Fear Factory: Digimortal : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

One of hard rock's more intriguing outfits, tech-metallers Fear Factory have always supported their mix of industrial-textured thrash rock with lyrics that question the mix of man and machine with the expertise of a Wired writer. But while this, their third album, finds them being equally wary of technology, it also finds them tightening their attack without weakening its impact. On such tunes as "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)" and the title track, the rhythms and guitar riffs are more concise and classic rock-like melodic (albeit in a classic Black Sabbath kind of way) than on previous collections, with the former using atmospheric keyboards to add to the dark foreboding of the lyrics. And while they do slip a bit on the Limp Bizkit-y "Back the Fuck Up" (on which they pair with Cypress Hill's B-Real), it's a mistake more on par with failing to spell check a letter than giving directions to a Terminator. (PAUL SEMEL -- April 24, 2001)