Heavy Metal Power House! Fear Factory's "Obsolete"

When I think of Fear Factory I think of the utmost in excellence. Its hard not to. To date FF have arguably only released one sub par record. One... out of 8. I'm not sure any other band can say that they are batting with such a great percentage. So what sets FF apart from other bands? Well I'm going to dive into that a bit in this first edition of HEAVY METAL POWER HOUSE!!!! Cheesy I know.

Released in 1998, "Obsolete" is one of the strongest albums I've ever heard. Its relentless, heavy, chaotic, melodic, and beautiful all at the same time. Songs like "Shock" and "Edgecrusher" start the record out swinging. They are also some of the catchiest metal songs ever written. These songs immediately introduce you to the double bass drumming and matching guitar that FF have coined as their sound. What does that mean?? Well Thing about a guitar riff like this "Dun Dun Dun Dun" well the bass drum plays that exact same sequence which makes for some interesting moments on the record and an undeniably heavy sound. All of the sudden you run into a track like "Decent" or "Resurrection" that have very melodic parts, "Resurrection" having a beautiful ambient sound. These songs show the depth of FF song writing. Its not all about the heavy and they do the non heavy justice. Another key element in FF sound are the samples. They give FF a futuristic sound. These samples would be used more in the follow up to "Obsolete", "Digimortal". All of these elements bring the sound together and make for an unforgettable listening experience. One of my favorite parts of the album is the bass line in the song "Edgecrusher" which is done entirely with a Stand Up Bass. It gives the song a unique sound and more depth. So what is the album about? Well its about Machines taking over humanity. They believe that we are too reliant on machines and the record is telling a story about that. The album was released later on as a special edition digipack which featured new tracks and a cover of the Gary Numan song "Cars" as well as some other tracks. The record remains their most popular to date.

"Obsolete" is one of the greats in the ever expanding world of metal. Its cemented Fear Factory's sound that they still use today, plus it inspired many other groups who borrow elements from FF's iconic album. Bands like Threat Signal and Divine Heresy are almost homages to the band and the "Obsolete" album. If your a fan of metal than this sound be near the top of your all time list.


FEAR FACTORY - Resurrection
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