.

King for a Day..., Album of the Year and break-up (1995–1998)Edit

File:Faith No More logo.png

The alternate "barking dog logo", based on the artwork for Faith No More's 1995 album King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime

Faith No More's fifth studio album, King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime, was released in March 1995,<ref name="fnm.com"/> and varies greatly from song to song in style; punk, country, jazz, bossa nova, thrash metal, gospel music, along with other signature FNM elements, are woven together throughout the album. Singles included "Digging the Grave", "Evidence", and "Ricochet". The album featured Mr. Bungle's Trey Spruance on guitar. The record went Gold in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and Germany, which gave the album a respectable sales figure of around 1.5 million copies; this was significantly lower than the sales of their previous albums. A 7 x 7-inch box set of singles was released, which included the B-sides and some interviews between the songs.

Album of the Year was released in June 1997 and featured yet another new guitarist, Jon Hudson, who was a former roommate of Billy Gould. The album debuted much higher than expected in some countries (for example, in Germany, the album debuted at No. 2 and stayed in the chart for 5 months). In Australia, Album of the Year went to No. 1 and was certified Platinum. The album charted in many countries in Europe. To date,Template:Clarify Album of the Year has sold around 2 million copies worldwide. The singles "Ashes to Ashes" and "Last Cup of Sorrow" had minimal success (notably, the music video for "Last Cup of Sorrow", which featured actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, was inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo). "Stripsearch" was released as a single in various countries (excluding the U.S. and U.K.). The album received largely negative reviews from U.S.-based critics at the time. Rolling Stone magazine wrote in June 1997 that "[They] are floundering around desperately, groping for a sense of identity and direction in a decade that clearly finds them irrelevant",<ref name="rollingstoneAOTY">Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Pitchfork Media stated "Album Of The Year leaves one feeling like waking up and finding last night's used condom – sure, the ride was fun while it lasted, but what remains is just plain icky. And you definitely don't want it in your CD player."<ref name="pitchf">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following the album's release, Faith No More toured with Limp Bizkit in 1997, who were frequently booed by Faith No More's fans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In early 1998, rumors of Faith No More's imminent demise began; commencing with a post to Faith No More newsgroup alt.music.faith-no-more claiming Mike Patton had quit the band in favor of side projects. This rumor, denied at the time, proved to be at least partly true. Faith No More played their last show in Lisbon, Portugal on April 7, 1998.<ref name="fnm.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band cancelled their planned support tour for Aerosmith and on April 20, Billy Gould released a statement by email and fax, saying "[T]he decision among the members is mutual" and "the split will now enable each member to pursue his individual project(s) unhindered." The band "thank[ed] all of those fans and associates that have stuck with and supported the band throughout its history."

Reformation (2009–2012)Edit

Rumours that Faith No More would reunite for shows in the U.K. in the summer of 2009 were circulating in late November 2008,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but were originally dismissed by bassist Billy Gould. He explained: "If anything like this were to happen, it would have to come from the band, and I haven't spoken with any of them in over a year. So as far as I know, there isn't anything to talk about, and I'm pretty sure that if you were to contact Patton, he would tell you the same thing."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

However, on February 24, 2009, after months of speculation and rumors, Faith No More announced they would be reforming with a line-up identical to the Album of the Year era,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> embarking on a reunion tour called The Second Coming Tour. To coincide with the band's reunion tour, Rhino released the sixth Faith No More compilation, The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection, a double album that includes their hit singles and b sides & rarities, in the U.K. on June 8.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faith No More then played in major European festivals including Download Festival in the U.K. in June, Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Greenfield Festival in Switzerland,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hove Festival in Norway and Roskilde Festival in Denmark,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> among other dates. The tour continued into 2010 with appearances at the Soundwave Festival in Australian cities throughout February and March.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During their tour, the band added covers to their repertoire including "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, "Ben" by Michael Jackson and "Switch" by Siouxsie and the Banshees.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

After an eleven-month hiatus, Faith No More played four shows in South America in November 2011. On the first date (November 8, 2011), the band played a "mystery song", which led to speculation of new material.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2011, the band performed the entire King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime album at the Maquinaria Festival in Chile with Trey Spruance on guitar.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

They played at the Sonisphere France in France on July 7, 2012, and toured throughout Europe during that year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They added new covers during the 2012 shows, including "Niggas in Paris" by Jay Z/Kanye West, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley and the internet meme song "Trololo" by Eduard Khil.<ref name="ad">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faith No More became temporarily inactive again. Mike Patton spent 2013 touring with his reformed rock supergroup Tomahawk,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while the band's other members also pursued their own side projects. In July 2013, Billy Gould confirmed that the band's hiatus would not be permanent, saying "We will do something again only when all members are with the focus on that, and ready for the challenge. This is not the time... yet."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In a 2015 interview, Roddy Bottum said that the band originally intended to reform with guitarist Jim Martin for their reunion tour, but it did not happen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sol Invictus and hiatus (2015–2018)Edit

On May 29, 2014, Faith No More posted a message (along with a photograph of Mike Patton) on their Twitter account, saying that "the reunion thing was fun, but now it's time to get a little creative." On July 4, Faith No More played their first show in two years at Hyde Park in London, supporting Black Sabbath.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At that show, Faith No More debuted two new songs "Motherfucker" and "Superhero" (also known by fans as "Leader of Men").<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On August 20, the band posted "The Reunion Tour is over; in 2015 things are going to change." These tweets led to speculation that the band was working on new material.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On August 30, Gould said that the band is "considering doing something new", and may begin work on a new studio album at some point in the not-too-distant future, explaining, "to do something creative would be a really good thing to do."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 2, Bill Gould revealed to Rolling Stone that the band had begun work on a new album.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Faith No More headlined the final edition of Australia's Soundwave in February and March 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The band released their seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015.<ref name="facebook.com"/> The songs on the album were influenced by The Cramps, Link Wray and Siouxsie and the Banshees.<ref name="revolver">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Speaking to Revolver, Gould described the song "Cone of Shame" as "blues-based rock and roll" that also draws from black metal. Describing the song "Matador", he said: "parts of it remind me of the first Siouxsie and the Banshees album. We used real pianos and that brings this organic quality to it to the music".<ref name="revolver" /> The second single from the album, "Superhero", was shared by the band on March 1, 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In August 2016, the band performed two concerts with former lead singer Chuck Mosley to celebrate the reissue of their debut album We Care a Lot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band was billed as "Chuck Mosley & Friends" for the two shows and featured the lineup of Mosley, Mike Bordin, Billy Gould, Jon Hudson and Roddy Bottum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Former Faith No More singer Chuck Mosley died on November 9, 2017. The cause was described as "the disease of addiction.” He was 57 years old.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In February 2018, it was announced that a documentary film on the late former Faith No More frontman Chuck Mosley had begun production; titled Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie, the film is being directed and edited by Drew Fortier and produced by Douglas Esper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Second reunion, cancelled tour and future of the band (2019–present)Edit

On November 23, 2019, Faith No More updated its official website and social media accounts with an image of the band's eight-pointed star logo in front of a snow-covered mountain top, accompanied by a clock counting down to November 26, 2019; on the latter date, the band announced its first shows in five years set to take place in Europe in June 2020, including Sunstroke Festival in Ireland, Hellfest in France and Tons of Rock in Norway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Less than twenty-four hours later, the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, Spain, scheduled for July 2020, was added to the list of the band's festival dates.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They subsequently rescheduled most of its tour dates, including the Australian and European legs, to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band was scheduled to play two shows at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles with System of a Down, Helmet and Russian Circles, which were initially set to take place May 22–23, 2020, but were postponed twice due to the pandemic,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Faith No More was replaced by Korn.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band was scheduled to play additional shows in September 2021 but these were also cancelled with Patton citing mental health reasons.<ref name=":0" />

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Patton disclosed that he has not spoken to the members of Faith No More since the initial show cancellations, leaving the band's future in question.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2024, keyboardist Roddy Bottum stated that Faith No More is on a "semi-permanent hiatus".<ref name="theprp 2024"/> Bordin confirmed in an April 2025 interview on the Let There Be Talk podcast that Patton is "clearly unwilling to do shows with" the band, due to his commitments with Mr. Bungle.<ref name="blabbermouth 2025"/>

Musical style and influencesEdit

Faith No More's music is generally considered to be alternative metal,<ref name="vox">Vox magazine, June 1997.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> experimental rock,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Nowrap,<ref name="chuckdead">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> alternative rock,<ref name="mp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and rap metal.<ref name="mp"/> As Faith No Man, their sound was described as post-punk.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band's first single from 1983, "Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", was labelled as a "solid post-punk/pre-goth single".<ref name=amg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These elements endured during their tenure with Chucky Mosley, with AllMusic comparing their first album to early Public Image Ltd works.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By the mid-1980s, Billy Gould stated the band were in a "weird spot", as their eclectic sound didn't fit in with the burgeoning hardcore punk and alternative rock movements of the era.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Upon Mike Patton's arrival in 1988, the band began to expand their sound range even further, merging disparate genres such as synth-pop,<ref name="heavyrock">Template:Cite book</ref> thrash metal,<ref name="allmusic"/> and carousel music<ref name="allmusic"/> on The Real Thing. Rolling Stone states that by 1997, the band were "too heavy for the post-grunge pop hits of The Verve and Third Eye Blind [and] too arty to work comfortably with the nu metal knuckle-draggers they spawned."<ref name=RS>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Over the course of their career, they have experimented with heavy metal, funk, hip hop, progressive rock,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> alternative rock, hardcore punk, polka, country, easy listening, jazz, samba,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ska,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> bossa nova,<ref name="FAQ 32">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> hard rock, pop,<ref name="Greg Prato">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> soul,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> trip hop,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> gospel,<ref name="Allmusic review">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and lounge music.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Faith No More's lyrics have been described as "bizarrely humorous". When interviewed about his lyrics, Patton responded, "I think that too many people think too much about my lyrics. I am more a person who works more with the sound of a word than with its meaning. Often I just choose the words because of the rhythm, not because of the meaning."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In addition to the band's subsequently more apparent metal influences, like Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, Bordin acknowledged many gothic rock and post-punk bands as early influences, including Siouxsie and the Banshees,<ref name="revolver"/> The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Joke, Public Image Ltd, and Theatre of Hate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Upon reforming, Faith No More returned to these influences on Sol Invictus.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

LegacyEdit

In a 2015 article by Artistdirect, the musicians Duff McKagan, Chino Moreno, Serj Tankian, Corey Taylor, Max Cavalera and Jonathan Davis all praised the band for their significance and influence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Nirvana bassist, and co-founder, Krist Novoselic cited Faith No More as a band that "paved the way for Nirvana" in the late 1980s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Robert Plant, singer of Led Zeppelin, mentioned the then Chuck Mosley-led Faith No More as one of his favorite bands in a 1988 interview with Rolling Stone.<ref name="rsplant">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Plant and Faith No More subsequently toured together following The Real ThingTemplate:'s release.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Scott Ian of Anthrax has also named Faith No More as one of his favorite bands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Alexander Julien of Vision Eternel named Faith No More as his favorite band in numerous interviews and has listed it as a major influence on his music.<ref name="TranscendingtheMundaneInterview2023">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ItsPsychedelicBabyMagazineInterview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="IdioteqInterview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In interviews with The PRP, Mushroomhead,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lostprophets,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Dillinger Escape Plan,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> American Head Charge,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dog Fashion Disco,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Grüvis Malt,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Vex Red<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> each listed Faith No More as a major influence.

Corey Taylor (frontman for both Slipknot and Stone Sour) told Loudwire in 2015 that if it wasn't for Faith No More, he "wouldn't be here today." While recovering from an attempted suicide at his grandmother's house, he saw the band perform "Epic" live on the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards and the performance inspired him to begin writing and performing music again.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

They were voted No. 52 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band is credited for inventing the alternative metal genre which began in the 1980s and that fuses metal with other genres, including alternative rock.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite book</ref> Tim Grierson of About.com said the band "helped put alternative metal on the map."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Faith No More has also been credited for influencing nu metal bands, such as Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Sevendust,<ref name="Essi Berelian 2005 p. 259">Essi Berelian (2005), The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal, p. 259, "Faith No More must be counted among the pioneers [of nu metal]"</ref> primarily due to the popularity of "Epic", and other early material that featured rap and rock crossovers. Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, a self-confessed fan of the band, stated in a 2015 interview "They fused some of that hip-hop and rock together. They were one of the earliest bands to do that, and definitely pioneers to a whole genre. If you listen to Korn, if you listen to how the bass and the drums lock up, it's quite similar to how Faith No More was doing it in their early years."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton also listed Faith No More as a major influence when the band was starting out.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In a 2019 interview on the Australian channel Rage's Midnight Show, Tobias Forge, leader of the Swedish rock band Ghost, explained what the band meant to him by saying, "In the 90s there were a few bands that I liked a lot, and still like to this day, that are consecutively hard to niche. One band is Faith No More. Who knows what they play? No one knows really. It's a synth band? No. Is it a heavy metal band? No, not really. It's just a really, really good rock band."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The band and their 1990Template:Ref label single "Epic" have frequently been cited as an example of an '80s or '90s one-hit wonder.<ref>"VH1 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders", VH1 Channel, reported by Archived copy VH1.com.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band's original final record Album of the Year experienced high sales in countries such as Australia (where it went Platinum),<ref>Template:Cite certification</ref> New Zealand and Germany, while being deemed a commercial failure in their native US.

Covers and tributesEdit

Faith No More have been covered by prominent metal acts such as 36 Crazyfists,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Apocalyptica,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Atreyu,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Between the Buried and Me,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Disturbed,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Five Finger Death Punch,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Helloween,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ill Niño,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Korn,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Machine Head,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Papa Roach,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Redemption,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Revocation,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sentenced,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Slaves on Dope<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Trail of Tears.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Slaves on Dope wrote and recorded the song "No More Faith" as a tribute to Faith No More; they also chose to record a cover of "War Pigs" because Faith No More had done it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In October 2000, a tribute album organized by Faith No More's former manager Warren Entner was first announced.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was set to feature principally high-profile nu-metal and alternative metal bands, including Papa Roach (covering "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies"),<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Alt URL</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> Korn (covering "Surprise! You're Dead!"),<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Disturbed (covering "Midlife Crisis"),<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Taproot (covering "Ricochet"),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Deftones (covering "RV"),<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Primer 55 (covering "Digging the Grave"),<ref name=":3" /> System of a Down (covering "Cuckoo for Caca"),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as Fear Factory,<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Slipknot,<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" /> Incubus,<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" /> and Slaves on Dope.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Though several of the bands recorded their songs, a record label was never set and this tribute was never released.<ref name=":5" /> Papa Roach notably performed "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" during its 2001 European tour,<ref name=":6" /> while Disturbed performed "Midlife Crisis" on its 2001 North American headlining tour.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In reaction to the news of this Various Artists tribute, Patton posted the following on his Ipecac Recordings website on February 20, 2001: "FNM Tribute Record - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Who cares? Do you really want to hear bands ruin great songs? Mike's reaction...... "let sleeping dogs lie""<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In a July 2003 interview with CounterCulture, when asked about this tribute Patton responded "No idea. Don't really care as long as I get my cut."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2002, another tribute album, titled Tribute of the Year: A Tribute to Faith No More (a reference to Faith No More's Album of the Year), was released compiled by Legion Records and released by Underground Inc. It features 30 Faith No More songs covered by mostly underground and independent hardcore punk, industrial, and alternative metal acts, including Hate Dept., Tub Ring, Bile, and Yellow No. 5.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2023, The Lucid along with Violent J (Insane Clown Posse) released a re-imagining of "Epic" titled "Sweet Toof"; keeping the music unchanged but re-writing all lyrics and vocal melodies except for a callback to the original chorus during the outro.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Feud with the Red Hot Chili PeppersEdit

After the release of The Real Thing, a feud developed between Faith No More and fellow funk-influenced Californian group Red Hot Chili Peppers, whom they had previously played with on The Uplift Mofo Party Tour, while Chuck Mosley was still Faith No More's lead singer. Patton and Chili Peppers' frontman Anthony Kiedis have been involved in a near 35-year old feud stemming from his accusations of Patton imitating his mannerisms and image for Faith No More's 1989 music video "Epic".<ref name="nickharper">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="2020book">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="rhcpbook">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="la">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Much of the animosity of Patton's feud with Kiedis involved his other band Mr Bungle, with very few recent comments attacking Faith No More. Over the years, media attention often exaggerated tensions between the two bands, including TV personalities such as Greg Gutfeld.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite this, various members of Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers appear to have remained on good terms since the initial controversy. Regarding the perceived conflict, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea stated in a 1996 interview, "There was never any fight between us, that was a bunch of bullshit created by the media. I mean I think they're a good band. Maybe there was some things said between Anthony and the singer [Patton], but it all means nothing to me. [...] Those guys in the band are nice people and there's no fight, let's not fight."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> At a 2014 show in Brooklyn, Red Hot Chili Peppers also notably covered a portion of the Chuck Mosley-era song "We Care a Lot".Template:R

Concert toursEdit

1979–1984: Early shows
1985–1986: We Care a Lot Tour
1987–1988: Introduce Yourself Tour
1989–1991: The Real Thing Tour
1992–1993: Angel Dust Tour
1995: King for a Day Tour
1997–1998: Album of the Year Tour
2009–2012: The Second Coming Tour
2015: Soundwave Tour
2015: Sol Invictus Tour

Band membersEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Mike Bordin – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1979–1998; 2009–2020)
Billy Gould – bass, backing vocals (1979–1998; 2009–2020)
Roddy Bottum – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1983–1998; 2009–2020)
Mike Patton – lead vocals (1988–1998; 2009–2020)
Jon Hudson – lead guitar, backing vocals (1996–1998; 2009–2020)