Ah, Fear Factory never do things easily do they? The well publicised inter-band angst has become as big a story since 2015’s Genexus as anything regarding new album Aggression Continuum. This time however, lead vocalist Burton C Bell has finally called it quits before this album saw release. But not before his vocals were recorded, this album sitting largely completed since back in 2017.
But finally, after 6 years we get Aggression Continuum. Opening track Recode builds with a spoken intro that could be straight out of a Terminator intro – in classic FF style. Still, the 45 second intro is still a better story than any Terminator film of the past decade+. The classic Dino Cazares machine gun riffing builds with accompanying synth section, the rising film score feel is a fresh take on their classic intro style.
There is a heavy bittersweet taste to Burton‘s vocals on Aggression Continuum. We are pretty sure this is the last time we will ever see his vocals on a Fear Factory album. It happens to coincide with his best vocal performance since 2010’s Mechanize. The aggression and drive in his dirty vocals are pure fire, and up their with the best of his career. The light/dark nature to Burton‘s vocals have always been a standout quality, and his clean vocals here soar high and light up the anthemic choruses.
Lead single Disruptor has a brutal off tempo rhythm, just enough to keep things fresh whilst being that unmistakable persistent industrial sound. That pretty much sums up this album, nothing drastically different, but just enough to show quiet evolution with some refreshing ideas. When FF are the best in the game at what they do, they don’t need to do anything drastic to still pump out a great record.
Manufactured Hope is the standout track on the album, with its ascending guitar line and accentuating symphonic synth patterns. It’s fitting that the album ends with End of Line, foreshadowing what would become of Fear Factory by the time this album was released. If that album opener was one of the best FF have produced, then this matches that as one of their best closers.
So with Aggression Continuum we have the end of an era for Fear Factory. One defined by revolution and innovation. The 1-2 punch of Burton‘s angel/demon vocals and Dino‘s relentlessly tight machine gun riffing has been a staple of the Fear Factory sound for 3 decades. This combo is sadly no more, and we are yet to see which direction this new era will take. In the meantime, let us revel in the final chapter of this era, and thankfully it ends with a stellar album.
Score: 8/10
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