The Patton Parade
So last we left off, we had drummer Mike Bordin, keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and bassist William Gould moving on from their earlier work to form Faith No More. However, this group of musicians would be a bit abstract on their own. So, soon after forming the band, they hired Chuck Mosley on vocals, and James Martin on guitars. The decision on Chuck was probably based more on his availability than on his talent, as his main prospects as a singer were in spoken word and shouted vocals. However, credit has to be applied to him for many of the band's early lyrics, alongside the other members' revisions.
So after recruiting the new members, the band began writing and rehearsing some new material. The band even began to record their debut album before they had settled on a label. Ruth Schwartz of indie label Mordam Records picked up the band, and helped them finish the release.
Faith No More - We Care a Lot
Faith No More's debut album is often confused by many to be extremely representative of their later style, when in fact, this is far from true. The funk metal Faith No More would become known for in their later career is only represented in the much applauded opening (and title) track, which has a tendency to overshadow the rest of the album. And yes, that is the Dirty Jobs theme song. The song definitely represents the shouting style which Mike Patton would inherit upon joining the band, and in the opening bass line definitely takes on a funky feel. However, the song is an outlier in terms of the entire album.
The debut of Faith No More represents a bit of development since the last album. They've definitely developed a more unique sound than the last album. While the last is very closely related to early Killing Joke, Public Image Ltd., and other bands of the post-punk era, this album comes a bit later in the timeline and represents a move towards alternative rock, and even alternative metal. Looking back on the album as a whole, it feels like a cross between post-punk and alt rock, with a taste of the metallic guitar work implemented by other bands of the mid-80s.
A strange mix of Sonic Youth, Killing Joke, and glam metal, the album is a pinnacle of excellent songwriting, and superb performances (from the instrumentalists at least). With several interesting styles being mixed together, it may take another album to figure out what sort of cream will rise to the top. Regardless, Faith No More is a pretty creamy bunch already.