Band:	Faith No More
Album:	The Real Thing
Style:	Alternative metal
Release date:	June 20, 1989
Guest review by:	Joey Jo Jo

01. From Out Of Nowhere
02. Epic
03. Falling To Pieces
04. Surprise! You're Dead!
05. Zombie Eaters
06. The Real Thing
07. Underwater Love
08. The Morning After
09. Woodpecker From Mars
10. War Pigs [Black Sabbath cover]
11. Edge Of The World

Even in their embryonic state (first two albums, respectively), Faith No More has always had a very identifiable sound with a lot borrowed from different genres. It just seemed that they never took the initiative to really set out and make a great album. All the ingredients were in place, but it sounded like they were having way too much fun to worry about it. As in place as Chuck Mosely sounded within the band, his vocals are atrocious. And as a testament to that, has never found work in music after getting the boot from Billy Gould and Co.

After scourging through some Death Metal demos by fellow statesmen Mr. Bungle (or as the vague story goes), Faith No More seemed content to hire Mike Patton as their new voice. Which I'm sure came as a pleasant surprise that their new vocalist turned out to be the epitome of a great frontman. Finally with a vocalist who can adapt to all kinds of musical styles (the songs were all actually recorded before Patton joined), Faith No More was destined to conquer the world.

No better example exists of an album as having the right sound, for the right time, and yet still age with grace. "Epic" was all over the radio and MTV while being very offbeat and complex for a hit at the time. Besides having radio friendly songs that are still fresh to this day, "Surprise, You're Dead!" is a great mock Death Metal track that shows exactly why Mike Patton was imported from Mr. Bungle. "Zombie Eaters" is a metal epic I'm sure early Metallica would have killed to make, and has a very twisted look at infancy.

Every song on here has potential to be very fulfilling and fun at the same time to just about everyone who comes across The Real Thing. Very few bands in existence have the cohesion and just good old raw talent to make something like this work while coming off with a nice flow and direction. With The Real Thing, Faith No More pushed themselves to the forefront of the alternative music world without losing the identifiable fun and energy present in the previous albums.