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User
Soundoffs 6
Album Ratings 8067
Objectivity 76%
Last Active 01-23-21 3:06 pm
Joined 10-22-14
Review Comments 110
| | Fear factory ranked (2021) | | 10 |  | Fear Factory
Transgression
Actually i don't hate transgression as many FF fans does but it's objectively their weakest effort.
Even the best songs are plagued by a slapdash production, the only song that works with this sound is the dark ballad "echo of my scream" which happen to be the best on the album. The opener is great too followed by other slower yet good tracks such as empty vision and contagion. Other tracks are pretty lackluster, millenium is boring and repetitive and god knows why the fuck they decided to cover a U2 song. In conclusion Transgression is not a bad album, just a ragtag work with some ups and some downs. | | 9 |  | Fear Factory
Digimortal
FF's attempt to mainstream is surprisingly fine. Why the nu metal influence affected the heaviness and the songs are less complex and slower, digimortal has it's moments. The best songs are actually the softer ones, Dark bodies amd never ends are such beautiful atmospheric tracks. There are a few cheesy moments such as the laughable BTFU and some watered down tracks such as no one but most of the album is pretty solid. Linchpin is a great single and byte block may be one of their most underrated works. The production is pretty good too | | 8 |  | Fear Factory
The Industrialist
FF's less innovative album lacks originality but it's consistent. Most of the songs are classic FF with no innovation but still awesome performances and great songwriting. The most different songs are "god eater" which is also the most industrial song and contains even a bioshock reference and "difference engine". My favorite is Virus of faith, the last 2 minutes of that songs are indeed the highlight of the album. Many listeners complained about the drum machines but imo they sounds appropriate with the album sound. Shamefully the album ends too early without an epic closer such as final exit but with a long industrial ambient track, which is even fine but lacks the greatness of most FF's closers. | | 7 |  | Fear Factory
Soul of a New Machine
Before they found their sound they were impressively brutal. The gritty, raw sound and shorter tracks made the older sound completely different from later works. The grind elements may keep away random listeners but i find it still enjoyable. Burt's vocals deliver such brutality and plus this may be one if not THE first metal album with the growl/clean alternation formula. My only complaint is the lenght, some tracks in the second half are fillers and could've been removed. The opener is outstanding. | | 6 |  | Fear Factory
Archetype
The first album without Dino with Wolbers at the guitars and Byron Stroud from S.y.l. at the bass.
While Wolbers was a great bassist it doesn't reach Dino's standards with the riff and the production is the worst aspect of the album aside for that fat angry bass. Aside for that archetype contains lots of great songs, often more focused on groove rhytms instead of the speed. Songs like the title track and Corporate cloning are among their best. The gloomy ballads works aswell, maybe less than digimortal. Cyberwaste is a thrashy tune full of anger and overall is pretty consistent aside for the closer which is their weakest ever, it could have been the conclusion of the previous song made shorter instead of a 7 minutes separate track. | | 5 |  | Fear Factory
Aggression Continuum
Just listened to this so my opinion may change with time. A great follow up to Genexus, while keeping the same sound the album manage to stay fresh without recycling. I was expecting much worse due to the ridiculous wrangling and Dino becoming the band's dictator, i feared a slapdash work but instead the song structures are pretty elaborate. Maybe it could have more experimentation but the symphonic elements expanded since the previous work makes the cyber atmosphere great. The best songs happens to be the most unusual ones: "purity" and the magnificent "monolith". The opener is the best since shock from obsolete. Once again i expected a terrific closer but instead i've got an awesome song that doesn't work too much well as a closer imo. For the rest a pleasant surprise with a futuristic atmosphere and an uplifting sound. | | 4 |  | Fear Factory
Genexus
This album rules, the concept is the best since obsolete and they added some experimentation.
Aside for soul hacker (can't stand that single) the tracklist is awesome, in particular the last 3 songs managed to create a terrific crescendo til the album's conclusion: the uplifting regenerate leads to the epic battle for utopia and then it comes the moving electronic expiration date that closes genexus with a melancholic feeling of hope. With Genexus the band experimented with symphonic elements and even shoegaze with the bonus track (which i consider part of the original album since it's among the best ones). Heller is not comparable to Holgan, nor Herrera but he does a damn good job. | | 3 |  | Fear Factory
Mechanize
What a return! Their heaviest work since the debut. Making Gene Hoglan part of the songwriting process was one of the best things the band has ever done (not to mention his inhuman drumming skills). The album has a thrashier vibes and combines smartly elements of cyber/industrial to death metal like the old records. There is also variety, designing the enemy is a slow burning track while powershifter may be one of their fastest tracks ever, christploitation's intro is majestic, industrial discipline and controlled demolition are some of their heaviest works ever. The peak of Mechanize is reached by the closer. Final exit is a masterpiece that manage to be fast and heavy but balanced with melancholic verses and intense performance. Basically the fastest ballad ever. | | 2 |  | Fear Factory
Obsolete
Since the first few seconds of the opener the listener will be overwhelmed by one of the best concept albums ever. A cyber punk odissey at the side of the edgecrusher. The crescendo of the album is basically perfect, the villain's song (securitron) manage to create a menacing atmosphere but then the softer introspective "descend" changes the mood just to return to the heavier side with the later tracks and continuing with resurrection, one of their best and most uplifiting works ever just to end with timelessness, their most pessimistic and depressive track. A must listen both for metal fans and sci-fi lovers. | | 1 |  | Fear Factory
Demanufacture
One of my favorite albums ever, no one could ever managed to reach this sound within the industrial metal scene. Herrera's drumming is one of the most technical in the genre replicating electronic beats with a real drum. Burton vocal style was destined to be imitated by hundreds of bands, Dino's and Christian's riffs were terrific and both the songwriting and the sound were way ahead of it's time, as they say in new breed: we are the future. I just can't mention the songs because every single bit of this album is gold. | |
Kingdok
06.19.21 | Totally agree with your comments on Demanufacture. Album was way ahead of its time, and still sounds fresh today. Pretty much on board with the whole order here too, tho just about to listen to Aggression Continuum for the first time. Fingers crossed... | DoofDoof
06.19.21 | pretty accurate but 1 is an 8/10, 2 a 6/10, 3 a 4/10 and the rest...less than a 4/10
7 is a 5/10 though | Assemblage
06.20.21 | Nice list and write-ups for the albums. I'm slightly inspired to do one myself since I don't think I have a FF ranking yet, but I would have to relisten to their most recent four albums before I do so.. Obsolete was my first, and one thing I can't wrap my head around with this site is how much Archetype is looked down upon.. That was one of more more recent re-listens and it still has some *great* tracks. | Deez
06.20.21 | 1 is 1 7 is 2 and the rest can gtf | KevinKC
06.20.21 | Christian Older Wolbers wasn't on Demanufacture. It's Dino who recorded the bass, hence Wolbers eternal bitterness because he truly only ever had a minor role in the band. He worked on Obsolete, then they split up on making Digimortal, then he came back as the lead guitarist and proved not to be up to the task.
Let's now rank Arkaea's albums. | KevinKC
06.20.21 | Also, if you think Aggression Continuum's closer doesn't work as one and don't know the song The Architect by Conflict on the album Decision Code, just check this song (ft Burton C. Bell on vocals), it's such a perfect closer that it nearly seems as if Burton intended it as such. | Muzz79
06.20.21 | Agree with deez. 1 is def 1. 7 is 2 and I also grew up on obsolete and digimortal. So for mine the first 5 are in top 5 | Muzz79
06.20.21 | Good of you to do this list btw | XyphDryne
07.05.21 | Wow. My list would not be that different. Thanks for the list, I enjoyed it very much.
Extra points for mentioning the bonus track on Genexus. I agree. It is awesome and should not be a bonus but part of the standard album. Mandatory Sacrifice though... | Pikazilla
07.05.21 | 1 is 1 7 is 2 and the rest can gtf [2] | TheAntichrist
07.05.21 | 1 is fun, and fun is 1 |
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