Singled Out IV: Soulfly “Bleed”

The first single I ever purchased on cd was Soulflys’ “Bleed” which, in a way, works as an EP, since it has four different tracks, instead of different versions of “Bleed” (the accurate term is maxi-single). Well, the title track is a powerful groove/nu-metal attack, with DJ Lethal’s scratches giving a lead guitar feel (reminding of classic Korns’ guitar). 

The chorus is effective and Fred Durst only adds to the anger that feeds the songs’ lyrics, before going to his rap verse, and speaking of anger, Max Cavalera’s voice is relentless in this department. His anguish is the main driving force behind the following songs, specially “Cangaceiro”, with the Discharge cover being a very effective bookend to this maxi-single.

In the career of Max Cavalera, these songs, specially “Bleed” came right after his launching of Soulfly, with which came the self-titled debut and a sequence of nu-metal style records. For me, this phase of Soulfly’s discography ended with Prophecy, the fourth record, with the transition to a more harsh sound being complete with Conquer, as Dark Ages was a very effective, albeit, transition record sound, away from groove and towards death and trash sounds.

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The band: http://www.soulfly.com/

Support: https://www.maximumcavalerastore.com/

Fear Factory- Achetype

            
            My first encounter with the music of Fear Factory was through the single “Replica” from Demanufacture, however I started to listen more intensely to their music with this album, Archetype, the first without the founding member and guitarist Dino Cazares. My expectations were not high, but after listening to the opener “Slave Labor”, I began to fall in love with album as a whole.

            The main aspect that stood out for me is the cohesion on all of the album, in other words, once you’ve heard it several times, everything flows naturally from one song to another, like the video-single “Archetype” into “Corporate Cloning”, and the instrumental “Ascension” into the Nirvana cover that closes the album “School”.

            As a band, Fear Factory went through various versions in terms of lineup, this album marked the first major one, the exit of Dino and the passing of Christian Olde Wolbers to the guitarist position. This lineup, rounded up with drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Byron Stroud would release another album, before dissolving into another lineup that would feature vocalist Burton C. Bell and Dino Cazares as the central members, regardless of the drummer and bassist in each release from Mechanize onward.

            Why this review of the bands’ history? Because it surprised me, as I delved deeper into their records, how Fear Factory managed to maintain a cohesive sound in spite of its’ members, as if being in an entity in itself. As these words are being written, a new vocalist is to be announced. Also, in the booklet of Archetype, Burton C. Bell writes a paragraph stating the album as being representative of the bands’ sound, and, although I’ve avoided their latest releases, focusing more on the albums before Mechanize, I agree with his statement (and am still curious to see what paths the band follows in the future).

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Band: http://fearfactory.com/

Merch: https://fearfactory.manheadmerch.com/

https://www.backstreetmerch.com/artist/fear-factory/