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Transgression

Fear Factory - Transgression Audio CD

A fair review of the Fear Factory "Transgression" 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.

Band: Fear Factory
Title: Transgression
Rating:

Release Date: 2005-09-26
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: 540,000� Fahrenheit 2: Transgression 3: Spinal Compression 4: Contagion 5: Empty Vision 6: Echo of My Scream 7: Supernova 8: New Promise 9: I Will Follow 10: Millennium 11: Moment of Impact 12: 540,000� Fahrenheit [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 13: Transgression [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 14: Spinal Compression [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 15: Contagion [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 16: Empty Vision [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 17: Echo of My Scream [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 18: Supernova [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 19: New Promise [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 20: I Will Follow [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 21: Millennium [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 22: Moment of Impact [48,000 Khz][Multimedia Track] 23: Bonus Material [DVD][*]

Cheap.. not as in price
Wrong. I pre-ordered this before it came out, really looking for a "Archetype" part 2 or even something heavier, faster. From the beginning to the end: not one memorable part. I have had the record 3 years now, and my opinion is still the same as it was when I recieved it. I honestly can't remember the music from the length of one song, only snippets. Overall, its cheap: musically, visually (which I can look past an o. k. album design) and even in the recording quality(sounds demo-ish). To me, its the "St. Anger" of Fear Factory's catalog. I also got the vibe that most of it, was written with album sales in mind. One of the tracks, which I can't even remember the name of, had a generic breakdown I would expect from a band of 15 year old Hot Topic loving kids.

Harshful review, but its not the same band. . and if your lazy, I'll slam you for it. Divine Heresy, one of Dino Cazares many bands, makes the last several Fear Factory records look weak. Check it out.

i was bored, so theres my review.

3.7 - Transgression
But i have been a major FF fan for years and years and it doesnt match up to previous efforts. This cd is OK. I absolutely loved Archetype. That cd was their best next to the might Demanufacture. They showed that Dino may have been the weak link. So i was expecting a lot from this cd.
Dont get me wrong, the first 4 songs are absolutely phenomenal. Then it gets a little sour. The track 'Echo of my Scream' couldnt be any more boring and out of place. The cover tracks are unneccesary, the u2 cover is uninsipred even though the Killing Joke cover of 'Millennium' is great.
Other tracks such as Empty Vision, Promise and Moment of impact are standard FF fare, but not special. Good tracks though.
So overall its a good cd. But i wanted much more, so hopefully they will bounce back a bit on the next release. Especially in terms of the drum sound which is a MAJOR aspect of FF's sound. The drums here are muddy. But this cd does have its moments, just not nearly as many as 'Archetype' or 'Demanufacture'.

They took the "Factory" out of Fear Factory.
No, it's really the industrial elements I'm missing most in Trangression. Or is that the "Fear". These are my impressions after listening to the album for 2 weeks regularly:

The first few songs sent me diving for the internet to see if they had replaced their drummer. Where is the double-kick?
The next few listens made me think they've replaced their guitarist - no rhythmic downstroke chugs in perfect time with the kick? Well that could just be because their IS no kick. . .

Then the second half of the album basically descends into what you might mistake for a compilation of all the "soft" songs off FF's previous albums. Ballads, etc.

And then comes "I will follow". Hang on, is this a Killers album? One thing that always p'd me off about FF is the way they modify their style each album to sound slightly like whatever's popular. They Kornified themselves in Obsolete; they nu-metalled themselves after that. . . This is NOT maturing - this is biting a style for reasons of pure commercialism.

So all in all. . . it's Fear Factory - they can't really do TOO much wrong. Even when they're bad they're pretty good. It's hard to live up to a genre birthing album like Demanufacture and, sorry people, that's IS what people are looking for when they get the urge to hear some Fear Factory.

On that note I'd like to say to all those people reviewing this album (or any album on Amazon). It annoys me that reviewers will violently slag off other reviewers for not "appreciating the maturing of the band", and to "get over it, they've changed". You're entitled to your opinion on the album, but equally valid is the opinion of the once-fan has been severely disappointed with the album. In fact maybe more valid because a large amount of people who come looking for a review on Amazon will be fans of a bands "original" style and expect more of the same. If Fear Factory put out an album vastly different from the sound that made them the pioneers of their genre then they've gotta expect a lot of disappointed fans. Yes, I came here looking for some more Cybermetal offerings in the vain of Demanufacture (coz EVERYONE I'm sure can agree - it is FF's definitive album). If I'd wanted a "matured" (read "lazily composed/throwaway") album like Trangression I'd have searched Amazon for any one of the thousands of nu-metal clones out there.

Obviously there is a little hypocrisy in my own review. If I hadn't felt the need to defend my "old school" views on FF then maybe I woulda spent more time giving an in-depth analysis of the album. Props to those reviewers who did just that; objectively sizing up the album's good and bad points and rating it in consideration with what the majority of fans expect form this band.
.

Not bad, but not great
With songs like Echo Of My Scream, and Supernova, and covers like u2's I Will Follow and Millinium I thought they lost their touch. Transgression starts out like a true metal album, but after the first five songs, I am sadly dissapointed. Nevertheless it has about 6 true FF metal songs that I am happy with. But after an album like Archetype I was hoping for more.
But songs like Spinal Compression and Trangression wont leave you feeling completely deserted.
.

don't be fooled
Fine. It seems that there is only one prevailing opinion about Fear Factory's "Transgression": since it's not a carbon copy of "Demanufacture" and "Obsolete," it's complete garbage. It's not those two albums; we get it. But quit wasting time by telling everyone how spectacular those CDs were and how Fear Factory are now a bunch of douche bags because they've evolved and matured. That's right, matured; I've said the forbidden word. So go ahead and click "No," because if you're too close-minded to recognize progression when it is staring right at you, your opinion isn't really worth a thing to me. Anyway, now that I've successfully blown off some steam, let's get down to the actual review. "Transgression" is on many levels a similar album to its predecessor "Archetype. " Both consist predominantly of heavy songs with melodic and industrial overtones added in for good measure, and both have a select few progressive, lighter, even spacey songs thrown into the mix. The major difference is how much tighter the band sounds on this release. From the blistering opening of "540, 000 Degrees Fahrenheit" to the literally shattering conclusion of "Moment of Impact," it is obvious that these boys mean business. The musicianship that fills the gap between is for the most part high quality, although not without its flaws. But first the good stuff. This, while without a doubt being a very accessible record, can also be a sick, brutal, and downright METAL one as well. The songs "Spinal Compression," "Moment of Impact," and the machine-gun riff filled title track come to mind at once. The last of these three is one of my favorite songs on the album, especially the verse and chorus riffs, the former being a pummeling auditory assault and the latter a simple, melodic, and very effective backup. "540, 000 Degrees Fahrenheit" features very fast and rhythmic riffing, combined with Bell's vocals which are almost entirely clean on this song. Oddly, it all flows very well. "New Promise" and "Empty Vision" are both pretty good exercises in contrast of melody and heaviness, with the intro of the former being very soft and progressive and the chorus of the latter extremely haunting. "New Promise," is probably a stronger overall track, though. "Contagion" is another highlight, opening with a riff that is played wither on bass or an extremely down tuned guitar. Despite being an extremely heavy song, "Contagion" features a beautiful chorus complete with a string section. Speaking of strings, they are also featured on "Echo of My Scream," by far the most lengthy and progressive song that the band has ever done. Most people hate this song for the simple reason that it is not the Fear Factory from the Mid-Nineties, but I think it is very powerful in its plodding, melancholy way. But not every song on this album is great; "Supernova," while billed as progressive by some, is the band's blatant attempt at mainstream rock and while the melody is catchy, it simply just doesn't do it for me. The same can be said for the two, count `em, two covers found on this CD. "I Will Follow" is extremely faithful to the original U2 song, to a point where it seems redundant. The Killing Joke song is slightly better, and more in the vein of Fear Factory covers from past albums, but it too is lacking in the punch that the majority of the original material on the album has. Overall, though, "Transgression" is a very solid effort, and one of Fear Factory's better albums. Sure it's no "Demanufacture" or "Obsolete," but then again, it couldn't be. It is what it is, and that is a brutal yet beautiful metal outing from one of the genre's most unexpected comeback items. As an aside, the dualdisc bonus track "Empire" is worth tracking down even if you bought the normal CD. It is a very well-written song and is very reminiscent of old-school, balls to the wall Fear Factory.

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.