The Best of Fear Factory

Fear Factory | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B000HDRAGC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,386 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #73 in Music > Alternative Rock > Goth & Industrial > Industrial
  • #74 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Death Metal

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Fear Factory was one of the first bands to fuse the loud, crushing intensity of death metal with the cold harshness of industrial electronics and samples, producing a more varied sonic palette with which to express their bleak, pessimistic view of modern, technology-driven society. The combination of melodic and aggressive vocal styling of Burton C. Bell as first heard on the bands 1992 debut SOUL OF A NEW MACHINE, as well as the guitar riffs of Dino Cazares have influenced the next generation of metal players and can be heard in metal every year since. This band was innovative and influential to metal musicians the world over.

Product Description

This collection spans the recordings of Fear Factory from 1992- 2001, including successful singles such as CARS from 1998’s Gold certified OBSOLETE, as well as Fear Factory fan favorites such as MARTYR, REPLICA and RESURRECTION. A must have for fans of metal!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ah yes, another cash-in from Roadrunner, April 5, 2007

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of Fear Factory (Audio CD)

Fear Factory is one of the handfull of bands (along with Type O Negative and Sepultura among others) responsible for Roadrunner Records gaining notoriety before bands like Slipknot blew the label up even more so. Now with most of those bands not even with Roadrunner anymore, there have been a slew of "best of" compilations released by the label in an attempt to cash in even more so. As you've probably guessed, this "Best of Fear Factory" compilation hardly covers the best material the band ever released. Not to mention that their best album, "Soul of a New Machine" is hardly covered here at all, as well as the excellent "Demanufacture", which isn't done justice at all, while their more well known material, including the deliriously cheesy cover of "Cars" from "Obsolete" and fan favorite "Zero Signal", are here as well. That being said, if you already own every one of Fear Factory's releases, then you already know that this compilation is pretty much worthless. However, this is worth a look if you are a new listener to the band and want to give them a look. However, if you want to go down that route, the better thing to do would be to check out "Soul of a New Machine" and "Concrete".

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It depends on who you are - a new listener or already a fan, October 10, 2006

By 

jay (Castle Grayskull) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Fear Factory (Audio CD)

If you liked their older style from albums like Soul of a New Machine, the first three tracks would be for you. If you liked their Demanufacture / Remanufacture years, tracks 4-7 would be for you, and if you liked their newer style from Obsolete and Digimortal, tracks 8-10 and 12 would be for you. (Track 11 is their cover of Gary Newman's 'Cars'.)
Really though if you already know which iteration of Fear Factory you like most, this CD would be a wasted purchase.

Here's the key again in shorter form:
[If you like] : [Buy this album]
Tracks 1-3: Soul of a New Machine
Tracks 4-7: Demanufacture, Remanufacture
Tracks 8-10, 12: Obsolete, Digimortal
Track 11: 'Cars' single

This "Best of" is really only appropriate for folks who have never heard Fear Factory before and want to get a sampling of their musical styles. (Back in the day we would do this by borrowing our friends' cassettes or CDs, and today folks use mp3s.) Once you've determined which tracks you like most, buy or preview the albums I listed above in the 'key' corresponding to the Fear Factory style(s) that appeals to you most.

For any Fear Factory fan, this CD is pointless aside from being a collection completer (for those who just have to own every album). I think most of us have put together our own "greatest hits" mixes with the FF tracks we like most from their catalogue.

This album doesn't really do a very thorough job either, in that it leaves out plenty of great tracks and comes in a little light with only 12 tracks when generally 'Best Of' or 'Greatest Hits' albums are supposed to be a bit longer than your average album to ensure most of the Best or Greatest tracks actually make it on there. They could have easily added about four more tracks to round it out a bit more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just...Don't Buy This, February 17, 2007

By 

Bill Lumbergh "yeaahh..." (Initech) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Fear Factory (Audio CD)

This is the most half-*ssed way that Roadrunner could rake in a few more dollars. Like with quite a lot of other bands that have previously been on the label's roster, Roadrunner Records just picks a few of Fear Factory's most well-known tracks and makes a CD out of these. How pathetic. I can already do that with a blank CD-R and those tracks I ripped to my computer years ago. Okay, I give this an extra star for picking out some great tracks, but the CD lacks heavily of what Fear Factory's Roadrunner career was. There is only one track off "Digimortal", three tracks off their first three albums, and the Gary Numan cover of "Cars". Come on. Seriously. You could have at least put some B-sides or rarities on there as well.

All I have to say is that if you want a GOOD retrospective to this legendary band, DON'T BUY THIS. Pitch in a few more bucks and buy their whole discography. It will benefit you (and Roadrunner) better if you just do that. Same thing with all the other bands that have best-of CD's out (Sepultura, Type O Negative, Deicide, etc.).