Monday, February 11, 2019

Fear Factory: Digimortal



By 2001, the Nu metal phenomenon was in full effect and had gained a strangle hold on the music world. Every radio station and music video show on television was dominated with their brand of pseudo metal that, whether you love it or hate it, had its effect on the metal community. Even the likes of the Big Four of thrash all had their hands in the Nu metal scene at one point or another. Now, for
some bands, incorporating elements of the Nu metal sound was a complete 180 to their sound and as such, came as a shock to their fan base. Others, the transition was less of a hassle. One such band that also jumped on the bandwagon was Fear Factory with their release of “Digimortal” and although their entry into the Nu metal arena may not have been accepted with open arms, the final result was not a drastic change from many of the elements the band already played.

Now, I’m going to view “Digimortal” through the eyes of both a fan of the band and a guy reviewing an album. From the eyes of a non-biased fan, I will say that, the sound on “Digimortal” is very simplistic in both execution and talent. That was, essentially one of the staples of the Nu metal movement:  focus less on music and more or attitude and emotion. It required a very monotonous and uncomplicated guitar sound, C-rate drumming and often dabbled into the realm of hip hop. All of which will be present on “Digimortal” To be fair, the basic industrial and electronic sounds that the band have always used were still present, but they come through more like a low fat version of Fear Factory.

As I said, musically, the sound is rather bland. The guitars riffs are even more simplified than their usual selves, the drumming is far from the powerful wall of sound it should be and the bass, although present, is not as harmonious as it was on “Obsolete”. The industrial elements that are on display don't add as much to the atmosphere as much as they did on the band’s previous works. Where then, they helped make up the DNA of the album, here they simply sound as though they were added just for the sake of adding them to keep their industrial tag. The use of turntables on "Edgecrusher" back on "Obsolete" was eye raising, but understanding Wolber's affinity to the sound and being a personal hobby of his, it was acceptable. The rap song "Back the Fuck Up", well, it may feature B-Real, a legendary figure in the hip-hop scene, but the song did not go over well with fans. All in all, a miss compared to the previous two releases, but by no means a complete bomb.

Okay, now that I gave the album the devils’ advocate treatment, it’s time to view the album as a fan. This album can instantly transport me back to 10th grade. Despite the flaws of the album, I loved this release. Songs like "What Will Become", "Damaged" and "Linchpin" would be repeated many times that summer. I loved the simplistic, yet familiar sound Fear Factory offered on "Digimortal" and of course falling in the era that was dominated by Nu-Metal and Metalcore, I was naturally a fan of both.

Burton’s vocals, although not as harsh and violent as normal, are still powerful in their delivery. Their sound, while rooted more in the mold of Nu metal, they are executed well and still offer his trademark harsh and clean vocal tandem, albeit with less aggression. Although solos and in melodic guitar rhythms may not have always been one Fear Factory’s priorities, they once again are absent from “Digimortal” That being said, generally Dino can offset the lack of rhythms and solos by producing memorable and hammering riffs to generate enough hooks and sustainability on most Fear Factory albums. This being Nu metal, he follows the template of the genre and instead of delivering crushing, groove laden riffs, we get a slimmer version of what we herd on “Demanufacture” and “Obsolete”. Are they crushing? Nah. Groovy? Sure. Do they sound like Ne metal? Yeah, which is what I feel they were going for and in the scope of their targeted sound, they nailed it. In a good way mind you. The guitars may not inspire as much imagery as their previous work, but they more than carry both the metal sound, industrial components and Fear Factory’s manta well enough.

As for Herrera’s drums, think of them in the same light as the guitars. They are still clear and crisp with plenty of double bass kicks, but that’s about as far as they go. They do not instill the same ferocity they normally bring to the table and instead play a slimmer version to compliment the Nu metal sound. Perhaps of all the instruments, the drumming would be the most comparable to their previous work as it takes command in the rhythm department for most of the album and drives the majority of the songs forward. Wolbers’ bass may not play as nicely with Dino’s guitars this time around, but they, much like the drums offer a distinctly notable sound on most of the album. It still carries the low sounding punch as before, but no longer blends with all the elements of the album and instead can be heard as more of an individual sound, which showcase’s its ability, but also fails to harmonize into the cohesive Fear Factory sound.

Of course, I can’t forget to mention Rhys Fulber’s work on programming and keys. His minor touches transform many of the songs in a big way. The industrial and technological sound heard throughout “Digimortal” still anchor the band to the industrial genre, which is most notably heard on songs such as “What Will Become” and “No One”.

From a diehard point of view, I'll always rate this album higher than it should be, but that's the beauty of one’s opinion. Nostalgia aside, I was a fan of many Nu metal bands during their time, do Fear Factory’s efforts in the Nu metal genre was always going to go over well with me, so I have no complaints. Sure, this is far from a masterpiece, but it’s still a solid effort and most important of all, it’s memorable. The digipak also offers a few excellent songs such as "Strain vs. Resistance", which I recommend getting if you're planning on giving this album a listen.

Highlights: "What Will Become", "Damaged", "No One," "Linchpin"

Rating: 3.5 (Biased. 2.5 otherwise)

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