*** Faith No More

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(Reprise)

Faith No More's forays into goth theatrics and thematically inflated pop tunes ("Midlife Crisis," "Epic") charmed some but left others impatient for the band to go away. With the assistance of a new guitarist -- Jon Hudson -- FNM have resurfaced with the glibly titled Album of the Year, building on the fusions that have served them well in the past. Frontman Mike Patton's dramatic vocals are back, bolstered by bits of blues, jazz, pop, and hip-hop. On "Mouth to Mouth," Roddy Bottum's whirling-dervish keyboards help frame a Beastie Boy-style rap; "Helpless" builds from a somber, pseudo-acoustic tune into an anthemic rant that ends in a literal cry for help. But it's the thrashing, mosh-ready "Naked in Front of the Computer" that's most likely to reconnect the band with the kids in the pit who put Faith No More in the buzz bin to begin with.

-- David Gérard