Faith No More - Angel Dust
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Free Music Notes for Angel Dust
Free Music Review: Mind-altering substance
Hit: 5 Stars
It's hard to describe the effect this album had on me. After hearing Angel Dust for the first time, my head felt well and thoroughly (and we'll see if this clears Amazon's standards)...eff'd. I mean that in the best possible sense, but at the time I had no idea that music could be quite so scary. Keep in mind that the albums I had in heavy rotation prior to buying Angel Dust were Firehouse's Hold Your Fire and Slaughter's The Wild Life. Sure, I owned Metallica's black album and Faith No More's previous album The Real Thing, but they in no way prepared me for songs like Caffeine, RV, Malpractice, and especially Be Aggressive. When the album ended I wanted to pass out from exhaustion, vomit, and play it again, all at once!
Angel Dust is mind-altering music at its best, and opened my ears to a much wider array of artists. Everyone talks about Nirvana changing the musical landscape in the 90's, but for my money, Nevermind has nothing on Angel Dust. Musically, conceptually, and lyrically, this album pushed every possible envelope. It was if the band told the masses who bought their addictive sophomore album The Real Thing: "This is where we're going. Try and keep up, but we're not waiting for you." It probably cost them a large chunk of that original audience, but I like to think those who stuck around proved worthy of the band and what they had to offer.
I realize this review says very little about the album itself, and everything about my reaction to it, but I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while now. I've been listening to Angel Dust off and on for 15 years now and still don't have a complete handle on what it's all about, but I think that speaks to the sheer brilliance and complexity of the album and the band. I still think it should come with some kind of label warning that it might impair coherent thought and that you shouldn't attempt to operate heavy machinery while listening.
Free Music Review: Faith No More's dawning of brilliance
Hit: 5 Stars
Received with almost unanimous critical acclaim and hailed as a touchstone for an entire generation of metal heads, albeit often against Patton's own wishes, "The Real Thing" was Mike Patton proving that he had what it took to survive in a "rock band". Although the album was not quite radio fodder, it was about as straightforward as the manic Mike Patton would ever allow and therefore, as compensation, on his second album with Faith No More, the level of experimentation is amped up considerably. Incorporating the Avant Garde persona of his original, and at that point still continuing, band Mr. Bungle, Mike Patton changes Faith No More from heavy metal icons into genre bending rock visionaries. The metamorphosis is still far from a complete overhaul, which didn't happen until the group's following album, but "Angel Dust's" newly harnessed spirit of diversity coupled with the band's hard rock aesthetics of old creates a fascinating amalgamation of styles. Spewing forth New Wave pop, "Midlife Crisis", catchy funk ballads, "Everything's Ruined", laid back jams, "RV", and over the top heavy metal, "Malpractice", all within the span of a single CD, Angel Dust's sheer wealth of ideas is staggering, easily earning Faith No More the title of hard rock's most diverse innovators. This stylistically varied agenda also displays Faith No More's true instrumental abilities as the band continually plays with deft musicianship and unwavering perfection no matter what obscure genre is laid before them. Patton effortlessly tackles any vocal style thrown at him, Jim Martin's solos are always staggeringly complex, and the rhythm section moves the album along at a swift pace, interlacing some straight funk and deep grooves within their hard hitting attacks proving that no matter how technically demanding a song may be, FNM is always willing to put in the extra time to make every track as perfect as possible. While it is still very much a rock or alternative album, constricting its very broad concepts to concise, 3-6 minute tracks, the band's increasing fondness for the weirder side of music, whether it's marketable or not, assures that Angel Dust remains supremely original and incredibly interesting throughout.Free Music Review: Legendary album from a legendary band
Hit: 5 Stars
I have read many a review on this site but have never really got around to writing one for myself as it is difficult to put this album into words. However, after reading so many other reviews by fans who worship this album, I realised that I just had to put in my two cents.Firstly, I had no idea that so many people love this album. In a world where unoriginal tripe is lapped up by the masses, its refreshing to know that there are still people who know a quality album when they hear it. Aah.
'Angel Dust' is a great eclectic mix of everything, with that great Faith No More twist. The three singles, 'Midlife Crisis', 'Everything's Ruined' and 'A Small Victory' are three undescribable, uncatergorizable songs. They are well worth the money alone. There are some harder songs, like 'Jizzlobber', 'Caffeine' and 'Malpractice', the latter being very reminiscent of Mr.Bungle (loaded with samples and tempo changes). 'Land of Sunshine' is a great track to sing along to and contains the most sarcastic lyrics in the history of mankind. 'Crack Hitler' is a totally funky tune with a twist in the middle (those who own the album will know what I mean). 'RV' is a good take on music, but sadly Mike's monologue ruins the subtlety of the joke. Excellent chorus and bridge though.
As a bassist, I find this album is very impressive, especially in 'Land of Sunshine' (bass plays the main riff) and 'Kindergarten' (bass solo!). It also uses things that you would not normally hear in 'alternative rock' songs, like african chanting ('Smaller and Smaller'), cheerleading chants ('Be Aggressive') and horror violins ('Jizzlobber' - you'll know what I mean when you hear it). And, unlike other bands who try and do that sort of thing and fail miserably, these work really well.
The final thing I have to say is that I usually hate it when bands put covers on albums. However, it is again different on 'Angel Dust'. 'Midnight Cowboy' offers a nice antidote after the frenetic 'Jizzlobber', and their version of 'Easy' (if you own the version tha has it) has become so well known that it is almost their own. Sorry to ramble, but this album is so good... It may take afew listenings to get used to, but it is worth it.
Free Music Review: The Greatest Anti-Sellout Album Ever!
Hit: 5 Stars
Let's go back to the time that this album was recorded. You are a band that has been around, even to the point of being on your 2nd lead singer in Mike Patton. Your last album was a surprise breakthrough mainstream hit thanks to the surreal song, "Epic", which broke into the Pop Top 10 and the video was constantly on MTV. Your band seems destined to break out and become a major commercial star. So what do you do? You release an album in "Angel Dust" that was so commercial unfriendly that you kill any chances of being pop successes. And what is wrong with that you ask? Nothing - it is just a gutsy move to say the least by this band that has influenced all kinds of "nu-metal" bands these days (none are as good as FNM).Anyone familiar with Patton's other band, Mr. Bungle, will feel that "Angel Dust" is an album that would seem more appropriate for Mr. Bungle than Faith No More, but it showed the variety of styles that this band could play. Sadly, this would be the last album for eccentric guitarist, Jim Martin, with the band, but he is in fine form along with Mike Bordin, Patton, and the others. All of the tracks are great, but my favorites include "Mid-Life Crisis" which might be the only real close commercial track on the album, "Crack Hitler", "Be Aggressive", which has cheerleaders and is an ode to oral sex, and "RV" which is a hilarious song, partly because Patton sings it in a white trash type of voice. His range on this album is incredible. The album ends with a version (instrumental) of "Midnight Cowboy", and considering that you hear all kinds of stuff on this album like organs, choirs, cheerleaders, etc, it seems appropriate.
You will probably not like this album on the first listen, unless you are a weirdo or a Mr. Bungle fan, but give it a chance as it will continue to grow on you the more times you listen. One of the most underrated albums of all-time, in addition to being one of the most daring. Faith No More, essentially, was never the same band after this album. And little wonder - as not only did the album destroy any commercial hopes they had (which was probably zero) but more than that, it was such a brilliant album, that it was impossible to top it.
Free Music Review: My favorite album from my favorite band.
Hit: 5 Stars
It's true that this doesn't exactly fit the metal mold, but maybe that's why I like it so much. Out of all the albums I own, this has to be one of the most diverse. Every song is versatile, and genius in it's own right. To put it simply, "Angel Dust" is anything but redundant.
Mike Patton (vocals) - Patton's second Faith No More album, and I must say, his improved vocals are absolutely stunning. His vocal performance on "The Real Thing" was great, but nothing to write home about. At that time, his voice seemed a little nasally, and sometimes even obnoxious. A lot has changed since then. With "Angel Dust", Mike showcases a variety of different ranges, and I believe it was this album that garnered him the respect he now has.
Jim Martin (guitars) - There's not much to say here, as Martin rarely does anything of importance on this album. Yes, there are some cool riffs here and there, but they're rarely found. I know what you're thinking - "a metal album where the guitars aren't the main focus?". Indeed, it sounds crazy, but it works.
Billy Gould (bass) - I've always considered Billy Gould to be an underrated bassist, but like Martin, "Angel Dust" doesn't showcase his best work. However, unlike Martin, Gould does have a bigger role, and his bass is noticeable in almost every track. "Crack Hitler", in particular, is a nice display of his talents.
Roddy Bottum (keyboards) - Besides Patton, the biggest focus seems to be on the keyboards. Bottum added a nice vibe to the three previous albums, but he was never as dominant as he is here. The atmosphere portrayed by the synths is quite amazing. The best depiction of this would have to be the highlight of the album, "Midlife Crisis".
Mike Bordin (drums) - The drumming is stellar, like always. "Puffy" does a top-notch job on each record, so you know he won't disappoint.
Like I mentioned before, "Midlife Crisis" is a stand-out track, but it would be way too hard to recommend only a few songs. Trust me, when you have an album as brilliant as this, you'll want to listen to the whole thing.