Many of the folks who were banging their heads to 1989’s The Real Thing were found scratching them when Angel Dust hit the shelves. Fresh off a reunion with his old band, Mr. Bungle, Mike Patton took Faith No More and their fans on a detour that would forever change the rules for what a Faith No More album could be. The record itself ran the gamut—from Kronos Quartet samples to a faithful cover of the Midnight Cowboy theme. But its sixth track, “Everything’s Ruined,” stands as one of the album’s high points. Patton’s vocals grunt, growl, and soar concurrently and you’re never quite sure if it’s the piano, the guitars, or the drums that are actually in the driver’s seat. The one thing you do know is that it’s a pretty awesome ride. Buckle up, kids.

Recommended by: Lee Lodyga

Today’s song is recommended by Queensryche’s Geoff Tate, whose aggressive hard rock/heavy metal seems like a world away from Sade’s detached, jazzy R&B-pop. “Like A Tattoo” comes from Sade’s highly successful 1992 album, Love Deluxe, which spawned the hits “No Ordinary Love” and “Kiss Of Life.” The chilled-out vibe of the song is in contrast to the story the lyrics tell. Sade talks of a lover whose past is burdening and shaming him, and of the conflict and potential violence that haunt him. Geoff’s roles as lead singer and lyricist in Queensryche allow him to weave stories, like Sade does, within his songs. His progressive approach to metal sets the band apart from their contemporaries not only by the topics they tackle but by the ambitious concept albums they’ve produced.

Recommended by: Geoff Tate from Queensryche

For the U.K. noise-pop gods’ first album of the 1990s, The Jesus And Mary Chain came up with one of their best efforts: Honey’s Dead. Featuring drum work by Steve Monti from Curve (among JAMC’s many disciples), the album seemlessly integrated industrial music into a pop context, though at the time critical attention was more focused on the lead single, “Reverence,” and its controversial take on martyrdom than on the disc’s stylistic advances. One of the album’s highlights, “Tumbledown,” features as strong a melody as the Reid brothers have ever written, and successfully steers it around guitar feedback that sounds more like a steam locomotive than a Velvet Underground lick.

Recommended by: John Hagelston