"Genexus" shows up the band and all of its strength in an impressive way, and in a production filter that just pounds you like a jack hammer. Mixing the ultra heavy groove of Strapping Young Lad with dark industrialism, Fear Factory comes out way more focused and passionate than when I heard them 3 years ago. It is almost like I am hearing a completely different band. And the quality the members put out is just stunning. Burton C. Bell's perfect blend between clean and harsh vocals, Mike Heller's powerful drum beats, and most importantly, the bone crushing, face melting riffs of Dino Cazares all help out to make this album a stronger mechanical force than Terminator.
Even with the amazing delivery, it is the songs that define "Genexus", making it the force it has become. Almost all of the songs balance perfectly between being both heavy and almost commercially attractive, mostly thanks to the melodic and catchy choruses. But the thing that impress me the most is the extremely high consistency. No song suck, all of them is worthy of a good, long notice, and in addition to that, we have a couple of tunes that makes the peak of the album as high as it almost possibly can go. "Genexus" is just pure quality from start to finish.
All of the songs are clearly related to each other, but they still got their own personalities that makes them stand out. From the über epic "Protomech" to the super groovy "Regenerate", "Genexus" is flexing all of its different muscles, showing all details in perfect lighting. And even the weirder parts of the albums sounds like they fit perfectly (a perfect example of that, the chorus to "Anodized", which somehow reminds me more of Morrisey than anything metal related). Everything just feels so well thought of, nothing placed haphazardly.
I also have to give the band credit for their lyrics. Because even if almost all of the songs speak about humans turning into machines or something similar to that, they still manage to not make it too stale or boring. Choosing their words wisely, emphasizing the darkest and heaviest part with harsh vocals. It is also this song writing that even makes a sleeping pill like "Expiration Date" a interesting listen. Just watch for yourself in this small outtake from said song.
You're blind to what's in front of you
What do you know about the truth
Devalued as soon as we're cast
We were never made to last
Just bodies made and fabricated
We're fighting towards our life extension
We're living for expiration
Simply amazing.
This really makes me wonder, was "The Industrialist" not a true showing of Fear Factory? My first full experience of the band almost hindered me from giving "Genexus" a chance, but fortunately, I had the sense to give the band a second chance, and it paid off big time. "Genexus" is a industrial metal fan's wet dream, a heavy, groovy, and mechanized mayhem that runs like clockwork, never wasting a second of ones life. I never thought a single album would completely turn my view of a band, but this one did. It had made me curious over what the band has done in the past and I want to know if they have made anything else that has the same amount of quality to it. So thank you "Genexus" for reinstating my respect for Fear Factory, and for making 2015 a lot more interesting.
Songs worthy of recognition: Regenerate, Autonomous Combat System, Anodized, Dielectric, Protomech
Rating: 9,5/10 Soul Hackers
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