The Album Reader Reviews:

	Title: Digimortal Artist: Fear Factory Label: Roadrunner Records Release Date: 4/24/01	There are currently 8 Reader Reviews of this album. Average Rating: 2 Go to Judgment Committee Reviews of this Album
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Submitted by Red Man (5/3/02):
Here's my chief issue with Fear Factory: although it could be argued they didn't sell out (in my opinion, they did), unarguably, they did sell themselves to MTV. How is this so? Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture were great semi-death/thrash albums. Obsolete was a pretty good album, but it could have been better. The reason why is that by this album Fear Factory were recording songs accessible to the MTV slaves (as indicated by FF appearances at various MTV events). Come Digimortal, and I can't hear any of that classic death-y FF sound I love so dearly. Who knows, maybe my hearing's gone bad from cranking shit so loud. But the truth remains: Digimortal isn't deserving of a good score, especially considering what Fear Factory had previously proven themselves to be capable of.
One of my favorite parts of the music was always Burton C. Bell's vocals: he could howl like a demon or sing like a choirboy of the damned. Maybe now that he's free from the constraints FF had burdened him with on Digimortal (and even a little bit on Obsolete), he'll be able to show us all what he can really do.

Submitted by Demented D (3/15/02):
This is a fucking piece of shit garbage worthless lame as fuck vomit-inducing excuse for a CD. This isn't even worthy of being used as a coaster. Put it in your microwave for about 2 seconds and see what happens. It's worth more than this fucking waste!

Submitted by Eric (12/31/01):
I think it is so stupid saying Fear Factory sold out. That is all I have heard about bands lately. It's like, "Oh, a new album came out, let's see if they sold out on this album."
I think this album was a good album. It wasn't as great as the other albums they released but that doesn't make them a sell out. I had this album, Digimortal since the day of its release. I even got the album signed by the band.
I had to comment on the person that said they sold out. He cut his hair, big shit, that makes his album a sucky album? Korn Factory? Korn can't even pick up Dinos guitar, fuck that more like his guitar PIC. Don't even compare them to Korn. Fear Factory has so much more talent then them.
So I have to say this is a good CD. It doesn't get 5 skulls but it gets 4. I say this because the album is a little too short. That is my review and keep ROCKIN' and HEAD BANGIN'.

Submitted by Sickness718 (9/23/01):
A band has the right to change, if you're in a band you write for yourself and not for others. So Fear Factory is not the band they were 5 years ago, so what, they are still great, different but great. To all you people who hated Obsolete or if it's a problem that FF is more "mainstream" now then go listen to something else, but if you are like me and don't give a fuck about who ELSE likes the music you like then listen to it, you will probably like it cause honestly it's not a bad album. I agree that Dino Cazares and Raymond Herrera are not the wickedly fast and heavy players they used to be but its natural for a band to change their style.
The best songs are "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)," "Damaged" and "Linchpin."

Submitted by L.S. BHAN (8/1/01):
Looking back upon the discographies of some bands, one may sometimes be able to notice a definite cycle that the band lives or has lived in. Fear Factory is one such band. With the release of Soul of a New Machine, they were born, and spent the next few years in infancy as they honed their skills. Demanufacture saw the band in the prime of their life, releasing what is an album deserving of probably four skulls. Obsolete introduced the band to their mid-life crisis, as they were beginning to become obsolete themselves to the metal world. Three skulls for that one.
Some view death much less as an end to life but as the beginning of a new stage of life. This is the case with Digimortal, for Fear Factory have left their former life of pseudo-industrial death thrash behind and have now entered a new existence as - KORN FACTORY! Yes, that's right, Korn Factory. I don't think any further words are needed...
It's a pity, really. Burton C. Bell can be a very talented vocalist when he wants to be. The other blokes in the band are dragging him down - they mainly write the songs, after all. Hell, he's even cut his hair in true sell-out fashion (remember Metallica? - same deal here) and died it an ugly pink...last time I saw it, at least, it was pink. But at least in this situation, his hair color is very indicative of the nature of the band.
I'm sure Korn Fac... err, Fear Factory will enjoy great success in their new state of being - I mean, ten-year-olds love this shit. In the meantime, though, they'll just have to deal with the fact that the rest of the metal world shuns what they have become.
Is Digimortal even deserving of one skull? I doubt it. After all, the band highly glorifies their futuristic storylines involving things that don't really even have skulls. But one skull is the lowest score I can give on Metal Judgment, so one skull it is.

Submitted by William Castro (5/7/01):
Fear Factory's new album goes in a direction that is not unexpected. It's radio friendly, and continues in the vein of Obsolete. I kind of expected they would become more commercial, just because you make more money that way. Some songs are catchy and maybe better than the ones on Obsolete, but if you compare them to the classic Demanufacture, they don't stand up very well.
It's not a bad CD, even with a rapping song in there. At least this time when I see them live in concert I will be able to distinguish their new songs.

Submitted by Mephisopheles (5/7/01):
I've been had. I was fooled into thinking that maybe... MAYBE... Fear Factory would stage a glorious comeback to the days of Demanufacture. Not that Obsolete was a BAD album, just that it was an overly acceptable album.
Lemme 'splain.
I got into Fear Factory when Demanufacture had just been released. After the first listen knocked out my teeth, I went out and picked up Soul of a New Machine and Fear is the Mindkiller. After having my jaw broken by the sounds coming out of my CD player, I was a hardcore Fear Factory fan.
Then Remanufacture came out and I was hysterical. This was some of the funniest remix material I'd ever heard. "Hunter-Killer" done as Euro-techno dance noise!? That was comedy.
Then Obsolete came out and everyone new who Fear Factory was. The single for "Cars" was inescapable and everyone white-hatted, beer guzzling Creed fan was listening to Fear Factory! It wasn't a bad album, but it was nu-metal-y and it was acceptable by pop-metal radio.
In short, it was NOT everything Fear Factory should have been.
So, I wait and see what FF is working on next, and when Digimortal comes out I run off like a good little fan boy and drop my $18 on the digipack release.
I was shocked.
This was even MORE of the overly-accessable, easily digested PABLUM that had been on Obsolete. The lyrics were similar, almost identical, to the lyrics on Obsolete, the guitars were heavy and bouncy. The album, on a whole, was very, VERY nu-metal. It is also very, VERY catchy. The songs bounce, they are very listenable and ultimately forgettable. The entire album is, unfortunately, completely unremarkable in any way. The experience is wasted and forgetable. It doesn't smash you over the head, knock your teeth out and break your jaw like Soul and Demanufacture did. Hell, it barely packs a punch at all.
I can really only give Digimortal 2 skulls total. Fear Factory without listening to it would start at 5 skulls (Demanufature) and be measured on shortcomings. Soul of a New Machine is my idea of a Fear Factory 4 (monotonous vocals), Obsolete would be a 3 (inconsistent songwriting, poor choices of covers), and Digimortal is dropping them to 2 (didn't they DO this album already? Lyrics sound like Obsolete II, inconsistent songwriting AGAIN).
I just hope their next album gets them back to a 3, and doesn't drop them to an ignominious 1.

Submitted by S.O.D. (5/4/01):
I too started listening at Demanufacture, and picked up the other albums along the way. Obsolete, while not my fave, was still enough to keep my taste buds flavored, but NO MORE! This album is pure crap. I can't believe we waited almost three years for this. I can't name a single song that I like. On Demanufacture, I could only name one song that I disliked. ("Therapy For Pain").
Only one thing saves me from being totally pissed at this band, and that is the fact that I saw this coming. I figured I'd download it from Napster, and if I liked it, I'd buy it, and if not, I'd delete it. The part that makes me mad is the fact that I wasted two hours downloading this. (Thankfully, I'm on a cable modem). Some people know me for the bootlegs I've done of them (the Dino Does Detroit ones). I named the third and final one (from this last tour) Dino Screws Detroit. If anyone wants it, email me.
Forget this band. I'm off to see Dimmu Borgir and The Haunted tonight.

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