Genexus (album)
Genexus is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Fear Factory, released on August 7, 2015.[4][5] It is the third Fear Factory album since guitarist Dino Cazares rejoined the band in 2009, their first album to feature drummer Mike Heller,[6] and the final album they released with vocalist Burton C. Bell before his departure from the band in 2020.[7] However, Bell's vocals for the band's upcoming album will remain intact, as he recorded them in 2017.[8] Genexus is also Fear Factory's first release through Nuclear Blast. Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from critics.
Genexus | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 7, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014−2015 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:55 | |||
Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
Producer |
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Fear Factory chronology | ||||
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Singles from Genexus | ||||
A lyric video for the song "Soul Hacker" was released on June 17.[9] A lyric video for the song "Protomech" was released on July 11. A full music video for the song "Dielectric" was released on August 7, the same day as the album release, and a music video for "Expiration Date" was released on April 12, 2016.[10]
Sound and production
Regarding the drums on Genexus, Burton C. Bell stated: "...This time we are gonna use a live drummer, we're gonna use Mike Heller to record a few of the songs, not all of them, but a few to get that live feel, because some of these songs require a live feel, and so we’re gonna go with that."[11]
Like its predecessor The Industrialist and the (at the time) 20 year old Demanufacture, Genexus is a concept album. The themes in the album include war, climate change, religion, and mortality.[12]
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100[13] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [14] |
Metal Injection | 8.5/10[15] |
The Metal Review | [16] |
Sputnikmusic | 3.7/5[17] |
AntiHero Magazine | [18] |
Blabbermouth.net | 8/10[19] |
About.com | 4.5/5[20] |
Genexus received a positive response by critics, praising the album for its brutal and abrasive sound. Ray Van Horn Jr. of Blabbermouth.net said that "the key and industrial supplements gives Genexus a busier and heartier personality, lighting up the album's prospectus of mankind transitioning toward a more mechanized state of being."[19] Trey Spencer of Sputnik Music surmised that "this album is more melodic and accessible, Dino Cazares and Burton C. Bell prove that they still have what it takes to make a visceral Fear Factory album."[17] James Christopher Monger of AllMusic commented that "more melody-driven than prior outings, Genexus nevertheless retains the band's penchant for pairing bleak science fiction imagery with piston-like, palm-muted guitar riffs and explosive percussion."[14]
Touring
Between the end of August and the middle of September in 2015, the ensemble had toured the Southern, Midwestern and Southwestern United States along with Once Human, Los Angeles metal band Before the Mourning and Chicago rock/metal band The Bloodline.[21]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Burton C. Bell; all music is composed by Dino Cazares.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Autonomous Combat System" | 5:28 |
2. | "Anodized" | 4:47 |
3. | "Dielectric" | 4:19 |
4. | "Soul Hacker" | 3:12 |
5. | "Protomech" | 4:56 |
6. | "Genexus" | 4:48 |
7. | "Church of Execution" | 3:21 |
8. | "Regenerate" | 4:02 |
9. | "Battle for Utopia" | 4:14 |
10. | "Expiration Date" | 8:48 |
Total length: | 47:55 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Mandatory Sacrifice (Genexus Remix)" | 5:43 |
12. | "Enhanced Reality" | 5:36 |
Total length: | 59:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Maximum Voltage Capacitor (Dielectric Remix)" | Bell, Cazares | 4:18 |
Personnel
- Burton C. Bell – vocals
- Dino Cazares – guitars, bass
- Mike Heller – drums (1-3, 5–12)
Additional personnel
- Fear Factory – production
- Drew Fulk – vocal production
- Mike Plotnikoff – drum engineering
- Matt Jefferson – Castronovo's drum engineering & editing
- Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering
- Anthony Clarkson – artwork, layout
- Geoff Bisente – additional vocal recording & editing
- Rhys Fulber – programming, keyboards (3, 4, 6, 8–12), co-production, manipulation, vocal recording
- Damien Rainaud – additional keyboards & programming, engineering, editing, pre-production, pre-production mixing, vocals recording
- Giuseppe "Dualized" Bassi – additional keyboards, sampling & programming
- Laurent Tardy – piano (1 & 5)
- Sam "Mister Sam" Shearon – spoken word (1 & 10)
- Deen Castronovo – drums (4)
- Al Jourgensen – remix (11)
Charts
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] | 15 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] | 25 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] | 35 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] | 59 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] | 36 |
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[27] | 42 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28] | 34 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[29] | 25 |
French Albums (SNEP)[30] | 55 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] | 17 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[32] | 84 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] | 18 |
UK Albums (OCC)[34] | 31 |
US Billboard 200[35] | 37 |
References
- "Fear Factory - Soul Hacker". New Release Music. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- Rosenberg, Axl. "Fear Factory Release New Ditty, "Protomech"". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- "Dielectric: Fear Factory". Amazon.com. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- "Fear Factory To Release 'Genexus' Album In August". Blabbermouth.net. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- "Fear Factory: 'Genexus' Artwork, Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- Bowar, Chad. "Fear Factory Unveil 'Soul Hacker' Lyric Video". Loudwire. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- Childers, Chad (September 28, 2020). "Burton C. Bell Exits Fear Factory, Will Focus on Ascension of the Watchers". Loudwire. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- "BURTON C. BELL Officially Quits FEAR FACTORY: 'I Cannot Align Myself With Someone Whom I Do Not Trust Nor Respect'". Blabbermouth.net. September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- "FEAR FACTORY: Lyric Video For New Song 'Soul Hacker'". Blabbermouth.net. June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- FEAR FACTORY - Expiration Date (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO), retrieved 2019-12-23
- Moskovitch, Greg (2014-09-22). "Burton C. Bell Talks New Fear Factory, Programmed Vs Live Drums & Soundwave - Music News, Reviews, Interviews and Culture". Music Feeds. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- Wiederhorn, Jon. "Fear Factory on New A.I.-Themed Concept Album and Why 'Man Is the Virus'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
- "Reviews for Genexus by Fear Factory". Metacritic. United States: CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- Christopher Monger, James (7 August 2015). "Genexus - Fear Factory album review". Allmusic. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- Stewart-Panko, Kevin (30 July 2015). "Album Review: FEAR FACTORY Genexus". Metal Injection. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- "Fear Factory - Genexus". The Metal Review. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- Spencer, Trey (31 July 2015). "Fear Factory - Genexus". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- Bland, Alexander (7 August 2015). "Album Review: FEAR FACTORY - Genexus". antiheromagazine.com. AntiHero Magazine.
- Van Horn, Ray (9 August 2015). "CD Reviews: FEAR FACTORY - Genexus". Blabbermouth.net. Blabbermouth.net.
- Benson, Schuler (10 August 2015). "Review: Fear Factory - Genexus". About.com.
- "Fear Factory Plan Headlining Tour With Once Human + More". Loudwire. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- "Australiancharts.com – Fear Factory – Genexus". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- "Austriancharts.at – Fear Factory – Genexus" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- "Ultratop.be – Fear Factory – Genexus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Ultratop.be – Fear Factory – Genexus" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Fear Factory Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
- "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201534 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Fear Factory – Genexus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Fear Factory: Genexus" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- "Lescharts.com – Fear Factory – Genexus". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 33, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Swisscharts.com – Fear Factory – Genexus". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Fear Factory Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2015.