Fear Factory was a great band. They proved that the heavier side of music can no longer be ignored in these times. After releasing their first album, Soul Of A New Machine, Fear Factory followed it with an EP release, Fear Is The Mind Killer, though they were yet to perfect their often varied and different brand of Industrial Metal. They enlisted Colin Richardson as producer to record and create this album, widely seen as a major classic in both Industrial Metal and the Death Metal genres. It is a concept album, oddly enough, based on the idea of a man fighting against machine controlled government, which isn’t a million miles away from what Karl Marx wrote about in the 1800s, although this was inspired by the Terminator movies, not Marxist Communism. The influence of this album has been massive within the heaviest of Metal scenes, and this is seen as a classic album for its kind of music. Let’s listen to this album and hear if it is any good.

Demanufacture launches the album with some electronic and clanking sounds before double kick drums swiftly enter and this tune gets underway. Some great downtuned Metal guitars enter. From the start, this sounds truly awesome, dark and disturbing. It goes into a very decent and down-tuned piece of music. Some vocoder treated vocals then enter, and is followed by some manic Metal growling/screaming for us to hear. Needless to say, this is really fantastic if you love Metal. A great piece of some of the heaviest music you will ever hear, this sounds stunning and fantastic. Also, this is heavier than anything Slayer did, and that says a lot. Very catchy as well. The lyrics are dark, deep and very satanic, so if you are religious, you may wish to avoid this music. A great connecting section then enters, and this tune sounds really fantastic with plenty of clever and alternating instrumentation. The keyboard sounds here are melodic, adding to the Industrial/Death Metal frenzy of Fear Factory. Nonetheless, this sounds really cool and energetic. Like a knockout punch to the face, this is an experience never to forget. Very awesome, and a great tune to hear. Brilliant.

Self Bias Resistor continues the mayhem with stop/start riffs and drumming. It quickly launches into another dark, heavy and melodic groove. If you thought Metallica were heavy, then these guys give them a run for their money. More deep and growling vocals from Burton C. Bell are present, and the whole group has refined their musical focus here to something different and unique. A wonderful listen, there is alternation between the screaming/growling and pretty melodic singing in the verses and chorus. The rest of the band do just as well, and this tune is extremely good and memorable. If you need a real excuse to enjoy the heaviest of music to annoy everyone around you, this is a great starting point for that. A great, varied and melodic song to listen to. Grab your partner in crime and blast this at full volume in your neighbourhood right now, and nobody would have the slightest clue why. Except that this is a great listening experience. The rhythm section on this song is truly awesome, and the chugging Metal guitars are worth your ears. With elements of Thrash Metal and Death Metal, this is already a fantastic and classic album for people out there to enjoy. This song is about taking control of one’s life and making the best of things. A really cool tune to listen to, the outro sounds freaky. Nonetheless, a timeless tune. Excellent.

Zero Signal launches into a warped set of Electronic sounds that are looped. It sounds weird because it is. Eventually, a fade-in of some of the heaviest guitars you will hear enters, along with Industrial inspired percussion sounds. This is the musical equivalent of fire, it just sounds excellent and eternally good. Some unusual melodies enter, followed by some nice chugging guitar riffs. The drumming is exceptionally great here as well. Burton C. Bell launches into some roaring vocals here, and the music at hand is fantastic and awesome. A really wonderful listening experience, this is something that is like George Orwell’s 1984 set to music. It paints the picture lyrically of a disillusioned world gone mad. The guitar playing by Dino Cazares is really awesome here as well, and he masters heavy riffs like nobody else. An awesome and powerful tune. In the second half are some down-tuned guitar sounds and disturbing melodies, along with a keyboard here. More unique and fantastic guitar riffs then enter, and this tune powers along nicely. A loud, enjoyable and brilliant piece of some of the heaviest music out there, this is as dark and heavy as music could get in 1995 and has lasted the test of time today. The melodic singing in the chorus is fantastic. All in all, a really great listening experience, and something to value. Fantastic, and super heavy. It ends with some piano, which is different. A great anthemic song.

Replica begins with a “Huh!” exclamation, followed quickly by syncopated guitars and drums. Again, very brilliant and cool. This launches into one of the real highlights of the album, just sounding super interesting. A really powerful, tuneful and interesting listen, the lyrics are extremely profane and out there. It’s best if you read them yourself, just in case you aren’t prepared for explicit content. The melodic singing returns in the chorus again, and Burton C. Bell exudes human nature, with pain and suffering delivered in a menacing way, which is what those twisted with power inflict. Nonetheless, this is a classic song by Fear Factory and every member of the band pulls their weight here. A really great tune, this is a cool adventure through the darkest and heaviest depths of humanity. A struggle for existence is present in the lyrics, and the music perfectly matches the lyrics and singing here. Fear Factory, at its best, was a bunch of accomplished musicians. A great four-minute-long song that ends with an excellent vocal.

New Breed begins with some down-tuned guitar riffs and some interesting keyboard textures, followed by pounding kick drums and roaring vocals by Burton C. Bell. This launches into an aggressive and fantastic Thrash/Death Metal tune that sounds ridiculously good. The chorus in particular kicks you-know-what. This is proof that Fear Factory still had it on the lesser tracks of this album, which are just as good as the standouts. An interesting keyboard led breakdown is here, followed by some freaky melodies and Death Metal sounding sections. A tremendous and chaotic listening experience, this has some full-on screaming and devilish chanting here. A really great listening experience, and something to remember from this album. Excellent.

Dog Day Sunrise begins with some keyboard patch fading in, and an irregular drum beat and we are underway here with some lighter sounding guitar riffs. It launches into an awesome, loud and groovy tune that is very unique sounding for Fear Factory. A great and more traditional song based approach from Fear Factory, it eventually continues on into an almost ballad like song at hand. Except, that it is not. It continues the excellent concept album and music with guts and glory, and the repeatedly sung vocals are great. Some of the most interesting and original sounds you will ever hear are on this song. A pleasant pseudo-ballad to listen to, Fear Factory showcase their ability to be inspired in all songs that they make. A great piece of music, almost like a love song, this is still heavy as anything. Fairly repetitive, but that’s fine as the song is very, very good. Worth your time and ears. Excellent music. It ends with some cool and melodic guitar riffs, a nice tune. No doubt some of what Trent Reznor made on his 1999 album The Fragile was inspired by this sort of song on this album.

Body Hammer has some more electronic sounds, and down-tuned guitar riffs and launches into a super heavy tune that continues the concept of this album very nicely. An extremely catchy and different song, this is exactly what Metalheads in the 1990s needed to hear. Burton C. Bell sings powerfully here, and this song is a really awesome and tremendous listening experience, quite a lot heavier than the song before it. If you aren’t headbanging by this point, you may need to clean out your ears. The manic screaming here is really amazing and cool, and the chorus is uplifting. A multitude of awesome riffs follow, and this song is really cool and clever. This album makes a lot more sense today than it did in 1995 with the degradation of standards in Popular music and the rise of AI. All the same, that is likely why this album was so massively influential. Another great song that demands to be heard and enjoyed by Metal lovers, and fans of musical history alike. The screamed vocals in the second half fade in a section with just guitars and hi-hats. The bass guitar then enters, and this tune resumes into glory and oblivion. A very wonderful and interesting listen, this is as heavy as music would get in 1995. Absolutely brilliant as well. Worth your ears. The long outro is very catchy. Fantastic.

Flashpoint begins with an unusual electronic introduction, which is likely inspired by Industrial music. It is quickly followed by equally unusual drums, growling basslines and ultra-Heavy Metal guitars. It is about keeping honesty in a world full of liars lyrically or suffering the consequences as a result. Musically, this is matched by powerful and interesting music that is heavier than hell. This is a borderline Screamo tune, and to be fair, isn’t the best song on the album. Having said that, this is still very good for what it is. A song section with some rather unusually sung vocals is present as well, and this has some tremendous and energetic drumming towards the end. Great for a song less than three minutes long, it works wonderfully. Awesome.

H-K (Hunter-Killer) begins with some dark electronic sounds and also it sounds eerie at this point. This long intro continues for some time. Some overdubbed radio talk is present, and it discusses the fact that everyone on the streets (presumedly in the USA) is carrying a gun. This is a great shame of the USA, where guns are freely and lawfully available to use with direct consequences as a result. The song quickly gets going into a staccato beat driven piece with some awesome Metal guitars to match. This song eventually gets going afterwards, and the mentioning of machines and the like is present here, as humanity wakes up to find out what their real enemy is. “I am a criminal!” is repeatedly sung here. Obviously, the music isn’t supposed to be taken entirely seriously here. Regardless, this is a fantastic tune, just as much as the rest of the album. There are many thunderous stop/start sections present here, and more overdubbed radio talk is here, just before the song really gets into headbanging territory. An excellent, wonderful and brilliant listening experience, this is extraordinarily cool and good to hear. This is the sort of music that one should play as you prepare for a boxing match, or something similar. A very dramatic and interesting listening experience, Burton C. Bell does some brilliant vocals throughout here. A great five minute long song. It ends with a cut-up voiceover, which is very weird.

Pisschrist begins with some Industrial keyboard based sounds, and some excellent guitar riffs and launches into a glorious sounding song that is against Christianity and Christians. This is Metal, after all. An interesting song texture wise, this sounds dramatic and awesome. Depending on how your beliefs are, you may love this or be convinced that Fear Factory is the devil incarnate. In any case, this is truly an awesome listen, even if it is a satanic tune. Lyrically and musically, Fear Factory point out the stupidity and hypocrisy of most forms of Christianity. The alternating vocals are quite interesting, especially given the lyrical content of this song. Musically, this is very brilliant as well, pointing out that Metal rules. No questions asked. A loud, heavy, punchy and dramatic listen is here. It teaches one only to believe in politics or religion if you are 100% convinced it is worth it. In any case, this anti-religious song is quite good on its own and also fits this album well. A great listen, although you have been warned here of the lyrical content. The outro is a bit repetitive, however. It ends with the repeated vocals being stereo panned. Good job.

A Therapy For Pain is the final track and the longest at nearly 10 minutes in length. It begins with some really dark electronic melodies and eventually launches into a Doom Metal piece that sounds deep, dark and satanic. This is not light music whatsoever. Drums enter and this piece sounds really demonic. It seems that Fear Factory found a way to shock even the most non-shockable listeners out there. Burton C. Bell launches into his more melodic singing here, and he sings about traumatic experiences at hand. It is likely that this is about suicide, a very dark topic indeed. You have been warned, this is a deeply unsettling listen. Still, it fits the concept of the album nicely and sounds really excellent for what it is. There is seemingly a false ending, which then leads into a section with vocals and electronic whooshes. This is the sort of music that satanists would love. Great, all the same, but it does sound very evil. An awesome tune to experience, if you have the guts for it. This is very anthemic and dark. Akin to something along the musical equivalent of a bad LSD trip, this is a song you do not really want to hear on a regular basis. It is fantastic for what it is, but it sounds really warped in an evil way. In the second half is the main melody played on a liquid patch on a keyboard, with other disturbing and weird electronic sounds to match. Really, really weird. This section continues for some time. Some great electronic sounds then progress this tune nicely. This is akin to a horror film of sorts. Very warped and dark. If your hair doesn’t stand on end by this point, then you really have musical guts. An instrumental section that is extremely morbid sounding continues on to finish this song, and an undeniably great album to listen to. Loud, interesting and warped, this concludes an album that you should not play to children. Still, a great journey and ending is here, and this tune concludes very well indeed. Music evoking death itself concludes a very great and ultra-Heavy album.

This is undeniably an excellent, super heavy and fantastic listening experience and journey that is unforgettable upon hearing. It is also one of the greatest Metal albums of all time. Of course, other groups have attempted to top Fear Factory in their own way, but none have excelled as much as sharing a dark concept album from the depths of the human psyche here. Be warned, this is not Doris Day or anything light-hearted. Should you listen to this album anyway? Only if you love super heavy and borderline satanic music, or the concept may scare you. Still, this is a brilliant effort by Fear Factory that the group never equalled. That says a lot. If you like this album, there are many remastered re-releases that you can sink your teeth into.

Dark and freaky, yet outstanding listening.

9/10