FAITH NO MORE's RODDY BOTTUM On 'Sol Invictus': 'It Really Does Go Back To Out Roots'

FAITH NO MORE keyboardist Roddy Bottum spoke to Australia's Faster Louder about "Sol Invictus", the influential alt-metal act's long-awaited follow-up to 1997's "Album Of The Year", which will be released in May.

"I would say that it really does go back to out roots, and [it's] really gothic — it's really sort of in the dark and there's a lot of somber tones on it," he said.

"I get gut instincts from simple stripped down sounds, when we do that successfully,” he continued, "and, for me, there is a lot of those moments on the record. Like, not as dense as the place that we usually go, and there's a lot of places with a really simple instrumentation and pianos — there is a lot of pianos — and a lot of really, concise smart lyrics that can be heard and understood. And those sort of places on the record are the strongest for me."

Bottum also praised bandmate Mike Patton's lyrics on "Sol Invictus", saying: "He has done a super, super, great job. I'm a huge fan of his lyrics I love what he does lyrically. There are some really fun wordplay [things] that he does, and there is a lot of referencing of us as a core group."

According to Bottum, the reason FAITH NO MORE decided to record a new studio album after being adamant about never making a new CD again was very simple. "We got really bored with what we were doing," he explained. "And we also felt like there are a whole lot of people out there who look to us to be inspired and encouraged by what we do artistically. So to be doing old songs on a big stage with a lot of people watching over and over — it felt kind of cheap and easy and a little too safe of a place to be. That's not who we are. We've always pushed buttons and we've always rubbed against the grain and we've always challenged things."

"Sol Invictus" will be released on May 19 via FAITH NO MORE's newly formed imprint Reclamation Recordings, which is distributed by Ipecac Recordings. FAITH NO MORE founder and bass player, Bill Gould, oversaw the production of the CD.

"Sol Invictus" track listing:

01. Sol Invictus
02. Superhero
03. Sunny Side Up
04. Separation Anxiety
05. Cone of Shame
06. Rise of the Fall
07. Black Friday
08. Motherfucker
09. Matador
10. From the Dead

FAITH NO MORE has confirmed its first North American shows since 2010 with a spring outing kicking off April 15 in Vancouver.

Preceding the tour is the release of a second single from the forthcoming album, "Superhero", which will be available as a limited-edition seven-inch single on March 17 followed by a digital release on March 31.

FAITH NO MORE is Mike Bordin (drums),Roddy Bottum (keyboards),Bill Gould (bass),Jon Hudson (guitar) and Mike Patton (vocals).

Photo credit: Dustin Rabin