When a veteran band releases new material, I always wonder, “if this was their first album, would they have been as successful?” There are countless examples of established artists that are content rest on their laurels—you know who you are. Fear Factory is not quite in this category…yet. ‘Aggression Continuum’ is quintessential Fear Factory (FF). Ever-present are the crushing rapid-fire staccato riffs, pummelling percussion, the aggressive verses coupled with soaring melodic choruses, the cyber dystopian vibe; it is all here. Everything you want from FF is presented in overabundance. And that is where my two schools of thought come in. Is FF consistent or merely delivering more of the same ol’ same ol’? Well, as you probably guessed, it is both and entirely in the mind of the listener.
In large part, this album was recorded in 2017, but due to legalities, internal disputes, etc, it was not released until now. This partly explains the lack of growth in the band’s sound. There are several tasteful keyboard flourishes and even a bit of Prog thrown in, but in my opinion, it disproportionately falls back on previous victories. Don’t misunderstand; I listened to the entire album (at an irresponsible volume) and, I was never bored. Sure, ‘Aggression Continuum’ chiefly sticks to a tried-and-true formula, but it is a damn good formula. I absolutely recommend this to the casual or new listener, but for the converted…give it a listen and tell me what you think.
If this was their first offering to the world, then the world would assuredly know their name for many years to come.
