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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
"'Hatefiles' by Fear Factory"
by
Bill Vogel III
September 9, 2003 A.D.
The greatest band to ever spawn from the dregs of Los Angeles has to be Fear Factory. Their combination of Industrial, Gothic, Grindcore, and Death Metal made them the archetype for that scene's current sound, as well as one of the world's best Death Metal bands. Alas, they are no more. But their genius lives on.
Their 2003 opus, "Hatefiles" [Roadrunner Records], is an essential collection of rarities and oddities designed for the Fear Factory freak. It displays the band's immense range and talent-from Dino's brutal, sublime guitar thunder to Herrera's super-tight, mechanical drumming. Burt's vocals are pristine, primal onslaughts that alternate between clean, Gothic and fierce growls. The rhythms are precise and intense, like a steel press.
Technology plays a huge role in the Fear Factory schema, both lyrically and musically. Many of their songs are heavily influenced by the James Cameron movie "Terminator" (as is evident in several tracks here). It is almost ironic-an Industrial Death Metal band whose music often has a technophobic, luddite theme.
The best of these industrial-strength killers includes the raw power of "Replica (Live)," "Terminate," the instant fury of "Demolition Racer," "Dark Bodies (Demo)," "Edgecrusher (Urban Assault Mix)," and "Zero Signal (Colin Richardson Mix)." Fear Factory obliterates the sky....
In final analysis, this is an excellent Fear Factory release. There are a couple of dud Techno tracks, but it is an otherwise brilliant work. Stay savage. Farewell.
Related Bands: Static-X, Dead World, Soulstorm,
Godflesh, Candiru, Spineshank, Acid
Bath, etc.
Keep the faith, and the AGGRESSION.
Copyright 2003.
Courtesy of Stranger Aeons Magazine.
W.B. Vogel III 12:37 PM
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