With the latest release “Genexus”, Fear Factory attempts to carve a contemporary personal identity in the overcrowded metal scene and continues to explore a sort of cyber/technological evolution through a maze of industrial metal and artificially cold deliveries.
“Autonomous Combat System” features a promising foundation with a robotic atmosphere that grows into a faster rhythmic ensemble. As expected the chorus gains a melodic momentum with Burton C. Bell’s clean & catchy delivery supported by a metallic synth/keyboards arrangement.
“Anodized” follows the same musical pathway filled of sound effects that recall a crowded dance floor or a sci-fi movie. As a whole, the song structure is quite repetitive with android style drumming and riffs that diverge only for Bell’s clean chorus.
“Dielectric” acquires an almost epic feeling that gives way to death metal style tight riffing and raging growls. Even if everything has a certain catchy value, it feels like every instrument performs under strict control following the exact artificial blueprint of the other songs.
The titletrack feels like a polished machine internally regulated to produce a specific array of asphyxiating sounds that seems to leave no space for a blast of genuine creativity. The industrial vibe is quite strong in the programming and in the mechanically precise guitar riffing that relentlessly supports verses and chorus.
“Expiration Date” breaks the spell with a surprising change of scenario that leaves behind the anxiously tight guitar riffing and the extreme metal roots to produce a particularly atmospheric song. While Bell focuses on drama-free luminous clean vocals in poetic fashion, the artistic programming and arrangements effortlessly mix some classic industrial elements with an electrically generated melancholy that recall movies soundtracks.
On “Genexus” Fear Factory intensely pursues a modern/futuristic metal recipe that could grant them new followers, but the songs often struggle to deliver that consistently variegated structure needed to fully involve the listeners.
