Fear Factory - Digimortal

Label: Roadrunner
Catologue Number: RR8561-5
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Industrial Metal
Rating: 6/10 & 7/10 (6.5/10) overall
Reviewers: Wilhelm von Stroker & Sidney James

The Stroker view:

I have always thought of Fear Factory as a one-trick pony. The mechanical riffs and drums combined with vocalist Burton C. Bell’s growling and opera-like singing could generally interest me for about half an album before I would start getting annoyed, wanting them to incorporate some of the influences of their brilliant remix albums. Digimortal, is once again produced by Rhys Fulber, who did some of the remix work on their previous albums. Naturally my hopes were up before listening to this album.

Opener ‘What will become?’ sounds promising, showing a Fear Factory incorporating more groove and melody in their trademark sound. The same goes for the title track, first single ‘Linchpin’ and ‘Invisible Wounds’, although the latter totally ruined by a very ugly break.

The most interesting track, and probably most hated by hardcore Fear Factory fans is ‘Back the fuck up’, a collaboration between Fear Factory and B-Real from Cypress Hill. Death Rap Metal, which would have not sounded out of place on the Judgement Night soundtrack. Last track ‘(Memory Imprints) never end’ is a nice ballad-like song which shows that Fear Factory is not, in fact, a one-trick pony. Unfortunately they don’t show it often enough for my liking.

If you are lucky enough to own the digipack version of Digimortal you’ll get 4 extra tracks which do not add any value to the album or Fear Factory’s output in general.

The James Opinion:

Fear Factory are back again with their homemade brand of futuristic cyber metal. Like it’s three predecessors ‘Soul of A New Machine’ (1992), ‘Demanufacture’ (1995) and Obsolete (1998) Digimortal it’s ripe with dystopian visions of a future where it’s man versus machine in a dog eat dog fight for survival. In interviews leader singer Burton C. Bell has stated each album has been a concept dealing with certain aspects of the raise of technology and the dehumanisation that faces mankind in the not to distance future. According to Burton Digimortal is about mankind finally discovering immortality via implanting their memories onto microchips and living their lives in numerous clone bodies. Concepts like these are more akin to cyber punk writers like William Gibson, so it’s unusual for a rock band to deal with such issues in a genre that has constantly been labelled as dum and lacking in any kind of vision. However Fear Factory are more than your average metal band as their previous work and new album Digimortal proves.

Digimortal kicks off with the storming ‘What will become’. It begins innocently with a short burst of twanging guitars and a stuttering technoid pulse, before surgical precise guitars cut into the song and a walloping double kick beat drives the song forward. The first thing you notice with the Fear Factory sound is the stunning control and purity of the music. There’s no flabbiness, nothing unnecessary. Dino Cazare’s guitars attack without resorting to pointless soloing , the beats and the bass are as tight as my wallet when it’s my turn to buy a round. Electronics and keyboards are used as to add another layer of sound rather than take over ,every thing is it is place and used at the right time. As an opening track ‘What will become’ as a perfect introduction to Fear Factory’s cyber infused visions.

Second track ‘Damaged’ takes off from where ‘What will become’ ended. It begins with more dive bombing guitar attacks from Dino but this time adds a stronger electronic backbone reminiscent of Frontline Assembly. This really comes as no surprise as producer and the studio based fifth member of Fear Factory Rhys Fulber was once a full time member of Frontline Assembly before going solo with his Conjure 1 project. The again threatens to purely crush the listener with steam hammer like rhythms and Burton’s powerful voice, but instead develops into a more melodic structure towards the end of the track, before finally exploding back to the overwhelming attack of the earlier half of the song.

As seem to be common place on the last few albums I purchased we have the title track. ‘Digimortal’ again starts like a explosion in a foundry. Dino’s guitars sounding like revving chainsaws skirting over a low bass rumble, pounding drumbeats and turntable skids. ’Digimortal’ also sees the first real signs of Burton’s vocal gymnastics, changing as they do from sub death metal grunt to harmonious choir boy in the blink of an eye. Only this time I swear there is a lot more digital processing of Burton’s voice going on.

Next track ‘No one’ begins with strange paranoid electronic noises and sweeps before the bass and guitars cut in again. The track could easily be Fear Factory by numbers if it was for the great use of keyboards and fxs to create subtle but powerful cybernetic sweeps and flourishes to add a degree of complexity to the song.

However the next track ’Linchpin’ is Fear Factory by numbers. We get Dino’s typically huge guitar sound and another display of Burton’s obvious vocal ability but they don‘t save the song from being average. Even the lyrics “You can’t change me now” seem to suggest that Fear Factory know this track is run of the mill.

Thankfully things are quickly moved onto a different approach with ‘Invisible wounds (Dark Bodies)’ which kicks off with a New wave/Goth sounding guitar line. The song itself is one of Fear Factory’s slower numbers, similar to Descent form ‘Obsolete’. We do get the standard thrash out around the chorus, but overall the track maintains a dignified pace and strangely sounds like a modern take on the early Police sound. A unexpected groovy treat.

‘Acres of skin’ sees Fear Factory reverting back to form, with more of their aggro cyber metal sound. It’s pure classic Fear Factory which trails off nicely with more Gothesque guitars and a shimmering outro.

Then Fear Factory take another adventurous step with the track ‘Back the Fxxx Up’. Sadly not a song about squeezing your Escort into a parking space at your local supermarket. Instead the song has a stronger lyrical bite. The track itself is a take on cyber metal rap crossover featuring B Real of Cypress Hill on guest vocals. The track manages to combine depth charge sounding bass and electronics with runaway juggernaut guitars. Surprisingly it works and creates the best rap/rock crossover track since Public Enemy’s and Anthrax’s ‘Bring the Noise’.

Next track ‘Byte back’ begins with ambient washes of sound and a deep electro bass line before the guitars and vocals crash it again. The song is carried by a fantastic Wolberling bass sound (pun intended) which carries the song between it’s thrashed out choruses. The song also sinks back to moments of the early ambience before the building to overdrive again.

‘Hurt conveyer’ then follows with more of the same formula, this time aided and abetted with samples of machines turning over in the background. The song also benefits for switching between harder and softer guitar moments.

On to the last track ‘(Memory Imprints) Never end’. Which sees Fear Factory in a reflective mode again. The track leads in with starkly cold Numanesqe keyboards, a rumbling bass and more new wavish guitars. The song could almost be a lighters in the air ballad (had it been recorded by someone else). The track makes great use of changes in momentum and tempo, before fading out into quiet oblivion. A class ending to a concept album.

Those lucky to get hold of the Ltd Digi-pak version of the album, get 4 bonus tracks in the typical Fear Factory cyber thrash mould. All are good tracks , but sit rather uncomfortably on the album after the slow burning end of ‘(Memory Imprints) Never End’.

With Digimortal, Fear Factory have produced a fine album which combines elements of their previous albums whilst stripping away some of the fat and surplus that held back ‘Obsolete’. It’s also the first metal album I’ve bought in a long while that doesn’t feature an 80’s cover, which is a blessing. If your into heavy music then your probably own Digimortal already, if not get down your local record store and spend your hard earned pennies. If your not into heavy music there’s not much that is going to convince you to buy this, but it the long run it’s your lose not mine.