The first thing I would like to discuss is the newest album of a fantastic band that has, in my opinion, made a huge comeback. I was also inspired to name this blog after one of the songs, called "The Oxidizer". The band is none other than Fear Factory, and their album, Mechanize, was just released this month.I heard Fear Factory for the first time in the late '90s, shortly after the release of their critically acclaimed third album, Obsolete (1998). The combination of Burton C. Bell's clean vocals with his death vocals was just amazing. It was like heaven vs. hell in an audio format. Backing that glorious voice was also some of the heaviest and grooviest music that ever graced my prepubescent ears.
For some reason, I was not at all interested in the three albums that followed: Digimortal (2001), Archetype (2004) and Transgression (2005). Looking back on them now, though, I realize that they are all great albums. When I was younger, there was just something about Obsolete that grabbed my attention. Perhaps it was due to the lineup changes the band experienced throughout those later recordings, causing them to sound different.
When I gave Mechanize the initial listen, it definitely felt nostalgic. I was 13 years old again and hearing Fear Factory for the first time. I'm thinking it's probably because of Dino Cazares' return as guitarist. Those brutal guitars and drums booming behind Bell's melodic vocals were something I hadn't heard in a while.
Fear Factory really puts a huge amount of thought into their work, and as a result they produce some highly intriguing (and also addicting) compositions. Bell and Cazares have great some synergy. It almost seems like less is more when they are writing together. At least, this appears to be the case with Dino Cazares; he tends to make great use of fairly simple playing. I'm also a sucker for catchy/clean vocal hooks, and I wish they included just a little bit more of them in this album.
Be sure to check out one of my favorite songs from Mechanize, "Designing the Enemy":
My rating for Mechanize: 4.5/5
