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| Soul of a New Machine | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | May 1992 | |||
| Studio | Grand Master, Ltd. (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 55:14 | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Producer | Colin Richardson | |||
| Fear Factory chronology | ||||
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| Fear Factory studio album chronology | ||||
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Soul of a New Machine is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Fear Factory, released on August 25, 1992, by Roadrunner Records. Although this record was Fear Factory's first studio album to be released, it was actually their second album to be recorded, after Concrete, which was recorded earlier but not released until 11 years later. German magazine Rock Hard described it as death metal with many other elements such as industrial metal.
Soul of a New Machine was remastered and re-released on October 5, 2004, in a digipak, packaged together with the remastered Fear Is the Mindkiller EP.
Guitarist Dino Cazares has stated that Soul of a New Machine is a concept album, concerning man's creation of a machine that could be either technological or governmental. It was also confirmed by bassist Christian Olde Wolbers in an interview.[1] The particular concept would later play a more prominent role in some of Fear Factory's later albums.
Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic described the album as ushering in the alternative metal era of the 1990s.[2] Soul of a New Machine has also been described as death metal with elements of genres like industrial metal and, to some extent, grindcore.[3][4][5][6] Author Colin Larkin of The Encyclopedia of Popular Music wrote "Soul of a New Machine established Fear Factory as a genuine death metal force, with a good collection of songs delivered with originality and ferocity."[7]
The record featured a different conceptual style from Fear Factory's later works. "Martyr" is about someone who dies for a cause; "Leechmaster" is about relationship problems; "Scapegoat" was based on how Cazares was once wrongfully accused by the law; "Crisis" is an anti-war song; "Crash Test" concerns animal testing and "Suffer Age" is based on serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The other songs contain different themes. Samples from the movies Full Metal Jacket, Blade Runner, and Apocalypse Now are heard sporadically throughout the album.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[8] |
| Rock Hard | 8.5/10[9] |
AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier remarked that "Fear Factory were quite ahead of their time in 1992". The critic also noted the diversity of the genres featured in the recording, saying that "Soul of a New Machine was so groundbreaking because it [fused] together some of the best aspects of numerous metal subgenres", which "[resulted] in a unique sound".[2]
Rock Hard rated the album highly, saying that the sound of the album was strange, indescribable yet required listening. Rock Hard also complimented the blending of various sub-genres, with particular note to Burton Bell for managing such an eclectic set of vocals.[9]
All lyrics are written by Burton C. Bell except where noted; all music is composed by Dino Cazares and Raymond Herrera
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Martyr" | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Leechmaster" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Scapegoat" | 4:33 |
| 4. | "Crisis" | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Crash Test" | 3:46 |
| 6. | "Flesh Hold" | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Lifeblind" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Scumgrief" | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Natividad" | 1:04 |
| 10. | "Big God/Raped Souls" | 2:38 |
| 11. | "Arise Above Oppression" | 1:51 |
| 12. | "Self Immolation" | 2:46 |
| 13. | "Suffer Age" | 3:40 |
| 14. | "W.O.E." | 2:33 |
| 15. | "Desecrate" | 2:35 |
| 16. | "Escape Confusion" | 3:58 |
| 17. | "Manipulation" | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 55:14 | |
Nobody else was merging the toxic combination of death and industrial metal except Fear Factory
The Colin Richardson-produced Soul of a New Machine established Fear Factory as a genuine death metal force, with a good collection of songs delivered with originality and ferocity.
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