Amazon.co.uk Review
An amazing album,
Angel Dust unfortunately has limited appeal, although perhaps "unfortunately" isn't the right word; the record's oddities are also what make it such a fascinating listen. "Land Of Sunshine" is a rocker with a foot-tapping rhythm punctuated by insane laughter from vocalist Mike Patton, whose distinctive voice and frequently disturbing lyrics drive the album. To call it hard rock does
Angel Dust a disservice; it's far more musically complex than such a label implies. There's the funk-influenced "Midlife Crisis", the ballad "RV" (a bitter monologue from the point of view of a middle-aged discontent sitting in his trailer), the hard-edged claustrophobia of "Smaller And Smaller," and the rock-married-to-electronic-organ "Be Aggressive", which includes positively inspired cheerleader chants on the chorus. Impossible to classify but incredibly entertaining,
Angel Dust is well worth picking up.
--Genevieve Williams
CD Description
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 newfans 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, uponfirst 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.