Search - Fear Factory :: Digimortal

How is this album bad?

L. Reeves | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've learned to never trust reviews anymore. I've read so many "professional" reviews about this CD saying it was their worst CD, that it completely sucks, etc. This CD is a DEFINATE must-have for any fan of Fear Factory. Newcomers may say it's on OK album, but all newcomers should get Obsolete or Demanufacture, before this. Here is a run-down:



1. "What Will Become?" - This song is an awesome opener song for this CD. It starts with a nice guitar riff, then the drums start pounding in with the vocals close behind, it may not be an outrageously outstanding song, but it's very well put together if you ask me. 4/5



2. "Damaged" - This song, being the most plain of the songs on the CD, is quite an OK song. The guitar and bass riffs seem to be just slapped together though, yet the drumming is as phenomenal as ever. 3.5/5



3. "Digimortal" - Digimortal is a great song, though dips sometimes throughout the song. The chorus for this song is a personal favorite. 4/5



4. "No One" - The fourth song on the Digimortal album is one of the best, the samples and riffs in this song really seem to compliment each other and Burton's vocals all at the same time. 4.5/5



5. "Linchpin" A.K.A. "Lynchpin" - The lyrics to Lynchpin are very inspiring, yet Burton's vocals on this particular song make him sound hoarse. 3.5/5



6. "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)" - Invisible Wounds is possible one of the greatest "slow" Fear Factory songs ever. This song can be found stuck in your head at the strangest of times. The riffs are pretty soft, yet near the middle of the song Burt gets into it and does his usual dry yell. One must be crazy to belittle this song. 5/5



7. "Acres of Skin" - This song takes some getting used to if you ask me. Once you listen to it a few times it really sticks to you. This is my favorite song on the album. The chorus gets stuck in my head all the time. Very heavy, too. Burton does a strange thing with his voice in this song. When he gets to the chorus, and on the last line, he drops his voice on the last word. It striked me as weird, at first, but I gre to love it. 5/5



8. "Back The F**k Up" - Back The F**k Up is the most controversial song on the album among Fear Factory fans. The thing being -- it's a RAP song. This song is actually fairly heavy though. But the weird thing about this song is, you either sorta like it, or you don't at all. You listen to it only a few times, or at least that's the norm. It's a very very strange song to have on an Industrial Metal album, however I personally like it. 3.5/5



9. "Byte Block" - This song, being of exceptionally heavy riffs, slamming vocals, and great drumming makes for an awesome song. When I first heard this song, I really liked it. I mean REALLY liked it. I listened to it on repeat for almost an hour and a half. Even though, it's not the best Fear Factory song ever, nor even the best of the album. But it is very debatable in that matter, though in my opinion no one ever gave this song - or even this album - any time, due to Back The F**k Up. 4.5/5



10. "Hurt Conveyor" - I love the samplings on this song. Though this song is quite the plain, it is special in it's own way. 3/5



11. "(Memory Imprints) Never End" - This "slow" song is a great song. It tops even "A Therapy For Pain" in my opinion. Though it comes nowhere near "Timelessness" this song really hits. 4.5/5



12. "Dead Man Walking" - This song is the best "added" song to any album in my opinion. This one has one of the best choruses, lyrically, of the Fear Factory songs. 4.5/5



13. "Strain vs. Resistance" - I REALLY love the beginning to this song. Other than that it's not really worth noting in the Fear Factory arsenal. 3.5/5



14. "Repetance" - Another song not necessarily worth noting, it seems liek it was just slapped together. Great "light" vocals in this song, though. 3.5/5



15. "Full Metal Contact" - Being one of the extremely few instrumental Fear Factory songs, this one rocks. Just listen to it. I really wish they would have made this song 5 or 6 minutes though. Makes great background music to a hardcore game. 4.5/5



So, from my opinion. This album is one of the best, don't believe those "professional" reviwers and listen to a long time and forever FAN of FEAR FACTORY."

Not Demanufacture, but certainly powerful...

Brynn Huxtable | Durban, S.A | 07/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When Fear Factory released "Digimortal" in 2001 many fans went running for the hills claiming that Fear Factory had "gone Nu-Metal" and abandoned their sound. This is not entirely untrue as Fear Factory definitely have a more commercialised, produced sound on this particular album, but Fear Factory have never released such a tight, structured album ever before. However that was possibly a part of the appeal of earlier offerings, but nevertheless, "Digimortal" is still a valid and entertaining Metal offering and marks the end of a journey of a band member Dino Cazares. It is just another chapter in the evolution of the band known as Fear Factory...



All that said, their are a few songs that sound like classic Fear Factory. "Acres of Skin," "Byte Block," and "Hurt Conveyor," could just as easily have been on "Demanufacture." However songs like "Linchpin," "Damaged," and "Dead Man Walking," have heavy Nu-Metal sounds, but are all solid, tight, excellent songs. Bell's vocals come through very clearly in this album, but that may be due to the guitar sound being "dumbed down" a little bit. The instruments are definitely not quite as jarring and pounding as previous releases, but it definitely allows you to hear Bell alot more clearly and fully appreciate his vocal range and talent.



The reason I only gave this album 4 stars is because it doesn't come close to "Demanufacture," and isn't really like classic Fear Factory, but it has a sound that grabs and holds you right to the very end. Sometimes a band needs to change its sound in order to grow as a hold, and luckily for Fear Factory, "Digimortal," is still a fantastic offering in its own right.



If you like your Metal a little more produced and not too heavy, then Fear Factory's "Digimortal" is a great purchase. However, if you like your metal hard, underproduced and heavy, may I suggest earlier albums like "Soul Of A New Machine," and "Demanufacture." If you're a Fear Factory fan then you'll buy this album because it's just as valid and valuable as all other Fear Factory albums. So go on, get "Digimortal," it'll only hurt your pocket and your ears if you don't like it! :)"

Enough Digimortal bashing

J. Bovee | Lehigh Acres, Florida | 01/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm reading that many are disappointed in Digimortal. Perhaps you should let it grow on you. I remember the first time I heard "Obsolete", I wasn't sure I liked it. After listening to it more, I ended up liking it more than the previous two albums. The funny thing is, I didn't have to "get used" to Digimortal; I was instantly hooked. The song "Digimortal" blew me away. I listened to that song at least five times in a row because I couldn't get enough of it. The melody of the chorus with the combination of the song's heaviness made me listen to this song multiple times per day for weeks. When I finished listening to that song, I would hit back track and listen to it again. I have NEVER reacted that way to any other song that I had just heard. I'll never forget the day. Other songs are excellent as well. "Linchpin" is just as good a song. The others should be enjoyed just because of how friggin' heavy they are. The only part of this album I don't like is the heavy mid-section of "Dark Bodies"."