FNM thrilled by Sol Invictus reaction

Faith No More’s Billy Gould says he keeps expecting the band’s latest album to be bashed by critics.

So far, he says, the reaction to Sol Invictus has been overwhelmingly positive – including scooping Best Album at this week’s Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony – and adds that he’s relieved that has been the case. But the bassist reckons a bad review is just around the corner.

He tells Kerrang: “It’s a relief. We’ve always put out things and we don’t know what the reaction is gonna be. But it is nice seeing something that gets received so well.

“I’m kind of wondering when the shoe’s gonna drop and somebody’s just gonna bash the shit out of this. Like, it’s too good, the reaction. But no, it’s fine. Great.”

Gould adds that Faith No More are working on future touring plans to follow their 2015 dates, which currently run up to October. But they won’t commit to more than they can handle. He says: “I think there will be some stuff, but we’re doing this now in steps.

“Because one of our big things that we did wrong back in the day was commit to too much all at once. And we found ourselves sometimes in situations that we didn’t choose to be in. We were stuck in them.

“So we’re doing touring in blocks. We finish a block and we’re, like, ‘How do we feel?’ We check in with each other. If we feel good, we do some more. And that’s kind of how we’re doing it. I think it’s way more civilised. I can’t say, ‘Oh, yeah, we’ll be on tour all next year.’ But I would hope we can.”

Sol Invictus was released in May and was FNM’s first album in 18 years. They performed at this month’s Download festival.

FAITH NO MORE TOUR DATES

Jun 20: Hellfest, France

Jun 21: Graspop Festival, Belgium

Jun 23: Hamburg Sporthalle, Germany

Jun 26: Bråvalla Festival, Sweden

Jun 27: Provinssirock Festival, Finland

Jun 28: Tinderbox Festival, Denmark

Jul 26: Austin Music Hall, TX

Jul 27: Dallas South Side Ballroom, TX

Jul 28: Houston Bayou Music Center, TX

Jul 30: Atlanta Masquerade Music Park, GA

Jul 31: Raleigh Red Hat Amphitheater, NC

Aug 01: Philadelphia Skyline Stage at the Mann Center, PA

Aug 02: Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion, MD

Aug 04: Boston Blue Hills Bank Pavilion , MA

Aug 05: New York Madison Square Garden,

Aug 07: Toronto Ricoh Coliseum, ON

Aug 08: Heavy Montreal, QC

Sep 06: Bumbershoot Festival Seattle, WA

Sep 08: Denver Red Rocks Amphitheatre, CO

Sep 18: Bogota Teatro Royal, Colombia

Sep 20: Buenos Aires Luna Park, Argentina

Sep 24: Sao Paulo Espaco Das Americas, Brazil

Sep 25: Rock In Rio VI, Brazil

Sep 28: Santiago Hangares Suricato, Chile

Oct 25: Monster Energy Aftershock, CA

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.