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Showing posts with label Nuclear Blast UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nuclear Blast UK. Show all posts
By: Richard
Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 10/06/2022 Label: Nuclear Blast Records
“HateÜber Alles”CD//DD//LP track listing: 1. Sergio Corbucci Is
Dead
2. Hate Über Alles
3. Killer Of Jesus
4. Crush The Tyrants
5. Strongest Of The Strong
6. Become Immortal
7. Conquer And Destroy
8. Midnight Sun
9. Demonic Future
10. Pride Comes Before The Fall
11. Dying Planet The Review: Kreatorreturn with this- the latest studio
album from the best of the Teutonic terrors of thrash. Kreator, of course,
forged a reputation as perhaps the most extreme of the 80s thrash squads; the “Pleasure
To Kill” album in particular was one of the only releases to rival “Reign
in Blood” for intensity and violence. Since their 80’s
heyday the band has been through ups and downs but after a distinctly rocky 90s
returned to a more thrash orientated sound on “Violent Revolution”
and since then have gone from strength to strength. The albums from the band’s
latter act- “Hordes of Chaos”, “Phantom Antichrist”,
“Gods of Violence” have all been stellar examples of the band
marrying an aggressive thrash approach with melodic choruses and guitar work.
It’s a comfortable groove for the band and they have become a reliable
proposition on record. My pick of the latter-day
records would be “Phantom Antichrist”- I think it does everything
that Kreatordo extremely well- and
while I enjoyed “Gods of Violence” a lot I felt it was missing a
little of the extremity and force of their earlier work. “HateÜber
Alles”has the artwork and from the first notes when the full band kicks
in on the title track, you can tell it has the production (having moved away
from Jens Bogren to Arthur Rizk), but does it have the songs and vibe? Well, this is firmly
in the mould of latter day Kreator.
“Killer of Jesus” has the chorus and melody, “Crush The Tyrants”
is a mid-paced affair and thus is not what Kreatordo best. “Strongest of the Strong” has a
kind of Judas Priestvibe to the riffs and
rhythms. So far, so good. Good riffs, playing choruses and arrangements. “Become
Immortal” continues the Priestvibes with its triplet
feel and reminiscing lyrics.
After a melodic intro,
“Conquer and Destroy” ups the tempo and brings the thrash but settles
into the melodic mid-paced bridge to chorus before blasting off again. “Midnight
Sun” was an advance single and is one of the more experimental and
interesting tracks here- it’s great, I think. It again repeats the thrash riffs
and verses and then drops tempo for the chorus, but the female vocalist
addition here is cool as is the chorus and themes. It’s a change for Kreatorand a welcome one. “Demonic Future”
thrashes convincingly, “Pride Comes Before The Fall” and “Dying
Planet” round the record off. It’s all good, it’s all convincing it’s all
much better than any band of this vintage has any right to be. However, it’s by
no means essential or flawless. The main issue here is memorability- yes, there
are hooks but there is not that much that leaves an impression. The title track
and “Midnight Sun” are probably the picks here and to be clear there are
no bad tracks, but the intensity of old is missing, along with perhaps a little
energy. Overall, this is a decent
late-period Kreatorrecord. It is similar to “Gods
of Violence”, but perhaps a little lesser than that one. It doesn’t
quite reach the heights of “Phantom Antichrist” or “Hordes
of Chaos” but… I’m grateful that Kreatorare still around and still making quality
music. The German legends
have their place cemented on the upper floors of the thrash building and their
output easily outstrips the vast majority of metal bands there has ever been. If
you compare their records of the last 22 years to that of, say, Metallica(and Slayerand Anthrax) well, Kreatorare the clear winners. If
you are a fan of the band, you must hear this. If you want a place to start,
there are worse records to begin your journey with. While this may be ‘another
Kreator album’ I do sincerely hope that there are more. “HateÜber Alles”isavailable HERE
By: Richard Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 17/09/2021 Label: Nuclear Blast
“Torn Arteries” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Torn Arteries (4:00) 2.
Dance Of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B) ADM (4:29) 3.
Eleanor Rigor Mortis (4:14) 4.
Under The Scalpel Blade (3:55) 5.
The Devil Rides Out (5:22) 6.
Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited (9:42) 7.
Kelly's Meat Emporium (3:23) 8.
In God We Trust (3:57) 9.
Wake Up And Smell The Carcass - Caveat Emptor (4:36) 10.
The Scythe's Remorseless Swing (5:20)
The Review:
Carcass have cooked up another
post-reformation full length following on from 2013's rather great “Surgical
Steel”. This time around, we still have Walker and Steer at the helm(s)
and as the title track kicks in, this comes out of the gate like a straight up
death metal record. The sound is good, the mix is good, the song titles are
good. The record was worked upon at a few separate studios. James Atkinson of Gentlemens Pistols fame
did a particularly good job with the guitars at The Stationhouse studio in
Leeds; crisp, cutting and weighty. How about the material?
The
title track is a great start- catchy, to an extent, with some blasts, some
great riffs and the usual lyrical sturm and drang you would expect. “Dance
of Ixtab” is slower paced, features a cowbell and some pretty righteous
rock n roll grooving. I'll admit straight away that I am a huge fan of “Heartwork”-era
Carcass and
that I am not a fan, really in any way, of material preceding “Necroticism”.
Thus, I can venture the notion that I am a fan of death metal Carcass and not the
grind incarnation. Sacrilege to some, I know.
As
such, this record is a musical treat for me. It's not as extreme as “Surgical
Steel” and not as melodic per se as “Heartwork”. Instead,
it is a good mix of death metal- done in the Carcass style- and almost hard rock
songwriting.
While
there are tracks like “Eleanor Rigor Mortis” and “Under The Scalpel
Blade” which sound much more accessible than you might expect from the
titles, there are also some real death metal gems sprinkled throughout- and
even within some of the more straightforward songs. Some of the tempos and
changes are resurrected from “Heartwork” here and there, too.
As
the album progresses, there is plenty of chugging riffage, plenty of neck
snapping grooves and plenty of skill in making this hang together as a good
collection of songs. I suppose the real question here is where Carcass fit into the
current death metal landscape. The genre progressed, stagnated, and diversified
in equal measure after 1993 and now, I have to say, there is only one band in
the genre that sounds like this. In that regard, they are akin to Obituary from across
the pond- a band in a league of one. The sound is instantly recognisable and
really is different from the multitude of blast and growl merchants out there.
On that basis, Carcass
are in a solid position to appeal to old fans, while also having a chance of
being picked out by new converts.
It
would not be unkind to say that some songs stick more than others; I found that
“The Devil Rides Out” did not stand out particularly, but just around
the corner is an acoustic intro and a roling groove for “Flesh Ripping Sonic
Torment Limited”- there is variety here for sure, particularly as this one
clocks in at over nine and a half minutes! Steer's style of riffing is also
instantly familiar, which helps for memorability and accessibility.
At
ten tracks, it is not overlong and the band ring enough changes to keep the
listener interested throughout. As noted, if you are not too keen on one track,
then you may well like the next and so on. It's not front loaded either, “In
God We Trust” recalls the riffing of “Corporeal Jigsore Quandary”
and is thus a winner. It's dissimilar to “Surgical Steel”- and a
lot more playful, to these ears at least.
By
the time of closer “The Scythe's Remorseless Swing”, I think most
listeners will have made up their minds. It's a great track and a stand out on
the album. It's surprisingly accessible without going full “Swansong”
and the songs overall are at least decent. Time will tell where it sits in
comparison to “Heartwork” and “Surgical Steel”, but
this is a solid entry into their death metal canon and there is plenty to enjoy
here- not least that the band are still around and still writing quality music.
By: Richard Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 18/06/2021 Label: Nuclear Blast
“Aggression Continuum” CD//DD//LP track
listing: 1.
Recode
2. Disruptor
3. Aggression Continuum
4. Purity
5. Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
6. Collapse
7. Manufactured Hope
8. Cognitive Dissonance
9. Monolith
10. End Of Line The Review: Back
in the dark days of 1995, Fear
Factory truly sounded like the future. “Demanufacture”
was a monster of an album which featured a then-ground breaking mixture of
harsh and clean vocals, pro-tools production and computer processed sounds,
industrial tinges and some truly memorable songs. Cazares, Bell, Hererra and
Olde-Wolbers seemed like it might be them who usurped Metallica with their
science fiction, weaponised, mechanised version of heavy metal... except,
things didn't work out like that. The
band followed up “Demanufacture” with very pale imitation albums,
lost their place at the vanguard of metal via the rise of nu metal, line-up
changes and the plain old bitter pill of missed opportunities. The tension and
fractures within the band are well known so “Aggression Continuum”
sees Burton C Bell appearing on the album and delivering a very good
performance, but no longer a member of the band for the album's release.
Completed by the very capable rhythm section of Tony Campos (bass) and Mike
Heller (drums), this record HAD to be good. The
good news, though, is that the record is very good! The last FF album, “Genexus”,
was also good and saw me regain interest in the band back in 2015 (is it that
long?!). “Mechanize”, half a decade prior, was serviceable and of
course lifted up a level by Gene Hoglan's involvement. The band have thus put
out a couple of good albums over the last decade. I haven't heard “The
Industrialist”- and I'm sure the band would understand my stance against
human beings being replaced my (drum) machines. They still plough their
futuristic furrow and bring to mind Robocop, 2000AD, Terminator and Terminator
2 with most tracks. So,
“Aggression Continuum” picks up where “Genexus”
and, indeed, “Demanufacture” left off. It is pummelling (“Recode”),
it's machine like. It has synths. It has solos (“Monolith” has a great
one), it is inhumanly precise and has all the best hallmarks of what makes Fear Factory unique and
a top tier metal band. If
you want aggression, there is plenty of it- “End of Line” is a
relentless finisher and jam packed with the types of production quirks you
expect from the band. “Fuel Injected Suicide Machine” sounds exactly
like it could have been on “Demanufacture” and sit proudly with
the likes of “H-K (Hunter Killer)”, albeit with a melodic chorus that
echoes synth wave as much as metal. In fact, the synth wave genre or even
sound-tracks (Carpenter et. al.) looms large here. Fear Factory have managed to conjure up the
same bleak, robotic atmosphere and it is an aural delight. Fear Factory have been
writing about a dystopian future in which the population is tightly controlled
and humanity is threatened by technology for decades now. It is sublime timing
that this album should see the light of day when these things are happening
more blatantly than ever before, and it seems that the band have captured the
zeitgeist once again. Where they go from here is anyone's guess. Bell has gone,
apparently never to return. It is a shame and a lamentable bookend to his time
with the band- he IS the voice of Fear Factory and he and Cazares made some incredible music
together. “Aggression
Continuum”
is available HERE
It’s
always a treat to review a live album, especially when it’s from a band whose
discography is one of the most prolific and iconic of the last two decades.
Preceding the tour edition of their most recent album “I Loved You at Your Darkest”, Behemoth offered a sinister preview of what’s
in store when the full release drops later this month.
Since
their establishment in the early 90s, Behemoth have moulded a caustic blend of Polish
Black Metal, Folk Metal , and Death Metal, pioneering the landscape of
provocative anti-theistic, extreme metal that can chill as much as excite.
“Live at Maida Vale” is a raw and intimate session of live
recordings, featuring a deliberate selection of tracks that best showcase Behemoth's
live musicianship. Delicate acoustic segments intertwine with crashing drum
beats, and thrashing guitars to create a melodic framework often absent in the
Black Metal genre. It’s these types of musical choices, such as using a
children’s choir to decry the injustices perceived by the singer towards God,
that elevate Behemoth
into the pantheon of extreme metal masters.
While
at times a touch quiet in the mix, the haunting choral sections are showcased
beautifully in the context of the live album, and really communicate a primal
passion behind their music, leaving the listener somber, as they draw near the
darkness. These moments of introspection give way to the rapturous cries of
lead singer Nergal, as he scream and growls over the cacophony. It’s a dynamic ebb
and flow of melody and chaos befitting of a live album.
It’s
no surprise then, that the standout track is probably the premier showcase of
this styling. “God = Dog” has found massive success in the genre with the
studio version, and when boiled down to its most basic elements, it breathes
all new life into the song.Featuring a
wide array of musical techniques, “God =
Dog” is powerful arrangement worthy of the accolade.
What
more can be said about a band like Behemoth that hasn’t already been said? They
are one of the best in the industry, and “Live at Mada Vale” is an opportunity
to hear them at their most unfiltered.
“Live
at Maida Vale” is available at all digital platforms
Formed in 2012, Mantar perhaps first exploded onto the scene in 2014 (they released a 7" in 2013) with their lauded debut album “Death By Burning”, which was hailed by fans and
writers alike as the standout record
of the year. Like any band attempting to
make their mark, few could have predicted (the band included) what would happen
next. Originally released via Svart Records, “Death By Burning” would eventually sell
out and see at least 3 repressings, by Svart Records (twice) and via the American
imprint Brutal Panda
Records, an understatement then to say that Mantar had exceeded what
expectation they may have had, however their nifty amalgamation of Melvins-esque sludge,
twinned with the grim black / punk attitude of Darkthronewould see the band court the attention of label
heavyweight Nuclear Blast
Records,and
in 2016 the band would release their follow up “Ode to the Flame”, soon to be
followed up by the EP “The Spell”, a year later.
THE SLUDGELORD is proud to say that we
have followed the band from day dot and Mantar’s strength lies in their ability to
maintain a perfect balance of dirty, underground grit and catchy
stadium-bothering rock’n’roll ambition, and on their new album “The Modern
Art of Setting Ablaze”Mantar’s
unique brand of heaviness is growing ever more potent. With the release of the new record set to hit
the shelves this Friday, 24 August 2018, we hooked up with Mantar riff dealer
Hanno to discuss some of his favourite records.
Welcome to Records of their Years, with guitarist/vocalist Hanno
Klänhard
SL:
Favourite album from the year you were born?
PETER
SCHILLING, “FEHLER IM SYSTEM”(1982)
It’s super weird
German new wave (?) stuff. Peter is the guy who also wrote “Major Tom”.
There is an English version of the title track, as well as a whole English
version of the album (‘Error in the
System’) as he also had some success in the US and UK, as far as I’ve been
informed anyway. That single is a little played out, but as a matter of fact,
the whole album is just pure magic. His soothing but spooky voice together with
this early 80s synth layers... it’s still haunting. You can even hear parallels
to some weird ass Pink
Floyd shit. Just crazy. The whole thing, especially the lyrics
influenced me a whole lot. The lyrics were much underrated. With his
apocalyptic future visions he was ahead of his time, and somehow punk as fuck in
a new wave sound. Epic. The best song is “Die Wüste Lebt”.
SL: First
record you bought with your own money?
AC/DC,
“LIVE AT DONINGTON VHS” (1992)
I saw it in a record
store somewhere on vacation with my parents when I was 10 or 11 years old. It
was my first self-bought AC/DC
album ever. Many albums followed, mainly on cassette tape as they were so much
cheaper than CDs. I bought “Live at
Donington” on VHS because I thought: “Why
buy the record when you can HEAR and SEE the music at the same time??” And
as my first record (cassette as well) was “If
You Want Blood...” I had a thing for live records. Also I knew what to
expect as that particular Donington Live show was screened in our local small
cinema in Bremen, Germany for ONE DAY only. I saw the advertisement in the
local newspaper, so I went with my best friend. Only one other person was in
the cinema that day back then. But I totally remember every second... the
goosebumps... the excitement of seeing the people who are responsible for this
wonderful music for the first time... it was an intense moment. My whole room
was covered in AC/DC
posters ‘till the day I moved out.
SL:
Favourite non metal / rock album?
PORTISHEAD,
“DUMMY” (1994)
I got this record from
a friend when I was a teenager. His parents had it, they’d bought it after
seeing their song “Roads” being featured in the shower scene of “Tank
Girl”. They didn´t seem to pay further attention so I just grabbed that
record. I remember that I never ever felt that kind of sadness and desolation
in music before. Teenage depression and booze, that record was a dangerous
mixture. I remember spending whole nights drinking by myself, listening to that
record and literally just staring at the walls of my room. There was something
about the sadness that was captivating. I thought I was the saddest kid in the
world. The whole record is beyond awesome. Later I tried using it as the
soundtrack for my first sexual experiences which made them also very sad of
course. But I thought that the ladies probably didn´t wanna listen to Anal Cunt (little did I
know) while being seduced by sexy Hanno and I had no further non-metal/rock
records. Later I found out that all that doesn´t mean shit and just gave up sex
music for good.
SL: Album
that most disappointed you?
SEPULTURA,
“ROOTS” (1996)
I just didn´t get it.
I was confused. Especially as “Chaos A.D.”
meant the world to me. I know it might be not be the coolest and truest
album from this band to start with, but when you make your Mom go to the local
record store and buy it for your 12th birthday, it is. I saw a cool
ass commercial on German MTV back then (when that was still a thing) and I knew
I had to have it. Once I had it in my hands I was shocked by the booklet and
the gruesome pictures inside. It scared the shit out of me. But at the same
time I was hypnotized by the insanely heavy music and groove. After my birthday
I didn´t leave my room for days listening to that record, being scared by the
artwork and eating candy. I still LOVE that record. It is Sepultura´s “Nevermind“. The song writing is perfect,
without losing any heaviness and focus. A masterpiece. But yeah... back to the
actual question... even though I know it´s good, “ROOTS” didn´t do anything for me. Sorry.
SL: Favourite
album of all time or if you prefer album (s) you’d run back into a burning
building to rescue
AC/DC,
“IF YOU WANT BLOOD (YOU`VE GOT IT)”(1978)
When I was about six
years old my dad used to make some money with any kind of stuff next to his
main job, so any kind of flea market shit would be good business for him. One
day he got two big boxes of old cassette tapes second hand, ready to flip. He
never got rid of them so I listened to every single tape in these boxes, which
was 99% horrible trash. But there was ugly old orange tape in it with a
guy with a guitar sticking in his belly. That cover got me curious
and that´s how I discovered the most important record of my life. From the
first second, I was hooked. That energy, the volume of the crowd screaming, I couldn´t
believe it. EVERYTHING about this was great and it was EVERYTHING I have been
looking for in my six year old ‘till then meaningless life. After the first
listen I was 100% sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my existence. Be
like them.
SL: Favourite album (s) of 2018?
DEATHRITE,
New Album soon
I am a very ignorant
person when it comes to new music and rarely ever pay attention or go see new
bands. I neither read music magazines nor do I check out new stuff on the internet.
I also don´t collect records. Back home in Florida I usually listen to AM radio
and that´s mostly Bluegrass that I enjoy quite a bit, sitting on my porch. I am
sorry. But our dear friends in DEATHRITE are about to release a new record and I don´t
expect anything less than face melting craziness. So that thing will be good
for sure.
SL:..and
finally The last album you bought?
URSUT,
“KÖP DIG LYCKLIG” (2016)
It’s already a year
ago that I got this thing, but it’s still great! It’s hardcore punk from Malmö,
Sweden. And as with everything that Swedish people do, of course it´s fucking
awesome. If you like your D-Beat high quality but still fucked up in a good way,
this is your jam. It also has Swedish lyrics which is kinda cool. Not that I
get a single word, but neither would I if it was in English. I think I saw them
live in Hamburg, back in 2012 and was smitten right away. I never saw them
again. I think we have to invite them to tour with us at some point. But they probably
think that we are mainstream capitalist fucks. Which is true. But maybe they
still wanna come along.
The End
‘Mantar’s
new album ‘The Modern Art Of Setting
Ablaze’ will be released on 24th August via Nuclear Blast, available HERE.Mantar will be touring the UK in December alongside Skeletonwitch.
San Diego-based trio Earthless return
with their new full-length album “Black Heaven” on March 16 via
Nuclear Blast Entertainment. As commented on this here blog, the
synchronicity displayed and the deep understanding of each other’s playing
styles sets them apart from most instrumental jam bands right now, the trio,
consisting of Isaiah Mitchell (Guitar), Mike Eginton (Bass) and Mario Rubalcaba
(Drums) have an untouchable ability to jam flawlessly, fusing heavy psychedelic
rock with krautrock and blues. Today THE SLUDGELORD are thrilled to be able to share an
exclusive trailer of the band sharing their thoughts on genre and where Earthless fits. “Black
Heaven” is available here
Swedish classic / doom rock masters WITCHCRAFThave
announced the release date, tracklist and cover for the band's eagerly
anticipated new album.
'Nucleus' is scheduled for a January 15, 2016 release
worldwide via Nuclear
Blastand will be available as CD, lavish digipak (also as a
t-shirt bundle), vinyl (black, clear, splatter, gold) and digital download.
The first single, 'The Outcast' will be released as a digital
download on December 4.
The single will include the NIRVANAcover 'Even In His Youth'.
The tracklists for both releases read as follows. 'The Outcast' single:
Side A
01. The Outcast (edit)
Side B
02. Even In His Youth (NIRVANA cover)
'Nucleus'
01. Malstroem
02. Theory Of Consequence
03. The Outcast
04. Nucleus
05. An Exorcism Of Doubt
06. The Obsessed
07. To Transcend Bitterness
08. Helpless
09. Brekadown
Limited digipak CD & 2LP vinyl
bonus track
10. Chasing Rainbows
The successor of 2012's globally extremely successful album, Legend,
will be entitled Nucleus and is said to be mixing the rawer
side of Witchcraft’s early roots with a slightly
more melancholic modern sound.
With an all new line-up (Rage
Widerberg on drums and Tobias
Anger on bass) the band sounds more hungry and powerful than ever
before.
In combination with the thrilling, yet very down-to-earth production by Pelander himself, Philip Gabriel Saxin and Anton Sundell it just throws you
in dreamy sonic landscapes that will mesmerize and haunt you alike.
With bands such as Witchcraft and Graveyard turning away from the overtly Sabbath styling’s; I wonder do Orchid do the same?The San Francisco stalwarts however shun this trend instead opting for full on Sabbath worship in all its glory; their latest EP ‘Sign Of The Witch’ demonstrates this with sophistication, style and damn good riffs. A lean offering of 4 songs in just 18 minutes, it blasts the senses throwing forth their dominant influences; Osborne and Iommi.
‘Sign of the Witch’ CD//DD//LP track Listing
1. Helicopters (4:05)
2. John The Tiger (4:52)
3. Sign Of The Witch (4:22)
4. Strange Winds (5:30)
Orchid is:
Theo Mindell | Vocals
Carter Kennedy | Drums Mark Thomas Baker | Guitar Keith Nickel | Bass
The Review:
You like Sabbath…we’ll give you Sabbath; with bands such as Witchcraft and Graveyardturning away from the overtly Sabbath styling’s; I wonder do Orchid do the same?The San Francisco stalwarts however shun this trend instead opting for full on Sabbath worship in all its glory; their latest EP ‘Sign Of The Witch’ demonstrates this with sophistication, style and damn good riffs. A lean offering of 4 songs in just 18 minutes, it blasts the senses throwing forth their dominant influences; Osborne and Iommi.Fuck Me its goooooooood.
‘Helicopters’ is a blatant homage to ‘Paranoid’ with 70’s rock and roll; groove tinged bass and thumping drums making this epically good; with the guitars almost an afterthought it leads the drum/bass attack to hammer through with ease. Theo’s vocals here are immense, smooth and penetrating they inflame the senses and ensnare the mind.‘John The Tiger’ has a markedly increased tempo; that little bit easier on the sludge, with the main guitar beat almost peppy. Offering an unexpected blast in its final third as it breaks down into a Latin influenced jam; a firm progressive note
‘Sign Of The Witch’ the title track and definitely the heaviest amongst this EP, it is a Dio-era Sabbath extravaganza; riff heavy, earthy, gravel tinged vocals and intriguing vocals make it an instant hit. Although it lacks the momentum of the others, it has more twists and turns than the rocky mountain road and is immensely talented offering with enough guitar magic to leave me breathless for a week *ahem*
‘Strange Winds’ concludes the EP and kicks off witha malevolent start; hinting at the evil lurking within, it is a silky, hypnotic keyboard heavy little number. Once more Theo shines through; the timbre of his voice, the eerie quality with heartfelt, raw emotion bordering on blues quality strikes me to the core.Teetering on the edge of a full blown jam; the band draw it out to full effect; with each note there is an expectation that this is it, this is the one where they go hell for leather and leave one in a dribbling pile to the next EP. Instead they leave unresolved tension; the string of sanity pulled taught and I for one panting for more- the clever fuckers.
The record is heavy and tight- there are sections of riffs in “Dialectric” that made me turn up the volume. The bass drums pulse with inhuman precision and the synths and loops really add something to the overall sound. The opener “Autonomous Combat System” is a monster, “Anodized” is equally beast-like.Ultimately, if you enjoyed Demanufacture, you will enjoy this- it caries on where that left off and is a fine, fine album indeed. If you are new to the band, then this is a fine starting point. Fear Factory remains unique and I am pleased to report that they sound as vital as they did a lifetime ago.
‘Genexus’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Autonomous Combat System 2. Anodized 3. Dielectric 4. Soul Hacker 5. Protomech 6. Genexus 7. Church Of Execution 8. Regenerate 9. Battle For Utopia 10. Expiration Date
Fear Factory return (again!) with this follow up to their 2012 effort ‘The Industrialist’. Confession time: I have heard two Fear Factory albums prior to this one- ‘Demanufacture’and ‘Mechanize’. I have never heard ‘Soul of a New Machine’ or any other material. Reasons? I just don't know. Particularly as, in my view, ‘Demanufacture’ is a metal classic and really was a game changing album in that most maligned of metal times; the mid 90's.
Truth be told, there were some very exciting things happening in metal during the 90's. I recall my best mate showing me a Biohazard video from Raw Power (or was it Noisy Mothers by then?) and being blown away. I remember hearing Machine Head for the first time and being overwhelmed by thinking that I was hearing the future of metal. Similarly, hearing that double kick intro that ushers in ‘Demanufacture’was a watershed moment. The band, at that time, were doing something new- contrasting clean and harsh vocals, very precise drumming and an automated feel to the music. Little did I know at the time that the drums were triggered and often cut and pasted together (the toms were mostly lost in the recording process- listen back and you will hear what I mean!). Weirdly, I just lost track of the band after that record and thought of them as kind of forerunner to the nu-metal movement. I delved deeper into death and black metal and by the time of ‘Obsolete’ I had moved on.
‘Mechanize’ (2010) interested me hugely as they brought in MONSTER drummer Gene Hoglan to play on it. He did an awesome job and the record is heavy and dark- just a touch lacking in memorable moments. I refuse to listen to 2012's ‘The Industrialist’ as it uses a drum machine and that just doesn't interest me at all (from Hoglan to...that?!?!), so on to this release.
‘Genexus’is good. Very good. For me, a stranger to the band for many, many years, it as if time has not moved on at all. This is odd in many ways- I thought of Fear Factory as something VERY new and modern in 1995, yet here I am 20 years later saying that they have not changed at all. They found a sound. They found a theme. They went with it. Lyrically, the record features the conflict between the automated and the human and the dangers of a machine like society. Free will and emotion are at the heart of all this and it is great to hear what is essentially The Terminator films set to music.
The record is heavy and tight- there are sections of riffs in “Dialectric” that made me turn up the volume. The bass drums pulse with inhuman precision and the synths and loops really add something to the overall sound. The opener “Autonomous Combat System” is a monster, “Anodized” is equally beast-like. Some tracks focus on groove and hooks, some on industrial grooves and thrashing rhythm guitars. Apparently, Deen Castronovo played drums on one of the tracks, ‘Soul Hacker’. Castronovo (currently playing in Journey, when not being indicted for a litany of crimes) is a superb drummer who played a blinder on Geezer Butler's “Plastic Planet” album back in the mid 90's... featuring a certain Burton C Bell on vocals as I recall! Mike Heller plays superbly elsewhere on the drums and Tony Campos completes the current line-up. Naturally, though, the band is really all about Bell and Dino Cazares- they are Fear Factory and their signatures are all over this record.
Take the title track as an example- it is superb. It mixes synths with super precise riffing and time changes. Bell's vocals lift the record, as per, and his voice allows the sound more scope than a one dimensional vocalist would. Again, it packs a strong hook- the refrain “Suffer in Slavery” is very recognisable to anyone in employment, I think! Not every track is a stand out- and I cannot pick an equivalent to “Replica”- but every song is uniformly strong and the whole record is very cohesive. You can stick this one on and listen all the way through- as I have done twice today. For me, the more brutal material is the best stuff here- and that is exactly what I thought of ‘Demanufacture’ all those years ago. I prefer “Battle For Utopia” and “Protomech” to “Regenerate” but I like all three tracks. There is a melody, heaviness and enjoyment to be found in all of them. The album ends on the nigh on nine minutes of “Expiration Date” which offers a melancholic and wistful viewpoint to bookend an otherwise dystopian and defiant album. Bell's vocal on this one is excellent.
Ultimately, if you enjoyed Demanufacture, you will enjoy this- it caries on where that left off and is a fine, fine album indeed. If you are new to the band, then this is a fine starting point. Fear Factory remains unique and I am pleased to report that they sound as vital as they did a lifetime ago.
