Beginning with what appears to be repeated gun shots, morphing into electro-industrial hammering, Fear Factory are back (well, at least vocalist Burton C. Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares). Bell alternates between shouts, clean voice and the occasional mechanize-d throat. Despite nearly a decade since their last release together, the music remains staccato, pounding on the drums of well travelled veteran Gene Hoglan (who needs a drum machine?).

While the approach was novel on the ‘92 "Soul Of A New Machine" debut, delivering a swift kick in the ass to the emerging ho-hum grunge movement, the lack of variation (and countless imitators, many of whom opted for rap instead of industrial edge: ) is what doomed them in the first place. This being the time of reformations, guess Bell and Cazares felt it was time to mend fences and try to make Fear Factory relevant again.

‘Fear Campaign’ kicks off with an Orwellian monotone voiceover, making the ferocious riff that follows all the more terrifying, unfortunately, it’s soon abandoned, as they drop back into staccato rhythms. Throughout their career FF have been able to spawn catch phrases within the lyrics and "Always question authority" (while not new, nor original), within ‘Powershifter’ just might serve a new directionless generation well. Running wayward piano notes through a phase shifter creates an ominous feeling to start ‘Christploitation’, which reoccurs throughout. The 90 second ‘Metallic Division’ is just an instrumental intermezzo. The trippy ‘Designing The Enemy’ might be the first attempt at a “ballad,” while the gargantuan closer, ‘Final Exit’, contains a little bit of everything.

Short doses only, thanks!