Soul of the Machine (Demanufacture - Fear Factory)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Demanufacture - Fear Factory
Date:	13/06/04 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredible, powerful tracks, A fair degree of musical variation, Unbelievable band talent

Disadvantages: Some weaker tracks, but these do not spoil the ambience or style, Too overly heavy for many peoples' tastes

1994 saw the release of the second album from industrial metal band Fear Factory, an incredibly heavy and atmospheric offering that was immediately successful with metal fans. The band’s cyberpunk themes, influenced by films and literature, would be a trait of their albums for several years to come and while this was not their biggest selling album it is commonly seen as their finest hour.


STYLE


Fear Factory are technically astounding in their musical technique and throughout this album it is very easy to imagine that they are in fact advanced androids with cybernetic skeletons under their human visages, although they are quite clearly not. There are a number of definitions for ‘heavy’ music, but whatever your personal view there is no doubt that this would do serious damage to listener’s eardrums and brains if the volume was loud enough. This is due to the almost constant stream of speedy double bass drums setting the tempo and rhythm, coupled with the guitars and bass which follow the riffs perfectly before branching out on occasion.

Burton C. Bell has always been Fear Factory’s vocalist and he is a very impressive frontman with a wide range, although is perhaps not at his most impressive here. On the aggressive tracks he executes a fantastic guttural shout, the genuine sound of which puts other shouting bands who use sound enhancements (such as the over-rated Slipknot) to shame, and his melodic singing takes on a very haunting sound when placed alongside atmospheric whines of the guitar. The band’s first album was very heavy and gungy, and this refines that death metal sound into something that would possibly sound clinical and unemotive in the wrong hands: thankfully the production values of this album suit it perfectly.


Fear Factory was:

DINO CAZARES – Heavy duty scarifier
BURTON C. BELL – Dry lung vocal martyr
RAYMOND HERRERA – Maximum effective pulse generator
CHRISTIAN OLDE WOLBERS – Total harmonic distortion

At least that’s how they list themselves in the album; I’m not telling you who plays what, that’s for you to decide.


TRACKS


There are eleven tracks on the album, forming a very solid and interesting collection of songs across all ranges of speed and mood.


1. DEMANUFACTURE

The album wastes no time in hitting the listener hard with the heaviest track; despite having heard the band previously it even took me a while to appreciate this track, but it is excellent. Very angry and incredibly loud, this also sets the general atmosphere of the album through the use of keyboards and high guitars that sound a little different to everything that’s come before. The insane clicks and thumps of the drum pedals would leave those unused to this type of music feeling quite faint however, so not a track to introduce yourself to the band with.

“I’ve got no more goddamn regrets
I’ve got no more goddamn respect
I am the thorn in your eye”

2. SELF BIAS RESISTOR

Expanding the sound to include lighter elements, this is one of my favourites on the album. Burton’s singing makes the chorus the perfect example of Fear Factory’s talent, while the verses are very catchy and full of interesting musical changes. Still very heavy but this track never overdoes it in the way the title track did. The perfect balance, and it proves that there must be some human soul in those mechanical exoskeletons.

“All these years they’ve tried to break you
To your knees
Anger scours right through your veins
Now it’s time to put an end
To all those lies
Now it’s time to take control
Of your life”

3. ZERO SIGNAL

Less impressive musically, but this makes up for it in atmosphere. A shorter and less developed continuation of what has come so far, this begins with an electronic melody that sounds similar to the theme from ‘The Terminator’; judging by the title of a later track this is likely deliberate. Fast and heavy but also sounding a little deliberately raw, this has nice melodic singing in the chorus and very angry verses but isn’t anything special. Still not a filler track though, and it bridges the gap before the next track.

“I am down on my knees
Praying beyond belief
The silence deafens my ears
And welds the shackles onto my fears”

4. REPLICA

This track is still heavy but in a different, more accessible way. As this was the album’s first single it follows a less intense style but in fact sounds all the better for it due to the improved guitars and, dare I say it, groove. Burton’s vocals are still aggressive but sound much better and more controlled than on the first track, there are also plenty of musical breaks to keep things interesting. Another of my favourites on the album, despite following a similar pattern of changing vocals and short gaps in the drumming.

“Filled with pain,
A bruised and darkened soul
Spare me from the life that’s full of misery
Spare me from the life that’s full of pain”

5. NEW BREED

Possibly the least impressive offering, ‘New Breed’ fails to live up to the standards of what has come so far. The lyrics are over-repetitive and unimaginative, and to add insult to system failure they don’t even sound that good. A bit of a filler track, but it is very short and as such doesn’t outstay its welcome.

“We are immune to life itself
Cold rules are reality
We are immune to life itself
Cold rules are reality”

6. DOG DAY SUNRISE

A cover of Head of David, (a band who obviously either appreciated the work of Michaelangelo or just liked my face) this is a nice departure from the rest of the tracks although isn’t too impressive by itself. The drums are far more slow and relaxed, keeping a beat rather than dictating it, while the guitars and bass are lighter and more reflective. Burton sings in a low droning kind of voice that suits the music and although I haven’t heard the original it’s obvious that the band have done an excellent job in adapting it to their musical style: it’s still hard not to imagine them playing the song in a neon-lit pavement of Neo-Los Angeles, circa 2028 AD.

“Dog Day Sunrise
Every day of my life”

7. BODY HAMMER

A return to the heavier side of things, this second half of the album is for the most part not as impressive as the first, seeming a little less original and perfected, but there are still some excellent tracks. ‘Body Hammer’ is a fairly standard heavy track with crushing drums and guitars and a sung chorus, however it still feels like an imitation of the first few tracks. The chorus is quite catchy though.

“As of now I am a tool
Of severe impact”

8. FLASHPOINT

One of the heaviest tracks, this does take a while to be fully appreciated. Burton’s vocals are as aggressive as in the opening song and the use of keyboards keeps the mood and atmosphere of this piece. Easy to overlook but fairly satisfying, although no sung sections or melodic guitars this time round.

“Damned
In flames
Damned
In flames”

9. H-K (HUNTER KILLER)

Another of my favourites along with ‘Replica’ and ‘Self Bias Resistor,’ this forsakes the heaviness a little in favour of a more traditional chugging guitar sound and less intense drums, similar to Replica. Quite lengthy, this is musically very interesting and has a great driving rhythm and beat throughout. Burton again shows the range of his vocals as he carries this one out with a fairly guttural but very audible way that somehow sounds different, and much better, than most of his shouting on the disc. A really good track that would appeal to most fans of metal: the best guitars on the album.

“I’ve become what they detest,
A delinquent survivalist,
Without rules and no regrets
They f***ing say”

10. PISSCHRIST

Obviously a bit of an atheistic song, but there’s nothing blasphemous about it (apart maybe from the track, however you may interpret that) this is very atmospheric and melodic at times despite the punding drums. Not too long either, this was originally on the band’s demo record, recently re-released by Roadrunner but not worth looking into. A great track and an excellent loud note to go out on before the unconventional final track…

“Crown of black thorns,
Human skin ripped and torn.
Where is your saviour now?
Where is your saviour now?”

11. A THERAPY FOR PAIN

Very different from what has come before, this is a very long and fairly reflective monster that overflows with melancholy and ambience. The guitars and drums are far, far slower here and Burton’s vocals are in a constant haunting state of mid-range singing. I can’t say I’d generally listen to this all the way through, as it isn’t a musically involving epic as many tracks of substantial length are, but it’s still brilliant and an excellent choice by the band after the raw power and aggression of the record.

“Tried
So hard”


VERDICT


Fear Factory’s albums are always an impressive sight, none more so than here. The very dark colour scheme of black, purple and neon blue is very reminiscent of the dark future envisioned by the tracks, while the opened spine-cum-barcode motif is excellent and thought-provoking.

Musically, this is mind-numbingly flawless musicianship at an incredibly fast pace, and I hope to see the band live soon to see how they perform out of the studio (judging by their huge fan following they’ve got to be pretty good). It’s clear that their music required some development at this stage, resulting in the later effort of ‘Obsolete,’ but the combination of drums, grinding guitars and moody and aggressive vocals makes this immediately recognisable and very powerful. Definitely too far a step in the heavy direction for most people, but none do it better than Fear Factory.

‘Remanufacture: Cloning Technology’ was released soon after this and is a remix of the album to a more industrial techno sound. This is interesting, but not as classic or skilful as this effort by one of the most prominent bands in the relatively underground metal scene.

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