Review Summary: Remember the American Dream? 1992 was the year it was finally realized. A musical phenom in the making took on a venture into the gaping, dark walls of his mind. This was the final outcome.
Great things have often come across our very frigid life-spams, but only a few and very little times do we see something truly spectacular come across our sight. Believe me when I say that when I first listened to Faith No More's sophomore album (with Mike Patton on the wheel, of course) I cried. I did not cry tears of sorrow, though. No, I cried because I felt as if I were opening my first Super Nintendo on a Christmas day. I felt as if I had taken my first bite into the music industry with this album. This was easily my first epic album, and believe me when I say I enjoyed every single bit of it. You will, too. Trust me. By the end of this review you'll be downloading the album or buying the LP on eBay. Let's take a trip into the eccentric mind of the musical phenom that is Angel Dust. Enjoy.
When first listening to Angel Dust you must first ask yourself, "Who are these guys anyway?" Well, to put it in the shortest of terms, Faith No More were the reason (other than Bjork) that the 90's were so great. With massive hits like "Epic" or "From Out of Nowhere" you couldn't go wrong with these guys. Before you make any false presumptions on how "this album is probably The Real Thing Pt. 2", let me tell you this. Are you the same person you were 20 years ago? 10 years ago? I think not. Faith No More went through massive puberty when developing Angel Dust. They went from being a funky/alternative radio rock group, to being a legendary quintet of epic proportions. Without further a due let's dive in, shall we?
Land of Sunshine hits your ear drums and the you feel as if you've been taken into a surreal mission in which you must discover how to land yourself on paradise. The land of milk and honey, as many say. With Mr. Gould's amazing bass strings of the intro, Puffy's hard hitting drum beat and the melodic, yet unnerving symphonic keyboard notes in the background you know you're in for a treat. Mike Patton takes on full charge with lines like "You have a winning way, so keep it, your future/your future/You are an angel heading for the land of sunshine/and fortune is smiling upon you..." It is in this moment that you are finally in the mystic void. A place where external, emotional and mental pain are subdued and lacking of a powerful grip on you. You are free and so is your mind. The trip doesn't end there when Jim Martin's last guitar note is played. Caffeine starts and your mind is just asking for more and more. The song works just like the title intends it to. It fills you with euphoria and energy. You feel like you want to punch someone in the nose without a worry in the world. With Patton's harsh, raspy vocals, and the rest of the band's effort to bring as much angry energy into this song as possible. It works its way into your brain and leaves you unconsciously going on a rampage.
Your brain's energy wears out and you feel dazed and confused. You don't know what's going on, but you know you're liking it so your grin doesn't just suddenly disappear. Your treated with Midlife Crisis. A song for the masses to sing in holy appreciation. With amazing lyrical satire, vocals ranging from low-end whispers to highly pronounced melodies. The song also doesn't disappoint with its keyboard action. Roddy's substantial and synthetic dance beat just makes you want to just move to the music. Next up is an interlude. Which describes the daily life of an old, average, low-life country folk. Satirical aspects are more pronounced on this song and it shows in tremendous amounts. This isn't bad thing at all, since it serves of humor while still maintaining its musical artistry. After that almost 4 minute interlude, you're taken into a sugar crop field. Where you're mistreated and abused as a puny slave. You feel worthless and insignificant. You feel as if all that was given to you up to this point is lost in the outlets of no tomorrow and no yesterday. You're lost in the endless loop of slavery. But, hey! You still got a song that packs a punch in the background. This is easily one of the highest points of the album. Smaller and Smaller just leaves you wanting more by the end of it all.
In the middle points of the album you have ecstatic, but nostalgic moments with Everything's Ruined. You have dysphoric, but anger-filled moments like Malpractice. You get more fun tracks like Kindergarten and Be Aggressive which put the ball on your side of the park and leave you with a choice. Shall I continue into a venture of happiness? Or just succumb myself to anger, fear and emotional distress? You think you have a choice, but no you don't. The emotional roller coaster continues with its constant give and take back methods. You now feel in ease as A Small Victory puts you on a pedestal. You feel like a king on the top of a hill, but little did you know that you were destined to the cruel fate of being the kind for a day... and then be the fool for a lifetime. The magnitude of your bad decisions and wrong turns are vast and they leave you succumbing in an endless hole of despair. You're a trifle, with little importance to the world and your addiction has caught up with you. This all happens during Crack Hitler and Jizzlobber. Jizzlobber is easily the best song of the whole nineties. As you experience the last words of a cocaine addict who is about to drift off into isolation and death. This person is you. You are now dead, but... the gods have forgiven your acts of selfishness and cruelty to others and yourself by opening you a gateway into the Eden with the last instrumental track, Midnight Cowboy.
You have successfully ventured through the gaping holes of wisdom and life-change that is Angel Dust. How do you feel? I bet you feel like a million bucks, right? Well, you should. This is an album that will forever be engraved in our minds and hearts and we should enjoy it and appreciate it for what it is, the host of the music industry. The musical phenom of the nineties.
Personal Favorite tracks:
-Jizzlobber
-Caffeine
-Everything's Ruined
-Midlife Crisis
