Review by Adam on January 3, 2003.

So here it is! This is Fear Factory’s true debut, the record I had been waiting years for. Too bad it comes along with the news that Fear Factory are sadly no longer a band. Yeah it’s sad! Well at least it is for me. Many other metalheads gave up on them after ”Obsolete,” but here is a reason to listen one last time. Roadrunner seems to have done something, dare I say, respectful here. With the obvious milking of Fear Factory’s past, they dug out a brutal treasure that will have many of the bands most recent fans shaking in their boots.

This album is raw! Plain and simple! The production is not that great; in fact, it is Ross Robinson’s legendary first recording. The music is pretty standard and mindless death metal. What made these guys special even in their formative years was their incorporation of melodic vocals amongst the brutal screams, which has since become a staple in heavy metal music. Most of the songs here were rerecorded for their Roadrunner debut, ”Soul of A New Machine”. However, there are a couple riffs that you will recognize as later being used on the ”Demanufacture” record. There are even a few unreleased tracks, which were nice to hear.

Most of this album is brutal death metal with a couple songs bordering on grind. For worshippers of ”Soul of A New Machine” and even ”Demanufacture,” this will be a CD you need to add to your collection. The music is not all that great in my opinion but this disc serves as a great look into a band destined for big things. Now all Roadrunner has to do is to re-release Cynic’s ”Focus” and get a completely new roster and maybe it will be a good label again. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Bottom Line: Humble beginnings from a great band finally available for all to hear. It borders good and bad constantly, but for long time fans it is a must have!

Categorical Rating Breakdown:

Originality: 9
Musicianship: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 6
Overall: 6.5

Rating: 6.3 out of 10