FAITH NO MORE — Introduce Yourself (review)

FAITH NO MORE — Introduce Yourself album cover

Album · 1987 · Funk Metal

4/5 · 2016-09-13
siLLy puPPy

Although INTRODUCE YOURSELF is often considered the first album from FAITH NO MORE, it is in fact the second album after “We Care A Lot”. Since the first album was sorta written off this one was treated as if it were the debut album mostly because of production value. This was the last album with Chuck Mosley as the lead singer before Mike Patton would take the helm and lead the band into not only brief commercial success but also into the realms of avant-garde alternative metal scene. The band pretty much continue their funk metal sound as experienced on the true debut album.

“Faster Disco” starts off setting the pace of the album. It contains the now famous guitar work of Jim Martin with bassist Billy Gould in cahoots with drummer Mike Bordin. The atmospheric contributions of Roddy Bottum add that extra familiar layer to the mix. I still find Mosley’s vocals to be a little monosonatic and personally wish he had a little more range to his box vox. “Anne’s Song’ is a nice little metal funky rocker that sets the mood for the following track order but unfortunately this track basically rips off the bass line and vocal style of the top 10 Billboard funk pop single “Rumors” by the Timex Social Club that hit the charts a year earlier however adds a bit more metal power chord mojo behind it.

The title track is pretty cool as it takes the formula and adds some oomph to make it highly aggressive and addictive at the same time. Short but sweet. “Chinese Arithmatic” continues the sound of the band and hints towards the next album in its atmospheric alternative metal approach that Mike Patton would seize to take into higher realms. “Death March” particularly sticks out as an antecedent to the following album with the song structure and atmospheric approach. “The Crab Song” is a little different with its slow and mellow intro that has Mosley talking before singing but it eventually reaches alternative rock / metal heights with a heavier metal sound and creates a nice funk metal resolution.

I actually like INTRODUCE YOURSELF more than most. True that Mike Patton jumping on board created a more dynamic sound and all however even though Mosley had a limited vocal range he still is a pleasant listen. The musicians backing him are obviously ready for prime time and there are many moments on this album that will point you directly to “The Real Thing.” Although i do prefer the Mike Patton years to the early renditions of FAITH NO MORE, i still find INTRODUCE YOURSELF a very competent listen. This is a very nice listen and deserves more recognition than merely as the beginning stages of the FAITH NO MORE world where Mike Patton steals the show. The only problem i really have with this album is the fact that “We Care A Lot” appears again after the debut album and that “Annie’s Song” pretty much was stolen from the Timex Social Club’s hit single.

more than 2 years ago
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siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Listen to the Timex Social Club's hit single "Rumors" and you'll see that they were stealing a bit from other aritsts. I enjoy the album as a whole but the plagiarism in that track lowers the rating

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

That's not to say I don't really enjoy the later albums, as I do love many songs from later albums, just found them to have a bit of filler.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Good review, it's refreshing to see a positive review of this album for once. Personally, this is my favorite Faith No More album. I find it great all the way through with no filler, and I like how the album is varied but remains consistent unlike later albums.