FEAR FACTORY
The Industrialist
AFM (2012)
Rating: 6.5/10
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There was a point in the mid-90s where Pantera, Sepultura and Machine Head were the most important bands in heavy music. Cyber-metallers Fear Factory can be added to that list, partly due the success of their sophomore effort, 1995’s Demanufacture.
Abandoning the death metal roots of debut Soul Of A New Machine (1992), Demanufacture burst forth from the speakers with vitality, class and a sound that hinted that this was the future of metal and an indication of where heavy music was heading for in the new millennium. Nu-metal put paid to that, and it can be argued that Fear Factory struggled to remain relevant with some mediocre releases and line-up changes.
But after a hiatus, frontman Burton C. Bell kissed and made up with original guitarist Dino Cazares to unleash Mechanize in 2010, and the result was a promising return to form. Unfortunately, The Industrialist doesn’t match earlier efforts like Demanufacture, but still serves as a decent follow-up to Mechanize.
After an epic intro, the title track explodes with Dino’s trademark staccato riffing and machine-gun drumming. But gone is Gene Hoglan behind the kit, and this time the band have employed the services of a drum machine – the difference is negligible; the triggering used on previous efforts sounded computer-like anyway and ironically in places sound more human than before with tom rolls and the like.
So far so good then, and the first half of the album is pure classic Fear Factory with a good mix of clean and harsh vocals and hook-laden choruses. ‘God Eater’ even has elements of Godflesh within the guitar work, but unfortunately this is the only track to stray from their signature sound, which consists of the aforementioned staccato riffs and triplet drum patterns to the point that the riffs can become predictable. Case in point being ‘Virus Of Faith’, which apart from the Terminator-influenced intro (yep, Burton and Co are still barking up that tree) sounds like it could have come from any album they’ve recorded since 1995. A bit more imagination with the riffs certainly wouldn’t go amiss, as at times it seems it’s the vocals holding the songs together and the music is just incidental.
That’s not to say that the songs here are poor though – far from it, there are some good moments to be enjoyed, such as ‘Difference Engine’ and lead single ‘Recharger’, but the overall feel of the album is an underwhelming one, especially when one knows exactly what this band are capable of.
To make matters worse, the album closes with the nine-minute synth-led instrumental ‘Human Augmentation’, with a mix of Terminator-like samples and noises, and is about as much fun as it sounds.
So Fear Factory’s revival is not quite yet complete, but it would be unfair to say this ‘new machine’ has lost any of its soul yet.
Neil Not
