FEAR FACTORY - Archetype
March 4, 2004, 20 years ago
(Liquid 8)
To call Archetype one of the most anticipated records of '04 is no exaggeration, and neither is immediately proclaiming the enormity of the album in question. Archetype is exactly what the band has been promising since Dino Cazares' departure and what fans have been harassing Burton, Christian and Ray about since 1998 or so: a return to the destructive foresight of Demanufacture. And therein lies the one minor complaint that will be vested at this juncture. In an attempt to live up to its own legacy, the FF institution has copped Demanufacture almost too closely, the machine-gun kick drum/detached riff combination making an appearance on all tracks, instead of simply being a powerful part of the arsenal. Further, Burton's vocals, at times, seem strained and rusty - his growl is a far cry from the glory days. That being said, there's so much power on Archetype that the aforementioned negations can be (and should be) instantly disregarded. The fact that Archetype plays like Demanufacture is a wonder, and a proverbial shot in the arm to metal in general. These songs fester with all kinds of vengeance, the riffs exploding over layers and layers of hooks, venom and groovier-than-thou breakdowns. Fear Factory is provoking again, still fusing new wave electro elements within earthquakes passages, but at the same time boldly looking into the future and calling out the masses for a new revolution. Fear Factory has returned. Fear Factory has arrived.
