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Fear Factory - Obsolete Audio CD

A fair review of the Fear Factory "Obsolete" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Fear Factory reviews here, or go back to the Fear Factory tabs.

Fear Factory Band: Fear Factory
Title: Obsolete
Rating:
Release Date: 1999-03-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Shock 2: Edgecrusher 3: Smasher/Devourer 4: Securitron (Police State 2000) 5: Descent 6: Hi-Tech Hate 7: Freedom or Fire 8: Obsolete 9: Resurrection 10: Timelessness 11: Cars [*] 12: 0-0 (Where Evil Dwells) [*] 13: Soulwound [*] 14: Messiah [*] 15: Concreto [*]

I Purchased For The Cover "Cars." Superb!
As an aging "new wave" 1980's guy I saw the video of Fear Factory's cover/collaboration of (and with) Gary Numan's 1979 song "Cars" and loved it. I love most forms of music and am particularly fond of Metal. In my opinion one of the best "cover" songs to grace an album (can we still use that term?). This is my second Fear Factory disc having previously only owned "Digimortal" but I have to say that FF continues to generate quality metal. Nicely done. Five stars.

JP.


AHHH.....METAL even a MOTHER wcan love....
I met the drummer awhile back, and was amazed that he was FAR from a pompous jerk like some great musicians can be. Fear Factory is one of my favorite bands - and I am 52! I cannot go more than a few days without listening to one of their awesome CDs - this one is just as awesome as all the previous ones!! What I like more than anything, is that they are truly unique, and no other existing band is as smooth and together as this one. . . very funny, interesting,and polite!!

I especially recommend FF for those who are just breaking in to this genre of music - they will not scare you off like some.


Fear Factory's magnum opus
Most people consider Demanufacture to be better, but I disagree. This is without a doubt FF's finest album. The songs on Obsolete seem to have more varity to them, and aren't as repetitive as the ones on Demanufacture. Not one song drags on too long, which is hard to believe since a majority of the songs are over, or near five minutes long. And who can dislike the concept of man VS. machine? A song by song analysis.

Shock: Opens with a bang, and has the 'hard verse, melodic chorus' formula that's become a FF staple. One of my favorite FF songs. Some of you may have even heard this song before on the video game 'Test Drive Off Road 2"

Edgecrusher: Is one of FF's most known songs. While catchy, it still retains the heaviness of previous classics. The pre-chorus is great.

Smasher/Devourer: A slower song, by FF standards of course. Has harsh vocals in the verse and chorus, a rarity for FF, but the melodic bridge satisfies those of us who love Burton's more lighter voice.

Securitron (Police State 2000) Is a great, pummling song. Great chrous, great bridge, great song.

Descent: Much more mellow than the previous tracks. A FF staple.

Hi-Tech Hate: Cranks the heavy meter up again. Has an incredible chorus, that I always find getting stuck in my head.

Freedom or Fire: Excellent track! Very heavy, and it has the most harsh vocals on the entire album.

Obsolete: Here's what I'm talking about! The intro is a little slow, but Herrera's drum intro builds up the tension that an explosion is about to occur. Incredibly heavy song that every FF fan should listen to.

Resurrection: The album's most melodic, and most epic song. Nothing but a keyboard and Burton until the rest of the band enters. One of the best chorus' I've ever heard. A masterpiece, no doubt.

Timelessness: This song is all Burton, no Guitar, Bass, or Drums whatsoever. He lays out the most beautiful, and impressive vocal performance of his career. Though it sounds beautiful, the song is very depressing.

Cars: Ahh, the incredible cover of the song by Gary Numan, who actually appears in the song. One of the best covers I've ever heard, and it's a great way to end this stellar album.

Buy this album, it's probably the best way to introduce yourself to the greatest underground band ever, Fear Factory.

.


Great techno/thrash CD
Their second album "Demanufacture", which now comes with "Remanufacture", the remix album, is considered a cornerstone work. I have always said that heavy synthesizer could work within the confines of metal, and belatedly I investigated Fear Factory and found I was right. "Obsolete" carries the vibe of "Demanufacture" and adds some surprises, mainly a faithful cover of Gary Numan's "Cars" and a downright pretty song, "Timelessness", which is haunting and touching. Hooray for Fear Factory for breaking the rules.
The rest of the CD is classic FF, with Dez' guitars hammering away with the subtlety of a jackhammer on your forehead and Burton Bell's amazing vocal capabilities, from a gutteral roar to downright melodic. His is probably one of the most powerful voices in rock today.
"Obsolete" could easily be timely and still just as heavy 100 years from now, along with Voivod, another great futuristic metal band.


ff
you cant be a ff fan without owning this album. not the best ff album ever, however certainly not the worst.


You can see a complete list of all Fear Factory discography, or go back to the Fear Factory tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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