Fear Factory - Obsolete

RETIREDTrapped

New Metal Member
Sep 12, 2001
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How the hell can you top a brilliant album such as Demanufacture? Simple. You can't. But what you CAN do is create something just a brilliant, and yet ever so different. I often hear and read of people slagging on this album, saying that it is nu-metal and boring, and nothing compared to Demanufacture. But they are only right about one thing, you can't possibly compare Obsolete to Demanufacture, they are two totally different recordings, each a masterpeice in their own right.

Burton C. Bell is possibly the most impressive vocalist i have ever heard, such an amazing voice, and so much power. The song that tips this album over the edge of greatness is Freedom or Fire, a wierd-ass industrial death metal peice that just leaves me with my jaw hanging open. Freedom or Fire is one of the darkest songs that FF have released, helped by the sinister bass line and Burton's outstanding roaring. There is a whole album of tracks like and unlike this, from the pure moshpit groove of Shock, to the downright depressing Timelessness, this album has a bit of everything.

The production is superb, and unlike it's predecessor Demanufacture, the kick doesn't sound like a light-switch being flicked on and off ( :lol: ), and what's more; Raymond's cymbal work is much higher in the mix, and you can especially hear his amazing ride work.

If you want an introduction to what Fear Factory are all about, then this the album for you, if you want your head ripped off and shoved down your throat, then pick up Demanufacture instead.

Fear factory get 8/10 for this one, the only things that bother me are the digipack, and the song Edge Crusher... Otherwise an almost flawless release.

-Trapped
 
Are you kidding?!?! Edgecrusher is one of the highlights I think simply because it's so different. I actually think there are no highlights on the album, because it's all such high quality. I personally think this is a much better record than Demanufacture, although I enjoy both, Obsolete is more diverse and creative, is more to the point (not as long-winded as Demanufacture's music) and the narrative it has (including the artwork) is very compelling and thought-provoking irregardless of the relatively minimalistic lyrics. If there was a weaker track on this album I think it would be Smasher/Devourer....I think it's a killer song; crushing riff and feel, but it drags-on just that little bit too long...otherwise, still a great peice. The sweeping dramaticism and depressive soliloquy of Securitron and Descent respectively is an awesome moment in the album....then the fast and harsh Hi Tech Hate and Freedom Or Fire.....the plain disjointed (and therefore industriously disturbing) title track leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and the whole thing is rounded-off with the truly epic duo of Resurrection and Timelessness. It is a pity about the digipack; it's almost the reverse of Digimortal....with Digimortal you need the digipack because the normal album by itself sucks too much, but with Obsolete there really isn't anything interesting as far as songs go....the fancy packaging is nice though.

Obsolete is one of my all time favourite albums.....good review!!! I get annoyed by the people who slag it off too!
 
The only FF album I have is Digimortal...that put me off getting any others.
 
Are you kidding?!?! Edgecrusher is one of the highlights I think simply because it's so different

It was the scratching and noises that did it for me, i can't even listen to the track without cringing... especially when i know what happened to the band AFTER obsolete. :)

The only FF album I have is Digimortal...that put me off getting any others.

That is a shame. I would highly reccomend you to pick up Demanufacture or Obsolete before you totally write the band off, i personally can't stand digimortal, it is a hideous abomination of non-goodness :)
 
Cool stuff... Demanufacture is a classic, and Obsolete is just as cool. I think you'll be impressed by burton's vocals much more with Obs and Demanufature. :)

If you want to d/l some stuff before buying (to save moolah...), have a look for "Replica", "Self Bias Resistor", "Freedom or Fire" and "Hi Tech Hate", and you should be pleasently surprised, considering you've only heard digicrap :lol:
 
Great to see some people in the board posting about FF, this is one of my all time favorite band, I was introduced back in 95 when they released Demanufacture, I saw the "Replica" video and i fall in love with this band. Demanufacure is a classic album, and Obsolete is great. Sorry that they broke up, but I read that the would come again, uff lets wait and see an album without Dino, an dthe guitar player would be Christian....um I can wait to hear that!!!
 
FF used to be my favorite band. The power of Demanufacture and beauty of Obsolete were the best combination of albums I had heard in a long, long time when I started getting into them. Demanufacture is just a fucking awesome album through and through, and Obsolete, while not as good, is still amazing in its own right.
 
I think OBSOLETE is a absolute masterpiece. Definatley the best FF release I think. I guess I liked DIGIMORTAL, but not as much as OBSOLETE. If anyone is thinking of getting this album.....DO IT!

I give it a 8 1/2 to 9 out of 10.
 
i gotta say that i like everything the band has offered up, other then Digimortal which i was looking forward to hearing untill i heard it... which i thought was a total pile of crap with only 1 song that was even worth listing to, and even that one song (track 9) was rather simple bye FF' standards... id rate digimortal .5/10

obsolete on the other hand has some of the most intresting industrial ever offered up bye any band... (i think this is my favorite ff album , but its hard to choose cus there each pritty different, soul is very VERY different )

anyway i give the album 9.5/10 for severeal reasons
only reason i dont give it a perfect score is becuse im such a technical metal buff that this just doesnt quite have the guitar chocps to cut it in my book, however they do use some of the most addictive and (coppied/ most stolen) riffs
(i cant tell you how many bands have based there nu metal pestilence around the edgecrusher song) not to take away the fact that i think this song is an awesome offering , as with everey other track, only other problem i can see with this is its a tad repedative on some choruses... but it doesnt really matter cus the vocals are so strong who cares what the lyrics are its just so awesome to hear...

the strong point and something this album has that no other album has (not even demanufacture, well not as sucessfully) is it mannages to use lighter songs that still kick ass, it makes the whole listing a epic sort of peice, what with a difinitive beginning, middle, end (even the plot line helps to guide you through the mind of the artists) - no other band i know of has done this... (movie script made before the matrix that reminds me alot of the matrix btw...)

so not to technical, but pritty damn original, artistic ,and addictive, and memerable... i think that evens out to an almost perfect score

-9.5/10

(feel free to review my review) :)
:D
:) :) :)
 
I used to love FF, up to Digimortal I have every album, every digipack, every single (even the Kerrang exclusive with Your mistake). From Soul of a new Machien to Demanufacture they nursed me through my fledgling metalhead years. Obsolete was a drop, but I knew from the start that topping Demanufacture was a pipe dream so I wasn't really disappointed. Digimortal however...it was a slap in the face...I was relieved when I heard the news of them breaking up. I can now remember them for all their great moments with a minimum of bad material.

Demanufacture is up there with Master of Reality, British Steel, Appetite for Destruction and Number of The Beast, I salute one of the most intense bands ever.
 
demanufacture is their best and that is without any contest. even then their concrete "album" is more heavy , yet can be considered death metal (which all their other relases cant be , exept for a couple of songs on soul of a new machine) obsolete is good but lack the stenght and the great industrial elements DF has. still a song like smasher/devourer makes the album worthy.
 
Edgecrusher is gay and they should have never put it on the disk.