Angel Dust [2 LP]

Faith No More: Mike Patton (vocals); Jim Martin (guitar); Roddy Bottum (keyboards); Billy Gould (bass); Mike Bordin (drums).
Recorded at Coast Recorders and Brilliant Studios, San Francisco, California.
Just as Faith No More acquired its long-sought-after mainstream success, the band decided that fame wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The group knew that the majority of its new fans would expect the follow-up to THE REAL THING to tread on similar sonic territory, and boy, did this new pop audience have another thing coming! Like many classic albums, upon first listen, 1992's ANGEL DUST is hard to digest in a single sitting. In fact, it almost sounds like artistic suicide--there are few obvious pop hooks, and the music is far more complicated than earlier material.
But after a few more spins, ANGEL DUST finds the right receptors in your brain, and simply pummels the listener. Vocalist Mike Patton truly came into his own on this release, oft-times singing from the standpoint of different characters (as heard on "R.V." and "Be Aggressive"). While several tracks defy description--the harsh "Jizzlobber," "Malpractice," for example--the FNM of old can be heard in its full glory on such tracks as "Caffeine," "Land of Sunshine," "Midlife Crisis," and "A Small Victory." ANGEL DUST remains Faith No More's greatest achievement, and one of the best rock releases of the '90s.