Fear Factory

Obsolete

Fear Factory's finest hour

Review Score:

(10/10)
Without a doubt, this is Fear Factory's finest album. Produced by Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber, Obsolete showcases the perfect fusion of synthesizers and guitars. The most surprising thing about this album is that every song has its own distinct sound. For a thrashing metal band, this is something of an accomplishment. Too often, I have trouble getting through an entire metal album. I have no problems here.

To put it simply, this album is brutal. Bell screams and sings with more talent than most of his contemporaries. Wolbers' bass is distinct and always present; Fulber had the foresight to keep the bass at the front of the mix, instead of pushing it back. Cazares' guitar work is impressive, and Herrara hammers away at his kit like a jackhammer.

Another revelation for metal fans: this is a concept album. Bell's lyrics tell the tale of a world where machines control everything. A human warrior, Edgecrusher, must liberate humans from the machines (oddly enough "Edgecrusher" is the best song on the CD).

If you're a metal fan, get this CD at once. Fear Factory is often called "the father of modern metal" and there's a reason behind it. These guys were merging electronics with guitars before it became popular. You'd be hard pressed to find an album that thrashes this hard.

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