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JJ's Bizarre Blog #24 - The Machine is Now Alive
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How do you do, everyone! Here we are in March, a soldier’s least favourite month. Spring is in the air, the flowers are blooming and the birds are coming back to nest. Among all of this, it’s time for the Bizarre One’s next dose of knowledge to bloom as well. For this entry, I figured that after all these blogs, I’ve shown my love for industrial music many times over. I first showed a sliver of it all the way back in blog 3 about cyberpunk music and since then I’ve covered some of my favourite artists – Static-X, Mechina and The Algorithm. Well, going on this roll, I feel like completing the set. This has been a long time coming. To do this, we must go back to ground zero, to the very origins of all of this. A band so monumental that you could say they helped shape the entire landscape of metal at the turn of the millennium. Unquestionably one of the most influential artists of all time. They aren’t the first ever industrial metal band, but they are the ones to perfect the sound and define what it means. They are the Judas Priest and Iron Maiden to Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails’ Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. So come with me as we explore the deepest landscapes of mechanized technocracy. Welcome to metal’s industrial revolution. Prepare to enter – the Fear Factory!
To put a long story very very short, the band that came to be known as Fear Factory went by many names until they settled on the one we know and love today, taking inspiration from a spooky and heavily guarded factory near their initial recording studio. It’s also fitting how it combines “Fear”, an innately human emotion rooted in our own mortality, with “Factory”, a massive industrial creation that exists to automate everything, the most mechanical and artificial thing, the farthest from humanity you can get. The roots of the band started with two Mexican immigrants, guitarist extraordinaire Dino Cazares and otherworldly drum machine Raymond Herrera. The two of them had already played together in grindcore icons Brujeria and, now in the US, were looking to start something new and something different. Through some strokes of luck, they met the innovative and charismatic Burton C. Bell, who would be chosen as the band’s frontman. Bell’s love of science fiction and in particular the film Blade Runner would inform the core of the band’s lyrics, while Cazares’ love for technological innovation within his guitar playing allowed him to craft their unique sound. With this, a new machination began to take form.
This new being would be born in 1992 with their debut studio album Soul of a New Machine. This record was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. What was born was a very riff-driven sound (given Cazares was a rhythm and not lead focused guitarist). The brutal guitars would sync with Herrera’s inhuman drumming to play complex polyrhythms, layered with plenty of keyboards and electronic elements and gratuitous movie samples. The songs were fast and chaotic, definitely showing some DNA from Brujeria. Burton C. Bell would combine brutal death growls with passages of clean singing, creating a very dynamic sound. While mixing growls with singing is a mainstay of modern metal, this was unheard of in the early 90s. However, despite all their innovation, this was still FF in their infancy, the new machine still in gestation. Fundamentally, this sounds like a 90s death metal album (because it is), but with innovative musicianship and inclusions of clean vocals and synthesizers.
Nonetheless, this unique sound, combined with conceptual lyrics about future technology and humanity would give this record its iconic status. Metal legend and close friend of the band Max Cavalera is also credited as saying: “I have heard the metal of the future and its name is Fear Factory”
Earthshattering already, little did the world know that FF’s biggest moment was yet to come. In the interrim years, they had recruited Belgian immigrant Christian Olde Wolbers as their bass player and with this, the lineup was complete. Dino, Heavy Duty Scarifier. Burton, Dry Lung Vocal Martyr. Raymond, Maximum Effective Pulse Generator. Christian, Total Harmonic Distortion. The machine’s heart was beating and it evolved into its ultimate form as the band released their 1995 magnum opus – Demanufacture! What can be said about this album. It’s easily one of the greatest records of all time. The band had truly perfected their sound – Cazares had developed his iconic guitar tone and together with Wolbers and Herrera, they formed the most insane rhythm section in all of metal. Their riffs twisted and turned in unexpected ways but somehow remained unbelievably catchy all throughout. Herrera’s drumming was so insane that many of his peers at the time accused him of just making it all on a computer – people just couldn’t believe a human could play these things. All of the instrumentation was supported by the awesome synth lines, soundscapes and samples courtesy of legendary producer Rhys Fulber, would would become a mainstay of the band’s discography. Bell’s vocals were unbelievable, with powerful screams and growls contrasted by fantastic melodic section, showcasing his vast range. The lyrics presented the tale of a technocratic future where high technology conquers human life. Oozing with awesome Blade Runner aesthetics, no work of media can create a dense cyberpunk atmosphere quite like Fear Factory and no album exemplifies this better than this one. The echoes of its influence could be felt for decades to come.
With such a monumental record on their hands, where do FF go from here? Well, if you can believe it, they potentially managed to outdo themselves! How do you follow up one of the greatest metal albums of all time? By making ANOTHER of the greatest metal albums of all time! This would be none other than 1998’s Obsolete. It’s a true concept album with an overarching story with inspiration from classic dystopian literature, told both through the music and additional narration and dialogue included in the album liner notes, making it one of the most immersive albums ever made. The tale follows a man known as Edgecrusher, one of the few remaining humans, as he leads his rebellion against the mechanical overlords, who seek to take over the world in full, as humanity has, in their view, become “obsolete”. Accompanies by one of the most profound and legendary album covers ever, this album kicks the songwriting up to 11, with incredible complexity and diversity of sound with enthralling hooks and melodies all throughout. I have spoken about this album at nauseam multiple times now and I still cannot capture everything it has to offer. Narratively and musically, this album is a masterpiece. You just gotta experience it for yourself. While Demanufacture is the most iconic and influential, some would argue that Obsolete is the better album. I honestly don’t know where I stand on that argument.
After two straight masterpieces in a row, how do you continue? Well, needless to say, expectations were really high so the band decided to go for something completely different. For you see, by now the year is 2001 and there is this new global phenomenon called nu metal that is taking the music world by storm. Divisive and controversial, some people loved this movement, others not so much. So influenced by this and by their fellow bands on MTV, FF decided to pivot towards this and experiment with a nu metal sound. After all, they helped inspire a lot of these guys and the style wasn’t too far off from what they were already doing. Enter Digimortal, a different and unique FF album. Still retaining a lot of their signature style but with simpler, punchier riffs and elements of hip-hop thrown in there too. Even B-Real from legendary Cypress Hill makes an appearance. While Digimortal is a far cry from the quality and prowess of previous records, I’m a nu metal boy through and through, so I can’t help but love it.
From here sadly, Fear Factory’s long history with turmoil begin. After this, some turbulent years would follow, where the band even ceased to exist for a while. Thankfully, they came back together, but iconic guitarist Dino Cazares had decided to leave and bassist Wolbers would take over his duties. With this lineup, the band dropped Archetype in 2004. A definite return to form, this record is just banger after banger. While the guitar style is noticeably different, the signature riffage and catchiness of the band was back and Burton brought forth some of the best vocal performances he’s ever had. Some people overlook this album, but it’s an absolute gem from beginning to end.
With the same lineup, Transgression would release just a year later. An unfortunately fitting title. This album, while not bad, wasn’t as well crafted as its predecessor and failed to make a strong impression. It was evident that the band were having a bit of an identity crisis and the machine was running in place. It needed new energy and it needed to evolve.
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It would be 5 long years of soul searching for the band, but after a lot of troubles, a new hope shone on the horizon. Burton had been left all by himself by Herrera and Wolbers, but he managed to reconcile with Cazares and the power duo were back together. After successfully recruiting the Atomic Clock himself, Gene Hoglan, they would finally drop their newest opus – 2010’s Mechanize! This record showed that the machine stronger than ever. It’s easily the heaviest album the band had made in a long time, maybe ever. The riffage was phenomenal, with a very distinct tone, complimented perfectly by Hoglan’s bone-crushing drum work. Catchy and chaotic, brutal and beautiful, Fear Factory were back in full force and seemed unstoppable!
They would continue in force with their next album, a return to their classic concept album format, The Industrialist in 2012. A mighty tale about an automaton designed as the pinnacle of industrial and scientific innovation, gaining sentience and rebelling against its creators and original purpose, in both sound and theme, this is the most atmospheric album to date. While the decision to use programmed drums instead of real ones was dubious and it lead to Hoglan departing, the end result speaks for itself. Catchy, heavy, symphonic, varied and powerful. I have a soft spot for this record. Also it can be argued that Mechina, who I already covered, derived pretty much their entire sound from this album, as the similarities are striking and it predates their most symphonic and grandiose works.
From strength to strength, the machine charged forward and kept the momentum going with 2015’s might Genexus. A continuation of the ideas from The Industrialist, this album, also conceptual in nature and deeply philosophical at that, takes the establish new age sound and polishes it to perfection. With some of the greatest riffs ever heard by man, amazingly memorable choruses and awesome synth lines, this album was everything the band were great at in its purest form. They even got a real drummer this time, Mike Heller, who would become a recurring face from here on. Good thing we got such a hat trick of awesome albums in the 2010s, because nobody could have predicted what was about to happen next.
It seems the long standing issues within the band had caught up with them again. They had almost prepared all the material they needed to release their next album back in 2017, tentatively titled Monolith. However, a lot of messy stuff went down and this ultimately lead to a huge legal dispute between Bell, Cazares and Wolbers. It was absolute bedlam and I don’t want to get into detail, but these troubles left the band separated and their music in limbo. In the end, Cazares managed to win back the rights to the band name and music and the lawsuits came to a close, but the big loss of this is that Burton C. Bell, the voice of the machine, the Dry Lung Vocal Martyr, the only man to appear on all albums, would depart from the band. A sad day for sure, but Cazares showed determination to keep going. And oh boy did he ever!
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For in 2021, after so many years, we finally got a new record, the newly titled Aggression Continuum. Oh my Lord, you guys were sitting on THIS all this time??? I can only be grateful that this record finally came out, for it was easily one of the best the band had done, maybe ever. Mike Heller was now the full time drummer and Tony Campos from my pals at Static-X joined on bass. Best of all, Burton had actually already recorded all the vocals back in 2017 and they were kept, so this is like his grand sendoff! Some of the greatest riffs, some of the best melodies, some of the coolest lyrics, some of the catchiest choruses and some of the most epic synth lines. This album blew all expectations out of the water and is already a certified classic.
And thus, the band is still kicking today. They found a new vocalist, the young Italian prodigy Milo Silvestro, who seems to be doing really well for himself. With his fresh blood in the system, FF are a touring powerhouse to this day. They even released a new remix album called Recoded, keeping up a tradition they started all the way back when Soul of a New Machine was brand new and culminated in the iconic Remanfucature, making them one of the first metal bands to embrace electronic music and collaborate with artists from that sphere.
Beyond that, Dino Cazares also has another band of his called Divine Heresy who bring a similar yet distinct sound. Definitely worth a shoutout. He has also been jamming with long time friend Max Cavalera in his band Soulfly in recent years. After leaving FF, Burton C. Bell chose to focus full time on his own solo project, the electronic gothic rock band Ascension of the Watchers.
With this, our transmission approaches its conclusion. It felt really good for me to get this out and I’m very happy to add this to my collection of industrial band blogs. In fact, such a collection could never be complete without Fear Factory. I remember how I discovered these guys all the way back in the early 2000s, but back then my brain was incapable of comprehending most of their material. Only their nu metal stuff off of Digimortal was up my alley then. Fast forward almost two decades of growth, exploration and maturation on my part and I was finally able to appreciate them properly. To no surprise, they have become one of my favourite bands, frequently gracing my Wrapped, even coming at No. 1 twice in a row! Even putting all my personal biases aside, FF are one of the most influential bands of all time. Their musical style informed the riffs, drum beats and rhythms common in most modern metal, they popularized the use of keyboards and samples and Burton C. Bell’s ability to both scare your pants off and sing you to sleep has inspired countless vocalists to mix heavy and melodic. I hope I inspired you to explore them and I come to appreciate them as well. My playlist awaits your deep dive. See you all again soon!
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