The latest effort from the innovators of cyber metal is both very experimental and heavy. Known for using industrial sounds to distinguish its extreme playing, on Transgression Fear Factory has scaled back the technological beats and focused more on the sounds of each member. Musically and thematically, all 11 tracks on Transgression are heavy in their own unique way.
A meaty stomper, the title track is the angriest cut the reformed band has recorded over its last two releases. "I hate your corruption, I hate your life destruction / I am your enemy," growls vocalist Burton C. Bell during the chorus of the song, which deals with stepping over boundaries.
Speaking of meaty stompers, "Contagion" features one ferocious, neck-breaking riff midway through the song while Bell asks, "Who wants to live forever?" Christian Olde Wolbers has shown great songwriting maturity since stepping up from his bass duties and taking over on guitar.
Fear Factory has also proven it is far more capable than just playing machine-like metal on Transgression. An operatic ballad with a classical string arrangement, "Echoes of My Scream" is the most diverse yet beautiful track on the album. "Supernova" is a dark mid-tempo song that proves why Bell has the most distinct voice in metal. Both tracks also feature former Faith No More bassist Billy Gould, whose work adds a building element to the music.
Once thought extinct from the music scene, Fear Factory has once again proven why its talents are untouchable and incomparable.
