Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Fear Factory Mechanize Company: Candlelight Records Release: 2010 Genre: Heavy, Industrial Reviewer: Ben McCraw

Where man and machine collide

The newest outing from Fear Factory is once again an example of what this band does best. Although original drummer Raymond Herrera has departed, the bands prevailing sound has been tightened by the inclusion of founding member/guitarist Dino Cazares (Brujera, Divine Heresy) who seems to tap into the very heart and soul of FF.

Their overall sound has always been a combination of ultra-precise double bass drums and palm muted guitars behind Burton C. Bell's growls and clean vocals. This is a formula that no doubt served them well on past albums such as "Obsolete" or even "Soul of a New Machine", which introduced their unique vision to the world. "Fear Campaign", the first single from the album, features a refreshing guitar solo and a rawer sounding rhythm section; making it slightly different from much of their past work. "Christploitation" and "Powershifter" are onslaughts of mechanical aggression, based on the bands usual hatred of abuses of power.

And although they are undoubtedly the best at what they do, there isn't much new to be seen here in the area of concept. The idea remains basically the same--a loss of humanity caused by people being transformed into machines. Don't get me wrong, using music to describe machines is brilliant, but this has been the prevailing concept throughout FF's 19+ year career, and can be at times repetitive. My beef is a small one at best though, because nothing will change the fact that Fear Factory are legends and pioneers of metal, and the fans that love or have come to love FF's trademark style will also love this album. "Mechanize" is once again where man and machine collide.