FAITH NO MORE – Angel Dust [Deluxe Edition Remastered]

FAITH NO MORE – perhaps one of the most influential Rock bands from the last 25 years – returned three years ago with their first album in 18 years, but they’re also set to look back at their classic catalog. The band have announced a pair of Deluxe reissues for their two first landmark albums: 1989’s ‘The Real Thing’ and its 1992 followup ‘Angel Dust’.
Each reissue has been remastered and is being presented as double-CD and double LP. Both feature a bonus disc full of B-sides, rarities, and live recordings.
Now it’s time to revisit “Angel Dust Deluxe Edition“, their finest hour.

The bonus disc with ‘Angel Dust’, the last record made by Faith No More with guitarist Jim Martin, comes packaged with a new mix of the killer “Midlife Crisis” by the band’s longtime produce Mike Wallace, plus covers of Dead Kennedys’ “Let’s Lynch The Landlord” (B-side) and the rare Cooler Version of the Commodores’ “Easy”, the band’s unexpected hit.
There’s as well the much sought after -R-Evolution 23 (Full Moon) Mix- of “A Small Victory” syncopated and ‘on acid’.
The live tracks are of much interest as well, because there was not official releases of ‘Angel Dust’ live performances before. The sound quality of these is dissimilar and not always perfect, but these takes are gold for the fans.

Then I enjoyed “Angel Dust” remastered as an infant with a bag of full of candy. This is a Masterpiece, from start to finish.
This album was a crack, influenced lots of bands, and still is relevant today.
At the time of its release “Angel Dust” confused just about everybody including long-time Faith No More fans to the music press and their rather shocked record label who were expecting ‘The Real Thing’ part 2 and another hit along the lines of Epic.

Instead gone was the funk metal to be replaced by a much more aggressive sound and add to that the fact that Mike Patton had also dropped the whole nasal voice singing to differentiate between Faith No More and his other band at the time, Mr Bungle.
Probably the biggest influence was that it was the first album that Mike Patton would have a big input on; as most of “The Real Thing” was written before he replaced Chuck Mosley as lead singer.

And the songs… all are a blast. Innovative, crazy, metallic at a moment and crooning at the other.
There’s angst, hard to digest lyrics too – you need to read between the lines, even with the album’s title – and a big middle finger to the establishment.
The opening track, “Land Of Sunshine” is as uplifting as it is dark. It’s the kind of song that you could picture a few thousand youths jumping up and down to in time with its distinctive bass riff. Evil track.
The rest of the album, from “Crack Hitler”, the genius of “Caffeine” and “Kindergarten” to the single “MidLife Crisis” (the only commercial moment) combines similar elements. A touch eerie and unsettling in places, but still capable of inspiring the listener to want to move.

I still remember the first time I listened the CD being disorientated by the screams in “Malpractice” or the martial grooves of “Jizzlobber”. Then after 10 spins or so I understand what these guys were doing, and fall in love with “Angel Dust”.
I am a melodic hard rock fan mostly, but this craziness of an album is simply brilliant.

As the thrash scene was imploding on itself and grunge was catching on quick, this album was part of neither of those movements. It sounded like Faith No More and nobody else.
It was to ensure that the band never fulfilled its stadium potential, but also that they have produced an album that was at the cutting edge of their genre, without falling into a genre. And that takes some doing.
Yes people, “Angel Dust” is a Rock Masterpiece, and it’s a mandatory CD in your collection.
ESSENTIAL

Disc One: Angel Dust Remastered
01. Land Of Sunshine
02. Caffeine
03. Midlife Crisis
04. R.V.
05. Smaller And Smaller
06. Everything’s Ruined
07. Malpractice
08. Kindergarten
09. Be Aggressive
10. A Small Victory
11. Crack Hitler
12. Jizzlobber
13. Midnight Cowboy
14. Easy

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks
01. Easy (Cooler Version) (‘I’m Easy’ CD single)
02. Das Schutzenfest (German version) (‘I’m Easy’ CD single)
03. As The Worm Turns (Mike Patton vocal / Japan bonus track)
04. Let’s Lynch The Landlord (B-side) (‘A Small Victory’ single)
05. Midlife Crisis (The Scream Mix – Remixed by Matt Wallace)
06. A Small Victory (R-Evolution 23 (Full Moon) Mix)
07. Easy (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
08. Be Aggressive (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
09. Kindergarten (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
10. A Small Victory (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
11. Mark Bowen (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
12. We Care A Lot (Live Munich 9th November 1992)
13. Midlife Crisis (Live Dekalb, Ill. 20th September 1992)
14. Land Of Sunshine (Live Dekalb, Ill. 20th September 1992)
15. Edge of The World (Live St. Louis 18th September 1992)
16. R.V. (Live Dekalb, Ill. 20th September 1992)
17. The World Is Yours (Outtake from Angel Dust sessions)

Mike Patton – Vocals
Jim Martin – Guitar
Billy Gould – Bass
Mike Bordin – Drums
Roddy Bottum – Keyboards

BUY IT !
www.amoeba.com/angel-dust-deluxe-edition-cd-faith-no-more/albums/3668569/
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