Track Listing:
01. 540,000° Fahrenheit
02. Transgression
03. Spinal Compression
04. Contagion
05. Empty Vision
06. Supernova
07. New Promise
08. I Will Follow
09. Millennium
10. Moment of Impace

Rated:
5/10

Total Play Time:
44:02

Band's Webpage

When Fear Factory reformed and returned (to form) with Archetype, it’s as if the cyber-extreme metallurgist just followed up 1995’s Demanufacture. The stagnation of both “Obsolete” and “Digimortal” was shed. With Christian Olde Wolbers switching to guitars and Byron Stoud (Strapping Young Lad) joining on bass, “Archetype” benefited greatly from new blood and a slight internal shift.

As if not to lose any of the momentum gained by the rewarding “Archetype,” Fear Factory quickly unleashed “Transgression.” The quick turnaround gives “Transgression” a rather familiar lifeless, rushed feeling.. The first half of “Transgression” is filled with familiar, pummeling tracks driven by Raymond Herrera’s inhuman drumming and abrasive staccato riffing. The bass is thick, given the music a nice depth and each track is nicely augmented by slight industrial and techno racket. Tracks like “540,000° Fahrenheit” and “Spinal Compression” will satisfy any Fear Factory fans palette with loads or aggressiveness. The second half of “Transgression” is quite stagnant.

For the first time ever, Fear Factory comes close to a ballad with “Echo of My Scream.” Continuing with the passive metal is “Supernova,” a track much more akin to alt-rock than industrialized death metal. The restrained “New Promise” sounds like Fear Factory trying to morph their style into something the commercial radio could spin without scaring listeners. Adding to the rather mellow confusion is the cover of U2’s “I Will Follow.” While 50-time heavier than the original, the song lacks energy and comes off as colorless cover track. Killing Joke’s “Millennium” is picks up the intensity and gets “Transgression” moving again, just a bit too late. Album closer, “Moment of Impact” nicely ends the album with a fantastic, dense rhythm-drenched song with inspired vocals from Burton C. Bell.

“Transgression” is a hard album to swallow. It starts off with great intensity and promise before dropping off into a meandering mellow muck. I appreciate that the band isn’t pigeonholing themselves, but the sedate songs lack sincerity and come off quite contrived. It’s as if the band is trying their damnedest to make radio-friendly, accessible songs that unfortunately aren’t catchy. Adding two cover songs just adds to the rushed feeling of the album.

Had the band waited a bit longer to record, would “Transgression” have been a much more cohesive and energized album? Hell, it started off great. What happened? It may never be known, but Fear Factory’s “Transgression” may live up to the album’s title.