FEAR FACTORY — Digimortal (review)

Album · 2001 · Industrial Metal

1/5 · 2015-08-08
Vim Fuego

"Further Down The Spiral". If Nine Inch Nails hadn't already used that for a title, it would be perfect for this album. One word sums it up — lame.

At one time, Fear Factory could scare the skintight black jeans off anyone in the death metal scene. "Digimortal" sees them no longer even faintly death metal, but nu–metal wannabes. This band had a unique sound, and threw it out in favour of fashion. On first listen, "Digimortal" comes across as sub–Coal Chamber nu–metal toss. And it never improves.

Gone is the wrecking ball–heavy guitar sound in favour of something better suited to a Linkin Park single. Gone is the paint stripper death growl, replaced by a tone–deaf Korn–y rasp. Burton C. Bell still showcases his undoubtedly classy clean singing voice on the title track, but it's used too sparingly. The rhythm section is as heavy as it ever was, but is never allowed to really let strip as long-time fans know it can (remember "Martyr"?).

The single "Linchpin" is just a joke. It instantly conjures up a feel of Korn at their lamest, a la "Got The Life". It's a pop song, with double kickdrums. "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)" is a power ballad of dire proportions. However, it does allow Dino Cazares the opportunity to show he's capable of so much more than just plain, boring rhythm–only nu–metal guitar playing, with some nice semi–acoustic touches.

The smelliest steaming turd in this pile of dung is definitely "Back The Fuck Up". On a weak album like this, it descends to new subterranean depths of vapidity. Unthinkable in days gone by, it's a rap track, so dire it makes Fred Durst seem like Frank Sinatra in comparison. Songs like this make you thankful there is a fast forward/skip button on your CD player. Lyrically, Burton C. Bell continues his Terminator obsession, where machines are surplanting humans. It's not terribly original or interesting. Voivod explored on a similar theme more than a decade earlier and did it better. The songs are vague and meaningless, and the album concept is dull.

Overall, there are few highlights, and a couple of extreme low lights on the album, which all winds down in the customary directionless descent into a silent soundscape (see Demanufacture, Remanufacture, and Obsolete for reference) on "[Memory Imprints] Never End". Yawn. Then the bonus tracks kick in.

"Dead Man Walking" is a lurking metallic monster, with a nice melodic vocal refrain. Musically, it harks back to the "Demanufacture" album. "Strain vs. Resistance" ups the tempo, with another excellent vocal performance and some of the best riffs on the album. The standout track is most definitely "Full Metal Contact". Full metal it is, a breakneck–pace whiplash memory of the glory days of "Soul of A New Machine". Fear Factory can still produce the goods, but just lack the spark. Unfortunately, it's an instrumental, so there's none of Burton's ugly/beautiful deathgrowl. And this is the real problem with this album. Four of the best tracks here are only available to a limited audience, who will only get to own them through geographical luck, or financial fortitude.