Blog: PopMatters

Having returned after a five year absence, Fear Factory sounds rejuvenated on their seventh album. Although they played a crucial role in broadening the sound of metal music in the 1990s and were able to hang around long enough to put together a respectable career, Fear Factory has never been able to top their two most important albums, 1992's Soul of a new Machine and 1995's landmark Demanufacture. Still, the Los Angeles band's straightforward but very effective formula managed to retain a strong fan base with audiences still showing interest...