Vim Fuego
This album brings back great memories when death metal ruled the world, before it was slowly choked by the ever–deepening wash of nu–metal sewage. Yes, Fear Factory went further and further down that rotten sewer themselves, but back in 1992 when this was released, they not only had credibility, they were credited with inventing a fresh new sound.
Mixing the industrial tinges of Ministry and Godflesh, the ripping guitar sounds of Exhorder and Entombed, the intense percussive fury of Obituary, and a vocalist who could sing like Bruce Dickinson and death grunt like Chuck Schuldiner, Fear Factory had the metal world at their feet. The building menace of "Martyr", the brutality of "Crash Test/Scumgrief/Self Immolation" (actually, just insert any track from the album you want there), and the intelligently chosen and utilised samples still make this album an essential listen today.
The track "Leechmaster" is perfect for getting over bad relationships. There's nothing more satisfying than screaming "I loved you once, now go away. I loved you once, please stay away" at the top of your lungs when someone has hurt you.
A good mix of hardcore (verging on grindcore) aggression, metallic fury, electronic subtlety, and thought provoking lyrics. After listening to this, newer fans of the band may perhaps see why old school fans want a return to the good old days. Very rarely has death metal been done like this since.