Angel Dust

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. altro...

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.

Village Voice (3/2/93, p.5)
- Ranked #26 in the Village Voice's list of the 40 Best Albums Of 1992.

Q (1/93, p.70)
- Included in Q's list of the 50 Best Albums Of 1992.

Spin (6/92, p.67)
- Highly Recommended - "...ANGEL DUST is the next logical step in the band's meteoric career...Dynamic, innovative, and multidimensional, FNM's 1992 release is easily the grimy unit's finest hour..."

Entertainment Weekly (7/10/92, p.59)
- "...probably the most uncommercial follow-up to a hit record ever...a brave slap in the face of record sales...at least it's not boring..." - Rating: B

Q (7/92, p.91)
- 4 Stars - Excellent - "...This is tightly constructed noise on the grand scale that bellies its simple metal calling. It's loud, it's aggressive and, like any rock record worth its salt, it excites at the most instinctive level..."

Rolling Stone (9/3/92, p.65)
- 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a roiling, musically adventurious record...explodes with the sound of genres colliding...a listening experience that's thoroughly exhilarating, absolutely mood altering and completely addictive..."