|
There’s a lot to be said for taking an idea and running with it, and Fear Factory has definitely done that in the past with their concept albums about futuristic society and machines vs. man and technology and morality. Their newest album, Digimortal is about…futuristic stuff and man and, you get the idea.
Now don’t get me wrong, I eat this stuff up but I’m just not sure how excited I can get about the same stuff again. That said, when you execute like they do, perhaps you get a little leeway. FF isn’t breaking any new ground on this album, but they do what they do so well. AC/DC has pretty much been doing the same thing for 162 albums (maybe that’s a little exaggeration…) but that’s their thing and they’re good at it. I imagine any of these songs could be mixed with songs from Obsolete or Demanufacture and wouldn’t stand out too much.
Raymond Cavalera continues to awe with the fastest and most accurate double bass work I’ve ever heard, and Dino Cazares’s riffs are equally impressive. Christian Olde Wolbers follows along ably and Burton C. Bell growls through most of the album with great conviction but it’s his melodic side that provides the interest points along the way.
The only difference between this and the last two albums is a better mix that doesn’t leave you guitar-weary by the end of the album. A lot has been said about the length of the songs and maybe a more commercial approach, but that’s not the case. The songs are shorter because they are shorter; the content is just as heavy as any of their previous work. Overall Digimortal is a very solid effort that longtime FF fans will be very happy with. You can’t fault someone for not changing a successful formula.
John Rovnan is a Staff Writer. Contact him at jrovnan@medrad.com.
