Angel Dust Hampton VA

Angel Dust

Faith No More

Slash /Reprise Records, 1992

REVIEW BY: Sean McCarthy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/15/1997

The Faith No More fans that I have talked to are as divided asour political parties when it comes to which period of the band wasthe best. Some prefer the more funk-oriented style of the band withsuch hits as "We Care A Lot" and "Falling To Pieces". Others saytheir last two albums are their best, going full out on theavant-garde obscureness mode.

The album right in the middle of this transition is Angel Dust. Fans of the album are some of the most psychoticfans I've seen of an album. I've read a story of a guy who had tosell his album collection (300 albums), but insisted of keeping Angel Dust. Other fans closer to campus call this oneflawless.

Five years after buying it, Angel Dust is still a noggin scratcher for me. Releasedright after Faith No More became on the biggest success stories of1990, the album was a response to the huge popularity the bandreceived. "Epic" was all over MTV and the song was actuallysandwiched between MC Hammer and Whitney Houston in pop stationsacross the US. Meanwhile Faith No More's true followers were havingdifficulty moshing with frat boys who just came to the concerts tohear one or two songs off The Real Thing. Faith No More took a simple approach:scarethe shit out of the new fans by making an album that was aslacerating as a butcher's knife.

The album starts off promising. "Land of Sunshine" is asarcastically funky song filled with unsettling lyrics. "Preparefor a series of comfortable miracles", Mike Patton's baritone voicebroods while Jim Martin lays down some nice fretwork.