Asif Khan Inc.

Mechanize – Fear Factory

Not many bands have been able to mash together different genres of metal and been successful at it. Fear Factory, with its brand of music picking up in the nineties, proved itself to be contrary to this popular belief. Combining death, groove and industrial metal, they made a pioneering statement during their heyday. Band bickerings, split and legal disputes later, they are back this season with “Mechanize”, which is an album in five years. They can understandably be pardoned for this gap. Not just because of their internal problems, but also because they have crafted a fairly above average slab of metal. With Gene Hoglan as the drummer, founding member Dino Cazares has recruited a formidable weapon into the band. Hoglan pummels the skin with such intensity that it has lent a whole new dimension to the sound of the band. The energy of the skins channels itself through the rest of the sound as well, with guitar riffs seen with ferocious intensity rarely witnessed before. The initial sections (“Mechanize”, “Industrial Discipline”) may start sounding slightly monotonous. Just wait till you get hit by “Powershifter”, which sweeps you right off your feet, and makes you land square on variations of “Oxidizer”. ”Final Exit” with its gradual descent into ignominy from a crescendo serves as a perfect final song too.