After the lengthy Soundgarden article I wanted to do something a little... lighter? I started a write-up on my favorite 80's New Wave songs and the Talking Heads but, after gathering all the songs I kinda lost interest. I will go back to it eventually. . . maybe, lol. That's kinda the way it goes with me. I like other types of music like New Wave, electronic, hip hop, even a little old country western (well, really only Johnny Cash I guess), but hard rock/grunge/metal is what moves me.
So, we are gonna go the opposite direction. Lighter? Nah. Heavier? Yah! The band we are talking about today is Fear Factory. I can hear the 'real' metalheads now, "Come on, bruh, they ain't even that heavy." Well, they are certainly the most intense band I have covered thus far, so, just be patient. Eventually I will get to some brutal hardcore stuff like Knocked Loose or Kublai Kahn TX. I need to ramp up!
I don't remember the exact year or situation in which I was first exposed to Fear Factory, but it was sometime between 1998 and 2001. I do remember the song, however. That song is called Descent, from their 3rd album Obsolete released in 1998. I am pretty sure it was by buddy Conan who had the CD. I think it would have been the summer we lived in that decrepit farm house. That was one heck of a summer.... but aaaaanyway. The guitar tone, vocals, and almost machine-like rhythms are what make this band unique and drew me in. They have released several albums over the years. Some I know better than others. But, on each album there is at least one song that really slaps my giddy-up. Let's go.
Album: Demanufacture - 1995
Wikipedia says Demanufacture is a concept album about a man's struggles against a machine controlled government and was inspired by the movie Terminator. It was released in 1995 and is the band's second album, and the first with their 'classic' member line-up (pictured above). The album established them as THE band to compare to whenever discussing 'industrial' metal.
Song: Replica
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Demanufacture
Release Year: 1995
After being first introduced to Fear Factory on their third album Obsolete, I got interested in their previous album, Demanufacture. Immediately I loved this song, Replica. Fear Factory has this really unique sound, like humans playing instruments like machines... or maybe machines attempting to be human. This song really features Burton C Bell's one-of-a-kind voice. I love when he breaks into that soaring chorus.
Song: Body Hammer
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Demanufacture
Release Year: 1995
Body Hammer is one of the songs I have been into more recently. Not sure how I skipped over it all these years. It's not a typical Fear Factory song in that, the verses have this very simple bass/snare drum beat. I love the line "As of NOW, I AM a tool.... of seVERE IMPACT."
Album: Obsolete - 1998
One major difference between Demanufacture and Obsolete, is the production choices. Obsolete just sounds ... thicker... more dense. The guitar tones on this album are among my favorite of any album, not just by Fear Factory, but.... ever, ever. Per Wikipedia:
Obsolete revolves around a story penned by vocalist Burton C. Bell, "Conception 5", set in the year 2076 where machines have taken over mankind.[4]Song: Shock
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Obsolete
Release Year: 1998
"I've become the volts.... to lead the revolt." This album makes great use of the 'bass drop'. You'll notice it when Burton yells SHOCK!. Well, if you are listening to this on your terrible laptop speakers you won't notice it, but... just another reason you should go get your headphones! ;0) Or better yet, your car stereo.. really feel it. "I will be the power surge.. shock to the system. Electrified, amplified, shock to the system." SHOCK!
Song: Edgecrusher
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Obsolete
Release Year: 1998
The thing that hooked me on Edgecrusher was the bass line sound on the verses. It sounds like someone is plucking an upright bass. There is nothing like that on any other Fear Factory song that I am aware of. Something cool that happens when I take the time to write these posts, and I say it often, I get to know songs that I have listened to for decades in a different way and learn new things about them, even though I know them like the back of my hand. Case in point, I apparently have never looked up the lyrics to this song. Burton has such a gift for putting words together, man.
Conceived in a hell beyond your depth of perceptionChaotic case of conquering domination
Psychopath snaps fired chains of imprisonment
A bludgeoning force that's undermining the government
The purist, non-conformist, jaded subhuman terrorist
From flesh to steel and blood to blade I fight to exist
A rival of justice, extreme rush of hatred
Survival in a twisted world where nothing is sacred
Song: Descent (Fan made video)
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Obsolete
Release Year: 1998
This is the song that drew me in to the Fear Factory world back in 1999ish. It is still among my favorites from their catalog. I am realizing now that this is probably the 'simplest' song Fear Factory ever recorded. No crazy machine kick drumming, the pace is slow compared to most of their songs, and the riffs are ascending and descending notes with space in between. I love both the verse riff and the chorus riff. Burton singing "I feel nothing, I am nothing" over that layered, dense guitar gets me every time. Powerful.
Song: Cars (Gary Numan cover)
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Obsolete
Release Year: 1998
Now I know why I jumped to Fear Factory from my half-finished New Wave article... this cover of Gary Numan's Cars is probably their most well-known song. I remember it being played on Rock 108 quite a bit back then. Fear Factory's version is pretty true to the original, just with distorted guitar added. I though it was super cool that Gary Numan actually trades verses with Burton Bell on the song.
Album: Digimortal - 2001
From Wikipedia:
While the band had initially decided to detour from their concept-based records, Digimortal would continue where Obsolete left off. Conceptually, the record contains a futuristic story about man and machine merging into one. The surviving humans and the machines realize they have to depend on each other if they are going to continue on. The title of the album is actually short for "Digital Mortality".Digimortal brings back memories from when it was released back in 2001/2002. I was working at an ISP in Monticello, IA and listened to a radio stream called KNAC from California and they played Linchpin off of this album quite a bit. I bought the CD... I think.. That was when file sharing was at it's peak so I was able to get any music I wanted. Was the best part of that job! ;0)
Song: Digimortal
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Digimortal
Release Year: 2001
Song: Linchpin
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Digimortal
Release Year: 2001
CAN'T TAKE ME APAAAAAART! Somewhat ironic that Fear Factory did indeed split apart after this album. Like the song Digimortal, this song has a wonderful pre-chorus and chorus. They really stepped up their melodic game on this album.
Song: Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies) (Fan video)
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Digimortal
Release Year: 2001
Speaking of more 'mainstream' or melodic songs... Invisible Wounds fits that description possibly the most out of any Fear Factory songs. I found this cool fan-made video and shared it with the family since my son Max is into this type of animation. So far no response.... lol. Hey man... industrial metal is not for everyone!
Album: Archetype - 2004
Fear Factory reformed without guitarist Dino Cazares for 2004's Archetype. Found a couple interesting factoids on Wikipedia regarding the album:
The title track "Archetype" is directed at then ex-guitarist Dino Cazares: "The infection has been removed/The soul of this machine has improved." Frontman Burton C. Bell stated that "'Archetype,' defines what Fear Factory is, completely. It has classic Fear Factory parts, and the heavy/melodic vocals, but without being forced or contrived."[11]Song: Archetype
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Archetype
Release Year: 2004
"You must never forget the essence of your spark." As with most Fear Factory songs, I really dig the soaring chorus. At the end of the song they go into this refrain of "open your eyes, open your eyes". ❤️❤️
Song: School (Nirvana cover)
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Archetype
Release Year: 2004
Won't you believe it, it's just my luck. NO RECESS!!! This is a cover of the Nirvana song School from their first album Bleach.
Album: Transgression - 2005
This is the first Fear Factory album to include guitar solos, with the songs "Echo of my Scream" and "New Promise" featuring one each.
Song: 540,000 Degrees Farenheit
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Transgression
Release Year: 2005
Pulsing radiation moving through cracks under skin
Feel the fire in the wind, deadly kiss of scorching sands
Not a prayer of hope or redemption in your eyes
Hell exploded on this earth to take all that's alive
Standing at the face of death, terror stealing your last breath
Watch the firestorm incinerate you into ash
All that you know burns away into dust
So many lives, so many innocent burn
Every particle returns to its natural form
Ashes into ashes blown away just like the dust
Heaven burning with the sky, hell is not the reason why
Feel the firestorm melting your spirit into glass
All that you know burns away into dust
So many lives, so many innocent burn
So many lives, so many innocent
All that you know burns away into dust
So many lives, so many innocent
So many lives, so many innocent
So many lives, so many innocent
So many lives, so many innocent
Burn, burn, burn, burn
Song: I Will Follow (U2 cover)
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Transgression
Release Year: 2005
I love Fear Factory's covers ;0) I remember thinking it very interesting that they covered a U2 song as that music seems so far away from what Fear Factory does. That is another reason I like it so much. While writing this post I found out that guitarist Dino 'discovered' vocalist Burton C Bell singing U2 covers with another band. It's all starting to come together!
Album: Mechanize - 2010
Song: Fear Campaign
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Mechanize
Release Year: 2010
Album: The Industrialist - 2011
Song: Recharger
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: The Industrialist
Release Year: 2011
Chorus Lyrics:
Open your scars and the sky opens wide
Seeing the world in your eyes
Believe in yourself and you will survive
Live out the life you design
Live for today or fade away
Live for today or fade away
Album: Genexus - 2013
Song: Soul Hacker
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Genexus
Release Year: 2015
I did not realize until just now that this song sounds like something that could have been on Digimortal. I am ok with that! Makes sense why I enjoy it so much. This song has a guitar solo at the 2:07 mark, which are rare in Fear Factory land. I also like the message....
Seek out and destroy the source of inhumanity
Song: Regenerate
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Genexus
Release Year: 2015
This one is right up there with my favorite Fear Factory songs, period. I love the line saying "I've finally found new ground." It describes the way I feel when see or read something that gives me a new perspective on God, or reality, or life on this planet. The song is heavy as heck but seems hopeful and positive.
Song: Expiration Date
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Genexus
Release Year: 2015
I like this song more the more I hear it. So many of Burton's lyrics have to do with death and how we are not meant to live forever. That's not how we were designed.
You're blind to what's in front of you
What do you know about the truth
Devalued as, as soon as we're cast
We were never made to last
Just bodies made and fabricated
We're fighting towards our life extension
We're living for our expiration
Under the surface we're not machines
Under the surface we're living dreams
Death lives just one breath away
Somewhere my heart beats in silence
I make my way through the violence
Nobody lives forever
It's a shame you won't live but then again, who does
My endless will for resolution
Echoing since my creation
I'm living for my expiration
Under the surface we're not machines
Under the surface we're living dreams
Death lives just one breath away
Somewhere my heart beats in silence
I make my way through the violence
Nobody lives forever
Under the surface we're not machines
Under the surface we're living dreams
Death lives just one breath away
It's a shame you won't live but then again, who does
All these memories will fade in time, like tears in the rain
Time to die
Album: Aggression Continuum - 2021
Fear Factory's latest album, Aggression Continuum, was completed in 2017 but not released until 2021. Shocking no one, it was due to disagreements between Burton C Bell and Dino Cazares. This time, it was Burton who left the band, in 2020. Luckily the album still has his vocals on it since any album without his voice would simply not be a Fear Factory album. I am sure you agree! ;0)
Song: Purity
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Aggression Continuum
Release Year: 2021
From the Wiki:
The album features Russian keyboardist Igor Khoroshev who is also in charge of the arrangements. Khoroshev is best known for being a member of English progressive rock band Yes from 1997 to 2000.
Song: Monolith
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Aggression Continuum
Release Year: 2021
Monolith was intended to be the album title along with the name of this song. Makes sense, as it would have been a great title track! This one is somewhat unique compared to most Fear Factory songs as the verses have the 'clean' vocals and the chorus is Bell doing his typical roaring. I really enjoy the verses on this song, the way the guitar quiets down a bit but is still chunky.
In summary, Fear Factory is all about the struggle to stay human in an increasingly computerized and digital/mechanical world. They were talking about AI and machine sentience 30 years ago and that subject matter has gone from science fiction to reality as of late. Obviously it can be scary and overwhelming at times. But Fear Factory's music and message is not all about the demise and violence in our future. Their message is one I whole-heartedly agree with and feel is emergently true... if we let fear win and allow it to be the motivation for our actions, we will continue down the road of exclusion, hate, pain, and despair. No matter what the web and tv tell me about the state of the world and our country, my job remains the same. That job is to accept my fellow humans as they are and put love and compassion out into the world and to do my absolute best to stay aware of where I am acting from a place of fear and, when recognized, pause and reassess. And.... most importantly... DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE.
✌️❤️🤘
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