There was a strong sense of desperation lingering in the air at the end of the 80s. The heavy rock world had enjoyed a fruitful decade; but the established clichés of that era were wearing thin, exhausted by repetition and self-parody.
Before the music scene turned to grunge as its saviour, a strange phenomenon known as funk metal made significant inroads into the mainstream. In the US, Faith No More and a pre-bland Red Hot Chili Peppers suggested new ways to be heavy, and both ended up conquering hearts and charts.
