Fear Factory - Powershifter (Single)
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» Fear Factory - Prince of Wales, Vic - January 27, 2010
» Fear Factory - Manning Bar - Sydney University, NSW - January 18, 2010
Fear Factory were once the best at what they did. They blended the aggresion and technical aspects of metal with the electronic to create somewhat unique music that stood above many, if not all. They were flag bearers of a new breed of metal, influencing many who have tried to follow in their footsteps. Over the years, especially lately, there have been various problems, line up changes, gossip, and yes, some below par music. With new single Powershifter Fear Factory have signalled a return to something like their best, though it will be impossible to make that judgement until we hear the album in full.
Powershifter ticks all the right boxes. It starts with brutal double kicks drums and tight, crunching guitars, before those vocals come in. Perhaps more than anything it has been the vocal sounds Burton C Bell elicits that have come to define the Fear Factory sound, and here they are aggressive and clean in equal parts. Lending just the right amount of politics and rebeliion to his lyrics, it all works well enough. Certainly as a taster is this song works great, but if Powershifter turns out to be the best song from the new album, you may just want to put on your old copies of Obsolete or Demanufacture. But as a fan of the band for many years, one can only hope this signals a true return to form for the one and only Fear Factory.
