Burton C Bell and his cohorts have been melding juggernaut metal riffs to techno tricks for nigh on a decade now and nothing much has changed on this, their fourth album proper.
The crushing opening 'What Will Become' serves notice that the band are determined to remain in the metal vanguard, with grinding riffs, pounding double bass drums and Bell's larynx-shredding vocals.
The title track proves he can sing as well as scream, rather similarly to the great Mike Patton in his Faith No More heyday. Several tracks continue the band's experiments with new technology, with keyboards flying in and out of the blitzkrieg guitars and drums.
'Back The F**k Up' is the most radical departure, featuring as it does a guest appearance from Cypress Hill's B-Real, whose vocal sparring with Bell makes the track stand out from much of its surroundings.
The lyrical themes are, as ever, to do with man's fight for survival in an increasingly alien world and striving for personal harmony among chaos.
While it's guaranteed to please long-term converts, Fear Factory are in danger of finding themselves constrained by their lack of breadth. More experimentation is needed in order for them to recapture their place as pioneers in a rapidly-expanding genre.
