Fear Factory: Soul of a New Machine

Band: Fear Factory
Album: Soul of A New Machine
Tracklist:

1. Martyr (!)
2. Leechmaster
3. Scapegoat (!)
4. Crisis
5. Crash Test
6. Flesh Hold
7. Lifeblind
8. Scumgrief (!)
9. Natividad
10. Big God/Raped Souls
11. Arise Above Opression
12. Self Immolation (!)
13. Suffer Age
14. Woe
15. Desecrate
16. Escape Confusion
17. Manipulation

(The ! marks the best songs on the album, some might have more than one)

Like a well oiled war machine

Soul of a New Machine was one of the first records that can be classified to belong in to the 90's alternative metal era, although I doubt anyone realizes this. Fear Factory were ahead of their time when they released this debut album of theirs (although technically concrete was their first album). The album didn't fit in into any of the current metal camps of the day, which I suppose makes it alternative. Although the album does, in my opinion, still work as an introduction in to the alternative metal, it is rather close to Death Metal with heavy industrial flavors, much more than any other of Fear Factory releases.

It is interesting that such a "major" label as Roadrunner even gave them a chance in the first place. The label is not known for it's risk-taking, after all. Fear Factory combines on this first album the rythm of Trash melodies, and the man-machine mechanical stutter of industrial and the growling of Death-Metal interspersed with clear vocals.

This is obviously such a complex mess that no one had ever thought of it before Fear Factory, the sound was fresh and new at the time - far from the well established clichés of the time, although it became a Cliché in the years to come.

Soul of a New Machine is not even near the Fear Factory's best album, but it perhaps is one of their most merciless. Its publication did not cause great waves in the metal scene around the world, that task was left to their next effort, Demanufacture.

There is plenty of crushing and gut-twisting metal in this album as well, so even if you don't give a flying fuck about the history of "Alternative Metal" (whatever that is) you will find some suitably disturbing riffs from this albums and absolutely killing growl of Burton C Bell, now and then contrasting his growl with his light clear voice in the most disturbing ways.

A decent album, but not the best from this seminal band.