Formed in San Francisco in 1982, Faith No More were among the first bands to experiment with the fusion of funk, thrash and hardcore styles into a new musical sub-genre.
The band initially comprised Jim Martin (guitar), Roddy Bottum (keyboards), Billy Gould (bass), Mike Bordin (drums) and Chuck Mosley (vocals). This lineup recorded a low-budget self-titled debut LP on the independent Mordam label, followed by the ground-breaking Introduce Yourself on Slash, a subsidiary of London Records.
This album was well received by the critics, but internal disputes led to the firing of hard-drinking vocalist Chuck Mosley. His replacement was Mike Patton, a handsome 20-year-old from Eureka in Northern California, who possessed a multi-octave range and a twisted way with words.
The new frontman proved inspirational, as evidenced on Faith No More’s third album, The Real Thing (1989).
There were three memorable singles. From Out Of Nowhere is a driving love song garnished with a nagging riff from keyboardist Roddy Bottum, while the syncopated pop of Falling To Pieces showcases the funky chops of bassist Bill Gould and drummer Mike Bordin.
The big hit – #9 in the USA – was MTV favourite Epic: a dramatic pocket symphony featuring rapped verses, singalong chorus, Jim Martin’s searing lead guitar, and a stately piano finale.
Despite their popularity with heavy metal fans, Faith No More never liked the genre and returned three years later with the wonderfully bizarre Angel Dust. One critic called the album “one of the more complex and simply confounding records ever released by a major label”.
The band released a cover of The Commodores’ Easy, which became their biggest hit in some parts of the world. Guitarist Jim Martin then left the band due to internal conflicts (he was reportedly unhappy with the change in musical direction on Angel Dust, and called it “gay disco”).
He was replaced by Trey Spruance, who left again after recording 1995’s King for a Day . . . Fool for a Lifetime, just before the band was to begin a world tour. Spruance was replaced by Dean Menta, the band’s keyboard tech.
Album of the Year (1997) featured yet another new guitarist, Jon Hudson. Faith No More played their final show in Lisbon, Portugal on 7 April 1998. They have reunited sporadically since, mostly for European dates.
Original vocalist Chuck Mosley was found dead at his Cleveland home in November 2017. Drug paraphernalia was discovered at the scene, with police suspecting a heroin overdose as the cause of death. He was 57.
Mike Patton
Vocals Billy Gould
Bass Roddy Bottum
Keyboards Jim Martin
Guitar Mike Bordin
Drums Trey Spruance
Guitar Dean Menta
Guitar Jon Hudson
Guitar Chuck Mosley
Vocals
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Mike Patton
