It’s Getting Hot In Here

Off and running with a pulverizing beat from Raymond Herrera, hulking guitars from Christian Olde-Wolbers and soaring vocals from Burton C. Bell, “540,000º Fahrenheit” begins Fear Factory’s newest offering Transgression. In this, their second outing without original guitarist Dino Cazares (Olde-Wolbers has switched over to guitar), Fear Factory deliver a near perfectly balanced album. After the opener “Transgression,” “Spinal Compression” and “Contagion” continue the pummeling one-two punch of fast guitar crunch and the snarling vocals from Bell Fear Factory is famous for. “Contagion” specifically takes advantage of discordant bass playing from member Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad, Unit 187) and Bell’s trademark angelic-gospel voice singing “All Must Endure / We will not live forever.”The album shortly thereafter shifts gears with a beautiful slow number almost bereft of distortion (“Echoes of My Scream”) highlighting a patience and optimism unlike that which FF usually employs. Bell makes the best use of his singing voice here belting “More than a dream to me / An echo of my scream” with passion and soul. Immediately thereafter the momentum increases with another atypical song, “Supernova,” so joyous in the use of multi-tracked vocals, lightly distorted guitars and march-like never-ending drum rolls from Herrera it’s almost danceable.

The band then throw a curve ball, covering not only U2’s “I Will Follow” but also Killing Joke’s classic “Millenium.” Both covers are faithful, spirited and add a welcome diversity and warmth to the thrash of the first half of the album. Here Fear Factory minimize their weaknesses and maximize all that’s made them enticing. Not to mention an album supremely paced and as exciting as it is gripping and fun. Good job guys.