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Fear Factory - Mechanize review



Reviewer:
9.0

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]

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.

Mechanize sees the team of Cazares and Bell reform and create an album that can hold its own against Demanufacture and Obsolete, sounding like 21st century addition to these classics. Take tracks like "Mechanize", "Powershifter" or "Controlled Demolition", each of which can hold their own and even surpass many of the rightly agreed classics in both of the aforementioned records. From start to finish, there is not a weak track on the album. Any doubts you had that the band had lost their way since Digimortal are instantly evaporated the second the drums kick in on "Mechanize".

Speaking of drums, Gene Hoglan's presence is felt behind the kit, bringing the drums to the fore without feeling out of place; they add an intensity that pushes this album beyond previous limits set by the band. There is a reason they call the man the 'atomic clock' and he more than lives up to that title on here. Cazares' guitar offers up the downtuned attack that fans of the band had missed on the prior two albums; he returns to a hero's welcome here. Bell's voice here sounds as vibrant and strong as it was at the beginning of their career, equally mastering the growls and clean range that has come to be his staple. Make the most of this while you can, however; it's after this album that his voice noticeably starts to deteriorate.

While there are weaker tracks on the album, they would be the stronger tracks on most other albums. "Designing The Enemy" and "Christiploitation" are still great songs, but the standard the rest of the album sets is just a bit too high for these tracks; it is an enviable problem for the band to have.

If you do not know the band, then this is a great place to star;, it is a modern installment on a timeless sound that the band have perfected over the years. There is a reason why Fear Factory are one of the first bands mentioned when industrial metal is mentioned;Mechanize added yet another album to a collection that has come to define a genre.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by omne metallum | 13.04.2020




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
Baz Anderson
Rating:
8.5
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.

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published 28.02.2010 | Comments (40)


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 20 users
14.04.2020 - 19:20
UPDIRNS

Great review and yes this album kicks massive ass. I love Fear Factory and have all their albums. This is my favorite!.
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