Faith No More Want It All (But Can’t Have It) On ‘Epic’
The early 90s were a transitional period for Rock music. Grunge music hadn’t quite hit mass appeal yet, but arena-sized hair metal was slowly on the way out. Somewhere between these two points, bands like Living Colour, Jane’s Addiction, and Faith No More were able to create a lane for themselves out of the Alt Metal scenes that had popped up in places like Southern California and New York City.
Faith No More were in an especially transitional place, having recently dismissed their original lead singer, Chuck Mosley, and replaced him with Mr Bungle leader Mike Patton. Their debut album with Patton, The Real Thing, was released in Summer of 1989. But was floundering by early 1990. Given the Hail Mary option of picking their next single, the band chose their song ‘Epic’. A song that was truly ready for prime time; with pounding drums, a dash of operatic piano, and a coming out party for Mike Patton’s electric vocal range.
It’s a unique mix. Almost surreal to the uninitiated at the time. Perfect jumping off point for an equally surreal video.
Directed by Ralph Ziman. The music video for ‘Epic’ features the band performing outside in the desert during a lightning storm (via green screen). Mike Patton, front and center, sporting a dayglo neon sweater and boxing gloves, dancing around in the rain with the manic energy of a Tex Avery cartoon.
We see lightning shooting at the band’s instruments. Neon paint is flung at Mike Patton as he sits in a big chair, watching a living painting of a giant hand with an eyeball in its palm. Don’t you dare let PETA know about the scenes involving close-up shots of a fish, flopping around on a table, gasping for air (water?).
All of these surreal moments fly by fast and furiously. There’s little time to breathe. There’s so much to get absorbed in, you’d be forgiven for missing the part where Mike Patton’s head explodes. A spectacle that comes and goes in less than a full second.
The finished product is a glorious collage of images and ideas that set a great tone for this era of the band. There’s plenty of attitude here. But it’s all very playful. Bolstered by a bit of abstract mystery to everything, just to keep fans at arms length from thinking they’ve got Faith No More all figured out.
‘Epic’ is a music video that runs on a dual mixture of adrenaline and attitude. Each half crashing against the other to create actual lightning. The whole thing further elevated by Mike Patton and his unique, flawless vocal style. A voice that, at time goes on, will be used in everything from soaring rock ballads to Italian opera.
By the time ‘Epic’ comes to a slow, wet, piano-crescendo’d conclusion, it’s clear that Faith No More have caught people’s attention. What originally started out as a last ditch gamble to try and salvage their album, turned into the band’s primary calling card.
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