Fear Factory - Obsolete
- intothewellsabyss
- Jul 28, 2023
- 10 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
July 28, 1998 β Fear Factory released their third full-length studio album Obsolete (Β°BSΞ©LE+e on the album cover) via Roadrunner Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Conceptually, the album is a sequel to 1995's Demanufacture. With the success of its fourth single, Cars, a Gary Numan cover that featured Numan himself on vocals (while also appearing in the music video), Obsolete would break Fear Factory into the mainstream and remain their highest selling album.
Background & Recording:
The group began writing and pre-production in late 1997. This came to a sudden halt when Ozzy Osbourne invited Fear Factory to open for the reunited Black Sabbath at two sold-out stadium shows at the Birmingham NEC. Fear Factory also headlined their own concert on December 7th in London. The band intended to return to work on their album in Los Angeles until late January, when they ultimately would record in Vancouver with producers Rhys Fulber and Greg Reely. The working title Obsolete was announced during this time although not certain to remain.
In a first, guitarist Dino Cazares tuned down to A for this album. Gary Numan appears at the beginning of Obsolete as well as on the cover of his own 1979 song Cars.
Edgecrusher is an unusual track in that during parts of the song, Christian Olde Wolbers plays a stand-up bass, while the breakdown features hip-hop style turntable scratching. The latter would prove to be a point of contention not only with purist listeners, but within the band itself: According to Raymond Herrera, Olde Wolbers' suggestion to include it was initially met by strong resistance from Cazares, as did a number of other experimental ideas.
Album Concept:
A concept story is contained within the music and continues where Demanufacture left off. Obsolete is about the future of mankind and how machines have taken over humanity. It was inspired by the band's belief that humanity has become too reliant on technology. Burton C Bell explained, "ππβππ ππππ πππ πππππ ππ πππ πππππ’ π ππππ πππ ππ ππππππππ. πΌππ πππ πππππππ πππππ ππππππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππ ππππππ, πππ ππ πππ ππππ πππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππππππ. πππ ππππππππ ππ πππππππ πππ πππ πππππππ’πππ πππ. πΌππ ππ πππ πππ πππππππ’ πππππ£ππ ππ πππππ."
However, a hero named Edgecrusher sets out to destroy the machines and save humanity. The story of Obsolete was inspired by books like the Boys from Brazil, Brave New World, and George Orwellβs 1984.
The CD booklet features a narrative that details one chapter in the conflict between humankind and technology which corresponds with the songs. Illustrations by artist Dave McKean, famous for his work in comic books, are also based on themes or characters from the record.
Bell explained the wealth of booklet content;
"ππππ π ππ πππ ππππ’ π ππ’ ππ πππππππ’ πππππ πππ ππππππππππ. ππππ π’ππ ππππ πππ π ππππ, π’ππ πππ ππππππππ£π ππ ππ π’πππ ππππ. πππ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππππππππ. πΈπβπ ππππ π ππππ-πππππππ πππππ π πππ π³πππ πΌππΊπππ ππππ πππ ππππππππππ ππ πππ π πππππ πππππ’ππππ ππππ πππππ π πππ πππ πππππ... πππ πππππππππ π ππ ππ ππππ π πππππ’ πππ ππ ππ. πΈπ π ππ ππππ πππππππππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππ πππππ ππππππππ ππππππππ. π±ππ ππ ππ, πππππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππ πππππ. π²ππππππππ πππππ ππ ππππππ πππ πππππππ πππππ πππ ππππππππ."
The Characters of Obsolete:
Edgecrusher is the main character and protagonist. β In the songs Shock, Descent, Hi-Tech Hate, and Resurrection, Burton C. Bell portrays Edgecrusher as the one singing the lyrics. The closer song, Timelessness, is about him as well. As he has been captured by the Securitron in the story's conclusion, the song captures his words (or thoughts) of fear and despair as he is in jail or possibly in the process of being executed.
The Securitron are the antagonists in the story and their name is part of the album's song, Securitron (Police State 2000). β Securitron is an organization that embodies the law enforcement of the machine-controlled society set in the story. They appear to be all over the world and to ensure no crime goes unseen and they have set large monitors in various places to keep humanity under their view. It is clear that a machine-controlled world state is in effect in the story but whether or not Securitron is the world state itself is unknown. This is much like how The Party in Nineteen Eighty-Four utilized the telescreens on the population of Oceania. They themselves are likely cyborgs as implied by how one of the enforcers is mentioned having gloved hands.
They come out victorious against Edgecrusher as in the end of the album they capture and imprison him.
Smasher/Devourer is the secondary antagonist in the story and is also the name of a song on the album β From the description given in the album's booklet, the Smasher/Devourer is a large robot with an "πππ-ππππ πππππ" and "πππ ππππ πππ ππππππππ’ π πππππππ’ πππ ππππππππππ": no further information on its design is given and what the machine really could look like is left to the imagination, but the description recalls the design of ED-209 from the Robocop movies though the design is mostly influenced by The Terminator. It was originally created by humanity to serve as law-enforcement but was re-programmed by the Securitron.
The machine is last mentioned in the booklet's page for the song Descent and its status after that is unclear.
Storyline:
The whole plot of the album is presented in the album booklet in the form of a movie script with the lyrics intertwined in the story itself. The prologue is the following: "πΈπΆπ½πΌ π°.π³. π΄ππππ’πππππ ππππ π’ππ πππππππ ππ ππ ππππ ππ π πππππππππππππ. πΈππππππ π π ππππ ππππ ππ πππππππππ π ππππ πππππ’, πππ π πππππππ ππ πππ ππππ ππ ππ‘ππππππππ. π° π ππππ ππ πππππ πππππππ ππ ππππππππ πππππ ππ’ πππ ππππππππ ππππ πππ πππππππ. πππ ππππππ πππππππππππ ππππ πππ ππ’ππππ πππππππ πππππππ ππ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππππ ππππππππ’ πππ ππ πππ πππ ππππππππ πππ ππππππππ ππππππ πππππππ... ππππππππ’. πΈπ ππππ ππππ, πππ πππ ππππππ π ππππππ ππππππππ ππππππ ππππ ππππππππππ πππππ πππ ππππππππππ πππ π ππππ πππππ’, ππππππππππ πππ ππππππππππ£ππ πππ πππππ πππππππππππ.
π·ππ ππππ, πππππ πππ πππππππ πππππππ ππππ π ππππππππ πππ πππππππ ππππ πππ πππππππ πππππππππππππ, ππ ππππ πππππ. πππππ ππππππ ππππ πππ π’ππππ πππ π ππππππ π πππππ πππ ππππππππππππππ, π ππππππ π ππ’ ππ ππππ, πππ π πππππππ ππ‘πππππππ. πππππ ππππππ ππππππ ππππππππ ππππ ππππππππππ πππππππ πππππππ’ ππ ππππππ ππππππ πππ ππππππ π. πππππ ππππππππ ππππππππ πππππ ππ πππππππ’ ππ πππππππ πππππππ πππ ππ’ππππ, ππππππ πππ π πππ ππππ, πππ πππππππ π ππππππππππ ππππππ. πππππ πππππ ππ ππππ’ ππππππππππ ππ’ πππππ π πππ ππ ππ‘πππ, πππ πππππππ πππππ ππ ππππππππ."
Scene I:
The album starts off with Shock, which is much like a declaration of the intentions of Edgecrusher. He is in the center of a dim, tungsten-lit room surrounded with people with the intent to hear what he is saying. Basically, what he says is that he will lead the opposition, the detractors of this totalitarian regime, and his aim is to destroy the current system and change it to a better one ("πππππ ππ πππ ππ’ππππ" as it is said in the lyrics), so he is going to act as a trigger for this revolution.
The next song is Edgecrusher. In the script we find out from a newscast that the previous event took place in a prison called the MSC (Maxi-Security Containment) Facility. The reporter tells us that a breach was instigated by the Faction, but Edgecrusher caused the actual riot from inside. We are also told that he was serving a sentence for Public Disorder and Infrastructure Sabotage; then they show a clip of the breach, which is the song itself describing the break of the prisoners (hence the chorus "π±ππππ ππ πππ πππππππππππ").
Before Smasher/Devourer the reporter details the damage and deaths caused by Edgecrusher (he must have had great strength to kill all the guards by himself or perhaps he was assisted by his cell mates) and after that we are introduced to the Smasher/Devourer character which is described in the booklet as the following: "πΎπ πππ πππππππ πππππππ ππ πππππ ππππ πππππ ππππ πππππ πππ ππππππππππ. π° ππ-πππππ ππππππ π πππ ππ πππ-ππππππ, ππππππππ πππππππππ. ππππ πππππππ ππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππππππ’ π πππππππ’ πππ ππππππππππ." The live coverage shows the robot's search for Edgecrusher and his companionship while the song is actually the commands of the machine to the hostile congregation ("πΈππ πππ π ππ’, πππππππ πππ πππππππππ").
Securitron (Police State 2000) is the last song of the first scene and the next entity to start chasing Edgecrusher. Edgecrusher is constantly watched by the monitors of Securitron so he descends underground, into the shadows below street level where apparently the refuse is, but he knows that he is safe from incident from any enforcer among the trash. The song is about the police of this dictatorial regime, the Police 2000: how oppressive they are and how they are everywhere not giving any privacy or freedom to citizens. In the end of the scene Edgecrusher is forced to surface and the scene fades out with him running down a deserted street into the night.
Scene II:
The scene opens with Descent. Edgecrusher is alone in this song, he has grown tired from running for so long from Smasher/Devourer and the Securitron. He wonders if his mission is worth it, he dwells upon his life, and what it actually amounts to. Edgecrusher stops in an abandoned building to rest himself. As he falls to sleep on a cold, flat floor, he repeats the same words as he does every night; they are the lyrics to this song. As he wakes up and looks to the sky he realizes that his life is worth the effort, so he keeps going.
Scene III:
Hi-Tech Hate is the first song of this scene. It depicts an anti-war protest of factions of various dissensions in front of the Securitron base, a heavily guarded fortress. The lyrics are the words of a man who emerges and speaks to the crowd through a megaphone. The song is basically an anti-war, anti-nuclear proclamation from Dino Cazares.
As the man finishes, the Securitron enforcers move in on the crowd. He sees no way out of this situation: true freedom cannot be realized in a scrutinized society. He takes a can of gasoline and pours it on himself. With the match in his fingers, the lyrics of Freedom or Fire are his final words. This act of self-immolation is very much like ThΓch QuαΊ£ng Δα»©c's.
Obsolete starts with a spoken intro by Gary Numan. They are the words of a Securitron enforcer who grabs the megaphone after the members of the crowd disperse in order to escape detainment of the enforcers. Of course, the main message of the song is that "πππ ππ ππππππππ" and that "πππ π ππππ [ππ] ππππππππ".
Having witnessed the events of these three songs, Edgecrusher begins to think how their humanity disappeared into the darkness, how mechanized they have become. As he eludes the enforcers, he enters a church and finds a statue of Jesus Christ. He has seen this image before. He apparently gains a lot of memories from seeing the statue and extends his arm to touch the face of it. In the song Resurrection Edgecrusher swears to continue his mission to save humanity.
The scene and album end with Timelessness. Edgecrusher walks away from the figure and as he glances back, it seems as though it he has been weeping. The Securitron forces capture Edgecrusherin the conclusion. This last song has a very melancholic feel to it. The lyrics are desperate; they are Edgecrusher's words (or probably thoughts) from the jail. We can feel his fear and despair: he lost his battle against machines and failed in saving mankind.
Release Information:
Obsolete was initially released in a standard format in July 1998. Bell explained, "ππ π πππππ πππ πππππ ππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππππ πππ πππ π ππππ πππππ’. ππ πππ πππ πππ πππππ ππ π πππ πππ ππ, πππ "π²πππ" π ππ πππππ πππππ ππ ππ ππ πππ ππππππ. ππ ππππ ππππ ππ π ππππ ππππππ ππ π ππππππ πππππ ππ ππ π π±-ππππ ππππ ππ‘πππ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππ ππππ ππππ. πΈππππππππ’ ππ ππππ ππππβπ πππ π πππ πππ πππππππ." Five other satisfactory songs that did not fit its story concept, including Cars, were later included on a limited edition digipak in March 1999.
Touring & Promotion:
Fear Factory joined Rob Zombie and Monster Magnet for a fall 1998 tour. They also began their first headlining US tour with System Of A Down, Hed PE, Static-X, and Spineshank in early 1998. The tour ran into tragedy, however, when a rental truck housing all of the band equipment and merchandise was stolen from a hotel parking lot in Philadelphia. This forced several shows to be immediately rescheduled. Three days later, the stolen truck was found near the Walt Whitman Bridge, empty and in flames.
Regarding the theft, Burton C. Bell told MTV, "πΉππππππ’ πΈπΉ π ππ π ππππ’ ππππ πππ’ ππ π΅πππ π΅ππππππ’ πππππππ’. πΎππ ππππππ ππππππππππ π ππ ππ ππππ πππππ πππππππππ ππππππ, πππππππππππ, πππππ’πππππ. π½ππ ππππ’ π ππ πππ ππππππ ππππππππππ ππ ππππ πππππ, πππ ππππ πππ πππππ ππ π πππππβπ π ππ ππππππππ π πππ ππ. ππ’ππππ ππ π π³ππ π, πππ πππππ πππππ πππ πππππ π πππ πππ πππππ, ππππ π πππ π ππππ ππππππ ππππππππππ, πππ πππππ πππππππππ ππ π πππ. ππ πππππ’πππππ, πππ π ππππ ππππ ππππ πππππ πππ."
Such problems on Fear Factory's first headlining tour proved demoralizing; however, Bell described the events as somewhat of a "ππππππππ ππ ππππππππ" as various one-off major city dates that needed rescheduling were expanded into multiple shows heading into mid April.
In a last-minute change, Fear Factory replaced Judas Priest in the Second Stage headlining slot of Ozzfest '99. The tour ran from May through July.
Three singles were released for Obsolete. Shock and Descent managed to chart but did not endure lasting popularity. Only after the release of Cars, exclusive to the limited edition digipack version of Obsolete, did Fear Factory gain significant mainstream exposure. This was further aided by the song's music video directed by John S. Bartley.
Critical Reception:
Largely due to the popularity of the band's rendition of Cars, which reached No. 57 on the UK charts, Obsolete gained significant commercial success. As of 2002, the album had sold over 406,000+ copies according to SoundScan. It is Fear Factory's best selling album to date and was certified gold in Australia by the ARIA and also in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album received positive reviews. AllMusic's Greg Prato noted, "π°ππππππππ’, ππππ’βππ ππππ’ππ ππππ ππ πππππ πππππ ππππ πππ π’ππππ, πππ’πππ ππ ππππ ππ πππππππ πππππππ ππππππ - ππππ’βππ πππππππ π πππ πππππ ππππππππ πΌπππππππ’-πππππ-ππππ’ππ πππππ."
Kerrang! said, "πππ πππππ ππ π΅πππ π΅ππππππ’ πππππππππππ πππππ πππππππ ππππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππ ππππππππππ ππππππππππππ πππ π πππππ-πππππ ππππ ππππ ππππ ππππππππππ π πππ πΆπππ’ π½ππππ."
Charity Auction:
A gold record of Obsolete was provided to Allbeat.com's charity auction for Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner who was suffering from a brain tumor. The auction faced severe controversy however; while the record sold for $1,000, the buyer never materialized. Other items up for auction, including a guitar signed by Papa Roach and articles from Crazy Town and Slipknot, also did not materialize. A new auction was to be organized, but Schuldiner died on December 13 that year.
Noteworthy:
European Death Metal band Meridian Dawn recorded a version of Descent in tribute to the band for their debut 2014 EP The Mixtape.
Music videos were filmed for the song Resurrection (Watch video) and the bonus cover of the Gary Numan song Cars (Remix) (Watch video), which also featured Gary Numan.
Notice: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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