Soul of a New Machine

Infobox Album |
Name = Soul of a New Machine
Type = Album
Artist = Fear Factory


Released = August 25, 1992
Recorded = May 1992 in Hollywood
Genre = Death metal
Industrial metal
Label = Roadrunner
Producer = Colin Richardson
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yc6xlfhe5cqu~T1 link]
*The Metal Observer 8/10 [http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=7480 link]
Last album =
This album = "Soul of a New Machine"
(1992)
Next album = "Fear is the Mindkiller"
(1993)

"Soul of a New Machine" is the debut album (not counting the originally unreleased 1991 album "Concrete") by the Los Angeles death metal/industrial metal band Fear Factory. It was released on August 25, 1992.

Album information

Guitarist Dino Cazares has stated that this album is a concept album, concerning man's creation of a machine that could be either technological or governmental. It was also confirmed by bassist Christian Olde Wolbers in an interviewcite web|title = KindaMuzik - Interview with Christian Olde Wolbers|author=Bart Nijssen|publisher=KindaMuzik|url=http://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/fear-factory/fear-factory|accessdate=2007-04-13|date=2001-09-17] . The machine-human connection would play a more prominent role in the later Fear Factory concept albums.

The sound of this album is different from the later albums for it was heavily influenced by Napalm Death and Godflesh, therefore this one featured more of a death metal and grindcore sound. Many feel this album is ground breaking as this is the first album to mix death growls with clean vocalscite web|title = Epinions - Review of "Soul of a New Machine"|author=Mark Hodges|publisher=Epinions|url=http://www.epinions.com/content_176459255428|accessdate=2007-04-13|date=2005-05-30] cite web|title = Encyclopedia Metallum - Reviews for Fear Factory's "Soul of a New Machine"|publisher=Encyclopedia Metallum|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=781|accessdate=2007-04-13] .

While Fear Factory's main concept is man vs. machine, this album featured different themes. "Martyr" is about how Burton C. Bell was bored with his lifestyle; "Leechmaster" and "Manipulation" are about relationship troubles; "Scapegoat" was based on how Cazares was once wrongfully accused by the law; "Crisis" is an anti-war song; "Crash Test" concerns animal testing and "Suffer Age" is based on serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The other songs contain different themes as well. Samples from the movies Full Metal Jacket, Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now are heard sporadically throughout the album.

The album was remastered and re-released on October 5, 2004 in a digipak, packaged together with the remastered "Fear is the Mindkiller" EP. This album is their only Studio Album without a Title Song.

Reception

*Kerrang! (p.61) - " [The album] contains all the unrefined qualities that would soon make Fear Factory legendary."

Track listing

# "Martyr" – 4:06
# "Leechmaster" – 3:54
# "Scapegoat" – 4:33
# "Crisis" – 3:45
# "Crash Test" – 3:46
# "Flesh Hold" – 2:31
# "Lifeblind" – 3:51
# "Scumgrief" – 4:07
# "Natividad" – 1:04
# "Big God/Raped Souls" – 2:38
# "Arise Above Oppression" – 1:51
# "Self Immolation" – 2:46
# "Suffer Age" – 3:40
# "W.O.E." – 2:33
# "Desecrate" – 2:35
# "Escape Confusion" – 3:58
# "Manipulation" – 3:29

All lyrics written by Burton C. Bell, except for "Arise Above Oppression" which was written by Bell/Dino Cazares and "Suffer Age" and "Escape Confusion" which were written by Cazares. All music by Dino Cazares.

Credits

*Burton C. Bell - Vocals
*Dino Cazares - Guitar, Bass, Arranger, Mixing
*Raymond Herrera - Drums
*Colin Richardson - Producer, Mixing
*Steve Harris - Engineer, Mixing
*Bradley Cook - Assistant Engineer
*Rober Fayer - Assistant Engineer
*Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
*Satok Lrak - Computer Graphics, Art Direction
*Joe Lance - Photography
*Lora Porter - Executive Producer
*Otis - Sampling
*Darius Seponlou - Introduction on "Crash Test"
*Andrew Shives - Live Bass guitar

Trivia

*Then-bassist Andrew Shives only played live with the group; the bass tracks on the album were performed by Dino Cazares. In 1993 Fear Factory released a 7" single under their Spanish name Factorio De Miedo called Sangre De Ninos. This is the only material that was ever recorded in a studio with Andrew Shives on bass. He was forced to leave the band due to some internal disputes and was replaced by Christian Olde Wolbers in 1994.
*The album shares its title with "The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder, which was released in 1981 and won a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1982.
*"Natividad" is considered an instrumental, but technically, it's just the sound of things being crushed and smashed. The track is a dedication to Dino's father.
*Professional wrestler Jerry Lynn used the song "Scapegoat" as his theme music during his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
*"Big God/Raped Souls" was used in .

References