Band:	Faith No More
Album:	Album Of The Year
Style:	Alternative metal
Release date:	1997
A review by:	omne metallum

Disc I
01. Collision
02. Stripsearch
03. Last Cup Of Sorrow
04. Naked In Front Of The Computer
05. Helpless
06. Mouth To Mouth
07. Ashes To Ashes
08. She Loves Me Not
09. Got That Feeling
10. Paths Of Glory
11. Home Sick Home
12. Pristina

Limited Edition bonus tracks:
13. Light Up and Let Go
14. The Big Kahuna
15. Last Cup of Sorrow [Rammstein Mix version]
16. Ashes to Ashes [Hardknox Alternative Mix version]
17. She Loves Me Not [Spinna Crazy Club Mix version]
18. Last Cup of Sorrow [Sharam VS FNM Club Mix version]

Disc II [Limited Edition bonus]
01. Last Cup Of Sorrow [Bigfoot And Wildboy Mix version]
02. Last Cup Of Sorrow [Bonehead Mix version]
03. Ashes To Ashes [Hardknox Horned Hand Mix version]
04. Ashes To Ashes [Automatic 5 Dub Mix version]
05. She Loves Me Not [Spinna Main Mix version]
06. Ashes To Ashes [Dillinja Mix version]

Well, a slight over-estimation.

All good things must come to an end, even if only temporarily, as was the case with Faith No More, who bowed out not long after their then-last crack of the whip Album Of The Year. Coming off of a run of classics that started over a decade prior, Album Of The Year was playing against a stacked deck; while it inevitably pales in comparison, it puts up a hell of a fight and challenges the narrative that the band went out with a whimper instead of a bang.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference with Album Of The Year compared to the rest of their discography is that it is the band's least eclectic and diverse offering since The Real Thing. While it is still experimental compared to many metal bands, by Faith No More's standards, it dips its toes rather than jumping head first into the weird and wonderful. Though this seems to take away from the band's strengths, they compensate with plenty of unconventional approaches in other ways.

Speaking of unconventional, it is odd that Album Of The Year peaks in the middle of proceedings, rather than at the start of or end of the record. The three track run of "Mouth To Mouth", "Ashes To Ashes" and "She Loves Me Not" is the peak of what was, for the longest time, the band's last effort. "Mouth To Mouth" sees the band blend Arabic rhythms with some heavy edges, while "Ashes To Ashes" and "She Loves Me Not" feature a vocal performance for the ages thanks to Patton.

In terms of sound, Album Of The Year has perhaps the band's best production work to date: solid, firm and powerful. The tone of all elements is spot on, giving the album an identity of its own in the band's discography. "Last Cup Of Sorrow" is a powerful and well balanced example, with the band going for atmosphere over eclecticism. The brooding and heavy atmosphere is the one common thread running through the songs.

Why was the album a slow grower in terms of popularity? Well, given its accessible nature in comparison to the rest of the band's discography, it is easier to make a quick (mis)judgement when you don't have to analyse and wait for the songs to grow on you. "Stripsearch" is a moody and brooding track, encompassing you with its melancholic atmosphere, something that is easy to digest compared to anything off of Angel Dust.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Album Of The Year is that it had the unenviable task of following up one of the greatest album trilogies in metal, doing so while the band were on the verge of breaking up. The latter is perhaps the most obvious issue here; the band simply sound tired, the brooding melancholy that permeates the atmosphere seeming to radiate of off each member's performance. "Paths Of Glory" sounds like the band going through the motions; the spark that breathed life into their earlier work just isn't there (also see "Home Sick Home").

Few band's could make an album as good as this when they're going through slow-motion self-destruction. While Album Of The Year it wasn't, it is still a notable and enjoyable album should you give the time of day.