AFM Records 2010

A reunited Burton C. Bell and Dino Cazares had been on my Christmas list for quite some time now, and I guess I wouldn’t be alone in saying that. So I was very pleased to get my hands on Fear Factory’s latest album Mechanize. Would they reach the heights they did in the late 90’s? I hoped so, how I would love another Demanufacture, or Obsolete, the albums that first brought them to my attention in a decade where we were bombarded with grunge crap.

The cd starts off in very distinct Fear Factory style with the title track Mechanize. Industrial Discipline is a cracker Bell has always had a knack with melodic chorus’ that work so well with the trademark riffs of guitar mastermind Cazares. Powershifter and Christploitation are standout tracks, Bell’s vocals are as good if not better than they were 15 years ago and his lyrical content has always been an asset to the band. The last track Final Exit is a melancholy affair that wraps the album up quite well. Cazares guitar magic has been missed, although the last couple of albums have been solid pieces, there is something very special about his influence on Fear Factory’s sound.

They have achieved what I hoped. The reunion has sparked a very creative and passionate return to form. It is undeniably a Fear Factory album, same formula as their classics but at the same time have evolved with the times to bring Fear Factory screaming into the new decade.

Nick Olden