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Fear Factory - Mechanize review



Reviewer:
8.5

442 users:
8.17
Band: Fear Factory
Album: Mechanize
Release date: February 2010


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
11. Crash Test [re-recorded] [digipak bonus]

It wasn't long ago Fear Factory were claiming that "the soul of this machine has improved", following the departure of founding member, axe-man Dino. A questionable album and a legal case later, and Mechanize appears to be the band's seventh and latest full-length. Raymond and Christian do not feature on this album, Dino is back with his multiple-string guitar for the first time since Digimortal. For the first time ever the band also sees a new drummer, going by that familiar name of Gene Hoglan.

There's no question about it that when you hear Dino's signature guitar sound along with Burton's distinctive vocals, you wonder why the two were ever separated. Mechanize sounds fresh, modern, contemporary and it will knock you sideways. Fear Factory has regenerated and updated to the next version.

Performance-wise, this is probably the best the band have ever been. Burton is back on form delivering his roars and clean vocals as good as he ever has, only Dino's guitar has this unreal sound, and Gene blasts out one of his best performances with a fair few blastbeats and amazing control of the kick drums as he outclasses Raymond's past performances with Raymond's own style. Fear Factory have never sounded so extreme and tight, Mechanize is a true professional's performance.

It might sound ideal to have Fear Factory back with an album of frantic, industrial-tinged death metal, but the opportunity cost of the extremity seems to be character. Last song on the album "Final Exit" is the only display of character on the album, and by Fear Factory's standards this song is simply divine. A hint of condemned melody in the clean vocal chorus and a slight dampening of pace makes all the difference.

By no means is the half-hour punishing crush of album beforehand un-enjoyable. Although there may appear to be just one tiny hard-to-put-the-finger-on element still missing, this is the best Fear Factory have been since Obsolete, or even Demanufacture. For the first time since Digimortal, the band sound once again part of the modern time they are a part of. Mechanize is an enormously impressive present-day album that will please fans and casual listeners to no end. Fear Factory are back and mean business.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 10





Written on 28.02.2010 by Member of Staff since 2006

Guest review by
omne metallum
Rating:
9.0
One of the best comeback albums you will hear.

A bold claim but this album has the quality that can back up such words. Fear Factory mark their return with a purpose that had been missing since Obsolete, more than making up for their absence. From beginning to end, you get an album that makes up for lost time and then some. This album is just an unrelenting barrage of industrial metal attacks that will bombard your senses relentlessly until you're brought back to reality with the ambient refrains that end "Final Exit", serving as a soft landing to see the album out. If you like your metal heavy and in your face, then this is an album for you.

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published 13.04.2020 | Comments (1)


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 35   [ 5 ignored ]   Visited by: 422 users
09.12.2011 - 20:55
Thrash del Sur

Written by Angelic Storm on 09.12.2011 at 08:04

Written by Guest on 08.12.2011 at 23:50
You're an idiot.


Agreed, he is.

As for "Mechanize", I wouldn't quite put it up there with the likes of "Obsolete" or "Demanufacture", but it is mostly a very good album with even the ocassional flash of classic Fear Factory shown at times too. Oh, and "Christploitation" is a monster of a song!


I revisited the album. I have to take back what I wrote before, this is not a metalcore. Some parts sounded to me metalcorish, but hey!! they invented that breakdown stuff which are copied over and over again by metalcore bands.

Thanx to correct me, you both: Katy Perry and the Cat Lady hehehe.
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09.12.2011 - 21:03
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Thrash del Sur on 09.12.2011 at 20:55

Thanx to correct me, you both: Katy Perry

I do kiss girls and I like it.
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09.12.2011 - 21:07
Thrash del Sur

Written by Guest on 09.12.2011 at 21:03

Written by Thrash del Sur on 09.12.2011 at 20:55

Thanx to correct me, you both: Katy Perry

I do kiss girls and I like it.


I know Katy, we all know!
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12.03.2012 - 13:18
Rating: 10
Kuroboshi

I've never understood what all the fuss about this band was, until now. I mean, except Demanufacture, all of their earlier stuff are bad to OK at best. But this! Hoglan just rips the drum apart, and their style has just blossomed. A perfect album. And Final Exit might be one of the best closers of all time.
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03.08.2017 - 20:17
Rating: 9
MikeVonDoom

Whenever I hear Final Exit I always end up on the edge of lose it!! So goddamn emotional for me!!! -_-
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