In retrospect, it’s clear that Faith No More were pioneers of sorts, a band of freaks and misfits who invented nu metal with The Real Thing (1989) only to become disgusted with its success and inadvertently blunder into the realm of filthy genius with 1992’s bestial classic, Angel Dust. This hits collection probably won’t prompt any mass rediscovery of their music, but as a primer it’s pretty damn good. The poptastic likes of “Epic” and “A Small Victory” showcase Mike Patton’s elastic vocals and Roddy Bottum’s Wagnerian keyboard pomp, while “Midlife Crisis”, “Be Aggressive” and “Digging The Grave” nod to the band’s dark, seamy, scatological side. If only today’s metal crop could boast such misanthropic wit and invention.
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