Milk and Blood - Jim Martin

Faith No More fans expecting part two of Angel Dust may be a bit disappointed with ex-FNM guitarist Jim Martin's first solo album. But fans of straight-ahead heavy metal à la Metallica will enjoy the European-only Milk and Blood. The band is a trio (consisting of Martin, bassist Brent Weeks, and drummer Joe Cabral), but Martin is the undisputed leader -- he produced, engineered, and wrote (for the most part) the entire record. Martin also handles vocal duties throughout the album, his first time ever singing lead on record. But the sound quality throughout Milk and Blood is not up to par with the albums that Martin has appeared on in the past (it sounds rather tinny, with not enough bass). But there are still plenty of highlights -- the Pink Floyd-esque "Around the Sun," the massive heavy metal groove of "Disco Dust," a cover of the FNM classic "Surprise, You're Dead," as well as the tranquil compositions "Loser" and "Hunter Shepherd." Also included is a songwriting collaboration with Metallica bassist Jason Newsted entitled "Fatso's World" and a punked-up cover of the Pogues' "Navigator." The album would have been even better with the input of his ex-FNM bandmates, but the opposite could be said of the two albums FNM recorded sans Martin. Despite its shortcomings, Faith No More fans should definitely hunt down a copy of Milk and Blood. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide