FNM didn’t feel right with Jim Martin return

Faith No More bassist Billy Gould has recalled the “strange conversation” they had with guitarist Jim Martin over his return.

He originally left in 1993 ahead of the band’s split five years later, but he was consulted ahead of the 2009 reunion that’s led to comeback album Sol Invictus, out next week.

Gould tells Rolling Stone: “He said he would do it. He said it was not an emotional thing. ‘But there are some songs we wrote after you,’ and he’s like, ‘That’s not a problem.’”

The bassist adds that misgivings arose when Martin was the first to mention having contracts exchanged. “On the surface it was great – but it didn’t really feel right.”

In the end the rest of FNM decided that the situation was already too fragile. “We left on a bad note,” Gould says of their split.

“It had been 20 years. We had some catching up to do with ourselves. Did we really want to bring this other energy in? It’s like, no – it just didn’t feel right.”

Sol Invictus is released on May 18. FNM return to the UK next month:

Jun 13: Download festival, Donington

Jun 14: Glasgow O2 Academy

Jun 17: London Roundhouse

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.