Serial side project-er Mike Patton has dragged his former band mates back into the spotlight to reform the legendary alternative metal chaos that is Faith No More.

The band has agreed to headline a string of major UK festivals including Reading, Leeds and Download as well as a stack of European festivals and sideshows.

Faith No More called it quits in 1998 after 17 years of pure rock and roll mayhem and in house fighting. But after years of no contact and separate ventures in new directions, the boys wound up getting together, naturally, and deciding that, hey, the music still sounds as good as it did last decade so why not?

Here’s what the guys had to say about their time together on the official website:

“Faith No More has always stood out as some sort of unique beast; part dog, part cat—its music almost as schizophrenic as the personalities of its members. When it all worked, it worked really well, even if the chemistry was always volatile. Throughout our 17 years of existence, the mental and physical energy required to sustain this creature was considerable and relentless. Though amicable enough, when we finally split, we all followed paths seemingly destined to opposite ends of the universe.”

After replacing former lead singer Chuck Mosely in 1988, Mike Patton propelled the band to rock royalty, penning the lyrics to every song on the Grammy award-nominated album The Real Thing back in 1989. Highlights included “From out of Nowhere”, a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and the anthemic classic “Epic” which monopolised MTV’s video coverage and created a stir amongst animal activists for featuring a fish out of water flopping about in slow motion. The Real Thing went platinum, selling a measly 4 million copies world wide after extensive touring and confirming their place in the late 80s-early 90s alt/metal scene.

It seems surprising then that Mr Patton is jumping back into it and stepping away from his numerous side projects including cult favourite Mr Bungle, Tomohawk, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Peeping Tom and the brilliant but creepy soundtrack stylings of Fantomas.

One only hopes that the newly reformed Faith No More will not come face to face on the festival circuit with the newly reshuffled Wolfmother, particularly after Patton famously dissed our Aussie sons backstage at 2006’s Lollapalooza Festival – are you hearing this shit?! Ah, to be a fly on the wall.

Anyone with a wad of cash and a passport should check out the European tour dates for Faith No More at the official website http://www.fnm.com/.

- Carley Hall