It’s a bit of a kicker that Fear Factory already used the album title of “Soul Of A New Machine” when considering the circumstances surrounding the release of “Mechanize“. A flurry of he said/he said controversy erupted when it was announced that band frontman Burton C. Bell had made amends with previously-ousted guitarist Dino Cazares and had started the band anew with Byron Stroud and Gene Hoglan in place of Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera respectively.
A shame then that the ongoing legal antics threaten to overshadow what is perhaps the bands finest venture since their “Demanufacture” and “Obsolete” heyday. Clearly the time away and injection of new blood into the band has rejuvenated them. For the sheer ferocity with which they attack the material on this album and its near relentless pacing suggest a bloodthrist not present on their past few outings.
A big part of this is new drummer Gene Hoglan. While he can certainly mimic the merciless double kick maelstrom of Hererra, his overall playing style has a more organic flow and feel to it. This ensures that the material pounds in a ruthless fashion, yet avoids the overall mechanical ‘clicky’ pounding that sometimes plagued the band in the past.
Another welcome addition, well in this case reduction, is the lessened emphasis on operatic melodies and digital manipulation. The incorporation of electronic ambiance and vocal effects still play a big part in the bands music, and Bell does embark on a few ascendant melodies. But the implementation is far more subtle this time out, eliminating the top heavy stabs at “Digimortal“-like grandiosity that could previously bloat an otherwise aggressive song.
With these improvements in place, the band are given free reign to terrorize with a tightly wound batch of songs that seem intent to cybernetically batter the listener into submission. Perhaps that is the best part about “Mechanize” overall though. It skillfully meshes the determination and emotion of mankind with the unmatched force and effectiveness of machinery.
Sure it may occasionally grasp at their glory days a bit too blatantly. There’s also a tendency to get stuck in the same gear for a few songs around the midway point of the album. But even with these shortcomings “Mechanize” finds Fear Factory operating at their highest level in years.
