FEAR FACTORY - review added 21st January 2010
Album Review: Mechanize (2010)
For fans of: Industrial Metal... and mechanical precision
Fear Factory are widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands in metal. Since their beginnings over 20 years ago they've been pumping out their metallic, electric, industrial take on death metal and influencing countless other acts in the process.
With 4 studio albums in the bag, in 2002 the pressures of touring and internal strifes took their toll and the band split. A couple of years later they returned, albeit without their classic line-up, and released 2 further albums.
Now, however personal differences have been cast aside and the core is back. That core is Dino Cazares on guitars and Burton C. Bell on vocals. Joining them on Mechanize is Fear Factory mk.2 veteran Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad) on bass and new 'boy' Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Strapping Young Lad) on drums.
The new and old influences are immediately obvious on this record. There's plenty of the nuances of Fear Factory favourite Demanufacture in the blast beats and ferocious machine-driven speed throughout. Those overlaid harmonies are there again, giving the unrelenting heaviness an almost mythological edge. Equally, there are heavy hints of Alien-era Strapping Young Lad thanks to the revised rhythm section. Dino Cazares' work with Divine Heresy has undoubtedly contributed to this release, but the less said about that the better as we really aren't a fan.
The real question of course is: is Mechanize any good? The answer is a reasonably resounding yes. It's not up there with Demanufacture, but this is a lot closer than I expected Fear Factory 2010 to get. The title track kicks things off and, from the combat-spec opening into the main start of the brutish music, it's clear this band have no intention of f*cking about. Yes, the first few seconds of vocals are cack, but they soon get on the blood-lust highway and rip your ears off. This isn't memorable music in a classic hook/chorus fashion, but there's no doubting its impact.
'Industrial Discipline' really looks back to the Fear Factory history books. It's faster than a cheetah with a firecracker up its chocolate starfish, boasts some surprisingly good 'clean' singing, and has that synthetic aggression the band are so adept at. 'Fear Campaign' doesn't hit the spot quite as well as the first two tracks, but it still has its moments - especially in the thunderous rhythms just over halfway through.
'Powershifter' is almost progressive in its approach. There's a noticeable ramping up of heaviness over the previous track, and that can only be a good thing. 'Christploitation', a track clearly named with the thought of creating controversy, is a lean atmospheric industrial effort that's decent enough to not need the bullsh*t of a provocative moniker. 'Oxidizer', named like a ZZ-Top album, is creepy and gnarly. It's like a trip through a forest in Lord Of The Rings on the back of a nuclear powered tank.
'Controlled Demolition' has a brilliantly heavy raw guitar sound and bombastic rhythm attack. Parts of the track are impossibly badass and I'd love to hear this one live. 'Designing The Enemy' is another progressive entry that flits around all over the place. The broken segments give oodles of character, but they can make it hard work to listen to.
'Metallic Division' is a volcanic instrumental interlude, leading into the final track, the appropriately titled 'Final Exit'. 'Final Exit' is either a breath of fresh air and a clever upbeat-sounding way to end the album, or a self-indulgent waste of good ear time. I'm on the fence at the moment as I both love and hate it...
There aren't any standout tracks on Mechanize - not that standout tracks are something Fear Factory aim for. The important thing is that this album kicks the proverbial posterior of their last couple of releases and is a f*cking big loud riot. It isn't perfect, but if you love their finest work from years gone by this'll put a great big smiling grimace on your face!
Check out... All of it, in one go, at maximum volume.
Track List:
01. Mechanize
02. Industrial Discipline
03. Fear Campaign
04. Powershifter
05. Christploitation
06. Oxidizer
07. Controlled Demolition
08. Designing The Enemy
09. Metallic Division
10. Final Exit
Artist's website(s): Fear Factory , MySpace
