33. Angel Dust - Faith No More 1992
Rarely has a band been so schizophrenic, as Faith No More. I mean, there are many bands out there who change direction album to album, but not over the course of one collection of songs. Faith No More can go from Funk Metal, through Punk Rock via Pop, dabbling in Jazz, Soul and even, now and again, smoky and seedy Lounge. 'Angel Dust' is where Faith No More did just that, across just 14 tracks. When the band replaced their original singer, Chuck Moseley, with the twisted genius that is, Mike Patton, they had already written their third album, The Real Thing. That album did branch out a bit from their usual fare, and was awesome in it's own right, helping the band breach the mainstream, but here, they really came into their own, and became one of
the most influential Rock outfits ever, with a legacy that will continue to inspire and fascinate forever more. Patton, was now much more involved in the creative process and brought in more colors to add to the groups already, substantial palette. Not many vocalists in Rock are more revered than Patton, and it is easy to understand why, with just one listen through of 'Angel Dust'. He croons, he rages, he soars, he screams, he yelps and yells like a criminally insane loony. On 'Smaller and Smaller', he can be heard going through pretty much every facet of his vocals. Creepier vocals are almost impossible to find than on 'Midlife Crisis' and on 'Everything's Ruined', he displays an absolutely divine singing range. Lyrically, there is no denying that Patton is very witty, but he alone, only knows what he is
really on about. Listen to the wonderfully wacky, 'Be Aggressive', and tell me you have the slightest idea of what it means! The metallic element of the band that had been so prevalent on previous material was now pushed back, to allow for the other flavors to come to the fore. Jim Martins guitar playing was now much more a part of the overall sound, rather than a dominant element, with less riff based riffs. In turn, Roddy Bottums, keyboard parts were now playing more of a lead role, than being used to add to the atmosphere, with many songs being driven by his instrument. Of course, band founder, Billy Gould's, bass playing was still as off-the-wall and loud in the mix as ever, with his funky, four-string workouts. Many struggled to pigeon-hole Faith No More, especially after unleashing this album, so lazily, they were lumped in with the, Alternative Rock crowd. Since its release, back in 1992, it has gone on to influence much of the horrible, Nu-Metal genre, loads of Post-Hardcore and Screamo groups, as well as plenty of straight up Metal bands.