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September 7, 2008 |
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01. 540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit
02. Transgression
03. Spinal Compression
04. Contagion
05. Empty Vision
06. Echo Of My Scream
07. Supernova
08. New Promise
09. I Will Follow (U2 Cover)
10. Millenium (KILLING JOKE Cover)
11. Moment Of Impact
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Arriving with surprisingly little fanfare, FEAR FACTORY are back. Funny thing too, as the return by these perennial L.A. cyber-warriors feels a lot like answering a knock at the door to find an old school buddy standing on the porch who you haven't even spoken to on the phone for at least a year, let alone expected to see arriving for an impromptu visit with more bags at their feet than Diana Ross. I mean, hell...one moment I'm still trying to digest the last remnants of 04's crushing comeback 'Archetype', and the next thing I know this thing starts popping up all over store shelves without so much as a magazine article (at least that I've seen at any rate) to precede it. Strange move for a major player like this band once was and is currently trying to return to being.
And what to say as Burton C. Bell (vox), Raymond Herrera (drums), Christian Olde Wobers (guitars), and our own good ol' Vancouver boy Byron Stroud (bass of in-tandem, tour-'n-recording-schedule-juggling SYL fame) tumble somewhat uninvited and wholly unexpected into our collective psychic Me(n)tal landscape!?! After all, whatever you think of them this is hardly the most consistent act in Metaldom's hallowed halls. Since their 1992 debut with 'Soul Of A New Machine' through classic, breakthrough release 'Demanufacture' ('95) wherein the band cemented themselves as the penultimate Industrial/Metal crossover act, FF have suffered a slow critical and commercial decline as albums such as 1998's 'Obsolete' and 2001's 'Digimortal' betrayed a creative spinning of the wheels, resulting in a failure to meet fan and industry expectations on a number of levels.
These trials and tribulations ultimately resulted in a brief hiatus/meltdown/disbandment (including the utter removal of original bassist Dino Cazares due to 'irreconcileable differences') prior to 04's renewed, recharged kick at the can in 'Archetype' which, along with the addition of bassist Stroud marked a fresh return to, and translation of the uber-heavy aggression of 'Demanufacture', delighting fans and critics alike and leaving the band poised to perhaps once again return to the levels of success they had known in the mid-90's.
The question that now remains is this: Is 'Transgression' the post-'Archetype' follow-up album that will catapult FEAR FACTORY firmly back into Metal's #1 shared commercial spot alongside the ailing METALLICA's, tentatively-almost-retired MEGADETH's, admirably-soldiering-on SLAYER's, and up-and-coming SHADOWS FALL's, NEVERMORE's, and ARCH ENEMY's??? Upon this, my third or so listen, I honestly dared'nt hazard a guess. I find 'Transgression' to be a somewhat patchworked and difficult to digest affair. Unfocused, unsure of its direction. Not overtly bad per se. In fact, much of it is strangely quite good. Quite good indeed. Just...again...very schizophrenic and inconsistent which, as stated earlier has long been the Achilles Heel of this act. Judging by other reviews in various mediums the response has sadly been similiarly lukewarm at best, and in many cases somewhat unfairly negative at worst.
And I say 'unfair' because at the end of the day, this band has a lot of heart and always tries so hard to keep on trucking. But enough rambling. Let's analyze the ALBUM, shall we?
Opener '540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit' kicks things off in typical FF form with more than appropriate Industrial-strength heaviness, followed quickly by the awesome title track, a bottom-heavy riff-monster surging with spires of signature, epic FF electronic melody that weave in and out of the maelstrom as Bell belts out one of his better agro-choked performances in years. 'Spinal Compression', 'Contagion' (great 'clean' vox chorus section), and 'Empty Vision' follow suit in fine, fine, epic 'Demanufacture'ish style, providing crushing, headbanging violence (Olde Wolbers and Stroud make a fine team as they tear up the strings here!) and subtle, addictive hook on par with any of the better material these guys have ever produced. 'Echo Of My Scream' is perhaps the creative highlight of the album; an epic track of almost 'Power Balladish' proportions that on an immediately emotive level stands heads-and shoulders above pretty much everything else the band has written to this point.
From hereon in though the album suddenly takes a nose-dive. The bafflingly 'Poppy', 'Radio-Rockish' 'Supernova' seems out of place and while not exactly horrible, is ultimately a conscious attempt at commercial appeal and a forgettable filler track. 'A New Promise' is simply trite and repetitive, lacking drive or dynamic at a crucial point wherein the album could use both. The two covers - U2's 'I Will Follow', and KILLING JOKE's 'Millennium' - likewise feel awkward and forced and simply don't fit the more genuine mood established earlier on in the album. 'Moment Of Impact' is actually a fantastic, riffy slab of heaviness that closes the album nicely, but which ultimately suffers from lack of 'impact' due to the bland succession of second-half tracks preceding it.
And really it is this 'second-half' (sorry, I'm speaking in 'vinyl terms' here which are doubtless confusing to those who grew up in the CD age) of 'Transgression' which taints and spoils what otherwise could have been the masterpiece FEAR FACTORY were undoubtedly trying to create. What a shame. Like I said, these guys always try so hard, and as I believe I also said earlier, are often maligned to an unfair degree for their admitted shortcomings. Seriously, all they had to do to make this album work was to follow 'Echo Of My Scream' with 'Moment Of Impact' and perhaps choose a more appropriate cover track like say...I dunno...something by MINISTRY or NINE INCH NAILS to close. 'Supernova', 'A New Promise' and the existing covers should have been left on the cutting room floor though or at least been relegated to B-Sides for a followup EP. Oh well. As a simple, 8-track Blitzkrieg this album would have just CRUSHED.
As it is though, it merely bursts out of the starting gates at full-throttle, only to fall wheezing and clutching at its chest well before the finish line, fists pounding the dirt in clenched-jaw frustration.
In conclusion, this is merely a 'decent' to 'good' FEAR FACTORY album at a time when FEAR FACTORY truly required something 'great' to keep them in the center of the public eye. So while not in any way the complete turd many are making it out to be, what we have here is a lot of wasted potential strangled by anticlimax and lack of cohesion and direction. Still...well worth checking out if only for the gems that drive the first half of the journey into oblivion. No 'Archetype' or 'Demanufacture', 'Transgression' marks a slight misstep in the career of a band who still - all criticisms aside - have the infinite potential to continue onwards to greatness.
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