Wasn't Jim Martin's big objection to Angel Dust that the focus of the songwriting shifted from being a guitar-band to being a vocal-band? When Mike Patton came in on The Real Thing it felt like he sort of just slid into an already existing role and when they moved forward with Angel Dust, the songwriting definitely started getting more experimental and trying to play to Patton's strengths. A song like Malpractice - that I absolutely adore, feels like a showcase for what Patton can do, more than being your average song. Part of me can understand Jim Martin if he wanted to be a standout in the band, but when you got maybe the most talented & versatile rock/metal singer ever at your disposal, I feel like the turn they took was one that was both refreshing and resulted in their best album.
I still adore The Real Thing and it has some fantastic songs - the title track especially, but Angel Dust to me is that perfect lightning in a bottle album. I think the albums they made after it are really good too, but something about Angel Dust just makes it stand out. I'm a huge Patton fan and I think when he's in the right band at the right time - like FNM during those years or Mr. Bungle, he's fantastic. I think some of the time the material isn't up to his level of talent though. As much as I like Tomahawk for example, they always felt a bit like 'lesser Faith No More'. I would still rate their best albums around 8 or 8.5 out of 10 which isn't bad at all, but they're missing that Angel Dust level album. I don't think Patton's been on a truly fantastic album in the last decade or so which is a shame because he's so great.