Fear Factory

Since Black Sabbath established the major themes of heavy metal back in the pre-dawn hours of the ‘70s—Satan (both revered and reviled), drug addiction (ditto), isolation, psychic fragmentation, horrific visions of a future in which humankind is reduced to mere meat (good thing that never happened, right?), and a blind, adolescent groping for “Truth,” there really hasn’t been much in the way of innovation in the genre, other than technologically. If anything, even more than mainstream or indie rock, metal has remained obdurately pubescent. And that’s part of its charm … in small doses, anyway. To the point, I kinda like these guys’ CD. “Linchpin” is practically sung, and when vocalist Burton C. Bell isn’t emitting a Rob Zombiesque howl, he sings quite well; "Invisible Wounds" actually boasts some subtle lyrics: "Cut from the heart I am part of/ Sometimes I feel as though I’m frozen in Heaven." What’s suggested is a womb-like state of existence. And perhaps it’s paradise lost that necessitates the primal scream so prevalent in the genre now. If you like metal, you might love this.