Fear Factory are the AC/DC of the industrial death metal scene. That is, you know exactly what you’re going to get with every new album release, which is both a good and a bad thing. Genexus is Fear Factory’s ninth LP, and whether or not you like it will depend on whether you’re a fan of the band’s previous releases.
I personally count myself as a pretty big fan, dating all the way back to 1995 when I heard the band’s sophomore release, Demanufacture, blasting like a hurricane out of the speakers and destroying all in its path.
Their sound mightn’t be as cutting edge now as it was two decades ago, but their blistering cyber-metal is still pretty bloody exhilarating. Genexus contains everything you’d expect from a Fear Factory album: guitarist Dino Cazares’ machinegun riffing punctuated by thunderous double-kick drumming, creating an industrial, production line vibe. And of course, Burton C. Bell’s alternately throat ripping and soaring vocals.
Genexus is a Fear Factory album; if you know the band, that’s all you need to know. If you don’t know them, check this album out, it’s a good place to start.
BY ROD WHITFIELD
