|
Wow, was I
ever concerned when I heard that guitarist Dino Cazares
parted ways with the Fear Factory. Granted, Fear Factory
isnt technically mind-blowing*,
but his sound was spectacular. It was a concrete wall of 7 stringed
goodness
that few could match even if they did have the same equipment. To me,
at least,
Fear Factory was about his sound.
To say the
least, I was bummed. I thought for sure Fear
Factory was no more. When I was informed that the remaining band
members hooked
up with Christian Olde Wolbers, I
was surprised.
So,
do they pull it off? Yes and no.
Christians
sound isnt as demonic
feeling. He *IS* good, dont get me wrong, but its
not a signature sound. Nor
does his style really set him apart from Dino. He fits in well with the
band
but there is nothing that says Ok, this Christian guy has
helped to take Fear
Factory to a new level, a new direction. Perhaps
Im giving Christian a hard
time, but I certainly wont be the last.
Transgression
takes many cues from Archetype. Perhaps
they are getting more mellow as they age, but virtually each album gets
just a
little slower and a little more melodic. Thats not a bad
thing, at least I dont
think so; but I too am getting older. I do enjoy Burtons clean
vocals, which are much more present in this album, and I also enjoy the
mix of
80s keyboard and FF-style metal, which is also much more
present in this
album.
Some
have panned this CD because of what
I mentioned above. Some would rather a return to Demanufacture
speed. Personally, I could give a toss about that. Give
me SOME melody for chrissakes. Still, there is some speed on the album.
Transgression, Spinal Compression &
Moment Of Impact have what most of those who dream of the
older days would
want. Howver, there are some tracks on there that I just
cant get my head
around as Fear Factory tracks, namely Echoes
Of My Scream.
This
album, while not quite as good as Obsolete,
is a welcome addition for
those who were disappointed with Archetype.
7/10
*
Ok, hes good. I cant play the shit
he plays, but I also dont own a 7 string and Ive
only been playing guitar for
a month or two.
Fear Factory website.
|
