Obsolete

1. Misstep

2. Conquest

3. False Alarm

4. Imperfection

5. Obsolete

6. Disposable

7. Heaven's Isolation

8. Setting Sun

9. Happy Song

10. Land of Make-Believe

11. Misstep [Assemblage 23 Remix][Mix]

Tracks:

Shock
Edgecrusher
Smasher/Devourer
Securitron (Police State 2000)
Descent
Hi-Tech Hate
Freedom Or Fire
Obsolete
Resurrection
Timelessness
Cars
0-0 (Where Evil Dwells)
Soulwound
Messiah
Concreto

Customer Reviews:

an obsolete review.......2007-07-24

LOL! I just realized the pun on the title of this review. LOL

Anyway, this is what FF were all about. I had not heard much music prior to this that was as heavy, fast or as brutal as this.

Shock is a great opener here and is a great introduction to the story that follows. Edgecrusher is one the best FF songs. Smasher/Devourer has some great drum work and even better lyrics. Burton sings the best here.

Securiton is another great song and is one of my favorites. The entire crux and story of this album can be condensed into four lines here--some of the best that Burton has ever written:

All must abide and all must adhere
Future oppression becoming more clear
This is a warning so you much take heed
This coming vision is reality

This song is followed by three very powerful songs both musically and lyrically: Descent, Hi-Tech Hate and Freedom or Fire. The title track here is one of the weakest but still a great song. Resurrection bring the story to a bit of a climax and stands as the track that FF will be remembered for. This ends with the lead character begging to have his normal life back and only asks that all his old fears be revived. This is not meant to happen of course and all he can do is try to revive a hope for mankind.

The last song here Timelessness is not like any of their other songs really. This is very slow. There are no pounding drums here and even the bass (which only comes in at the end, quietly) sounds more like a dying heartbeat than anything else. The last line to be sung here is sad, but still filled with hope somehow. Burton's voice here is fragile, almost tender as he sings...Dark night of my soul

It's very chilling and a great way for the story to end.

And now the bonus tracks. Cars is on here of course and while it is a different take on the original it's not one my favorite tracks. Too bad this was their biggest hit (And it was a cover even...UGH!) 0-0 (Where Evil Dwells) is a bit overlong, but the lyrics are well written, but once again not by Burton.

Soulwound is a bit better but still almost a throwaway track really. Messiah is great just for the double bass fills. Concerto is the best song here. This song was recorded at the time of their Demanufacture album. An even earlier version, simple called Concrete, is on their album of the same name but is really nothing more than a demo.

So this is a great concept album and my trying to explain it here pales in comparison to actually reading the story in the CD booklet and listening to the music. This is good stuff that's more intelligently written and better played than other metal. Do yourself a favor and buy this. This is 5 stars all the way.

ff.......2007-05-13

not the best ff album ever, however certainly not the worst. you cant be a ff fan without owning this album.

As they said, The Best Fear Factory cd.......2007-04-03

This cd has some of the finer Fear Factory moments. Cars, EdgeCrusher, Obsolete among other fine classics. I saw them in Vegas a year ago and although I had no idea what they played, they were good.

Do you like metal!?!?.......2007-02-11

This ablum had a deeper inpact on me then most people im sure, aside from the journey we get taken on right from the getgo as we have come to expect from all of their albums, this album lays out a story for us to follow which quite frankly is more believable then 99% of other concept albums out there.

But onto the music... wow......just wow
Shock - 5/5 pretty heavy opener
EdgeCrusher - 4/5 i love the beginning of this song
Smasher/Devourer - 5/5 very cool song PREPARE FOR SALVATION!
Securitron - 10/5 very easily the best song on this album
Descent - 5/5 very hypnotic guitar work here
Hi-tech hate - 2.5/5 definetly not my favorite song but worth a listen
Freedom or fire - 4/5 pretty good
Obsolete - 5/5 makes me want to punch someone
Resurrection - 5/5 if you can watch the video, its pretty sweet
Timelessness - 4/5 slow but good vocals
Cars - Im a huge cars fan so 5/5 and a great closer

All and all this is hands down my favorite Fear Factory album, instead of just one or two songs standing out they have managed to produce 11 songs that you could hear individually and want to hear the next song hoping it would be as good as the previous...and it is

Fear Factory's finest.......2005-11-21

Fear Factory's first two albums were extremely heavy (more death metal than industrial); so 1998's "Obsolete" was the first album that really showed the band evolving. "Obsolete," which is a concept album about machines overcoming mankind, also showcases Fear Factory in their finest form. It's not as heavy as "Soul Of A New Machine" or "Demanufacture," but saying it's "watered down" is a ridiculous statement. This is heavy metal with an industrial edge. Sure, the blowtorch guitars and heavy drumming remain in tact, but a lot more spacious, futuristic sounding keyboards and clean, backing vocals to be heard here, as well. And some of this album, like the mysterious song "Timelessness," is almost pretty, even.

Tracks one and three have punching riffs which are backed by a pounding blast beat, and drummer Raymond Herrera really shines on "Securitron" and "Hi-Tech Hate." The former track begins with more thunderous double kick work, and "Hi-Tech Hate" has all around amazing drumming. Track two, "Edgecrusher," is a very infectious tune which is therefore one of the band's most famous and a fan favorite. Finally, the title track begins with a robotic voice murmuring things like "Man is obsolete." The actual song begins, however, and has fiery riffs, thumping drum beats, and a catchy chant of the title phrase.

As far as the bonus tracks go, they're all pretty good, and definitely worth owning. "Cars" is frowned upon by many fans, because it's an electronic toe-tapper that sounds like its straight off of MTV. Fortunately, "O-O" has explosive choruses and almost monstrous vocals, and "Soulwound," "Messiah," and "Concreto" all sound quite awesome.

"Obsolete" has my vote for being Fear Factory's finest release. It's simply great industrial metal, and it also has plenty of heavy stuff to please fans of the old-school. Plus, if you're new to FF, this is a great place to start.

Average customer rating:

It's Good, But I Can't Say It's Perfect
not their best...or perfect...but darn good.
quite good!
The best from one of the best!
Takes me back!

Obsolete
Fear Factory
Manufacturer: Roadrunner Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Digimortal
Demanufacture
Transgression
Soul of a New Machine
Archetype

ASIN: B000009CEM
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

Shock
Edgecrusher
Smasher/Devourer
Securitron (Police State 2000)
Descent
Hi-Tech Hate
Freedom Or Fire
Obsolete
Resurrection
Timelessness

Amazon.com

In this futuristic tale, our world has been taken over by the machines we created, but dissenters are bent on undermining the system that has ascended. It's an oft-told tale, and the quartet's ultrafast staccato guitar assaults are familiar, but there are some surprises in evidence on Obsolete. Burton C. Bell no longer just bellows. DJ Zodak scratches up the crunching "Edgecrusher." Drummer Raymond Herrera provides some engaging organic drum & bass mimicry on "Freedom or Fire." And the last two cuts feature a 12-piece string section. Given the aggressive atmosphere of what's come before, it's refreshing that the nihilistic finale consists of simple, mournful vocals; synth noises; and beautifully elegiac strings. --Bryan Reesman

Album Description

Japanese edition of the rocker's 1998 album with two bonus tracks added: '0-0 (Where Evil Dwells)' & 'Soulwound'.12 tracks total. A Roadrunner Records release.

Album Details

Includes Five Bonus Tracks:'Cars','o-O (Where Evil Dwells)','Soulwound','Messiah'& 'Concreto'.

Customer Reviews:

It's Good, But I Can't Say It's Perfect.......2006-05-25

Fear Factory. "Obsolete"

I have 2 of Fear Factory's CDs, "Demanufacture" and this. I'm working on getting "Archetype". "Obsolete" is somewhat of a concept album, about Edgecrusher, killing two people thingies Smasher/Devourer and Securitron. At least I think it is.

This isn't really hard, at times it is, but it's mostly either soft or just kinda hard. This doesn't apply to "Shock", however, which starts the album off with a bang, and is also the loudest song on the disc.

I would have preferred getting the new "Special Edition" of Obsolete, which contains 5 new tracks, but I got this off of eBay for 3 bucks, so I'm okay with it. Let's take a rundown of the tracks.

1) Shock: As I said before, it starts off loud. A little 10-second opener thingy, then the guitars and drums kick in and at around 30 seconds, Burton Bell screams out "SHOCK!" Starts off fast and good.
10/10
2) Edgecrusher: Not as hard as "Shock", but it's still kind of fast. Continues on as really good.
10/10
3) Smasher/Devourer: I don't think this is as good as "Shock" or "Edgecrusher", but it's still kind of hard. Sort of memorable.
9/10
4) Securitron (Police State 2000): Starts off with policemen and women talking. It then goes into guitars and drums, which are good. It wasn't all that great however.
6/10
5) Descent: After disappointment from "Securitron", Fear Factory bounce right back up with the highlight of the disc, Descent. It isn't horribly fast or loud, but it's still great, and as I said is the best on the CD.
10/10
6) Hi-Tech Hate: This track was just okay, maybe it was just it was after "Descent", but it didn't stand out and it just wasn't really good.
6/10
7) Freedom Or Fire: Better than "Hi-Tech Hate" but still not all that great. But still a lot better than some of the songs on here.
8/10
8) Obsolete: After 2 kind of disappointing tracks, Obsolete's self titled song hits hard and suddenly, all the disappointment disappeared.
10/10
9) Resurrection: One of the 2 slowest songs on here, and it works out fine. Not a huge standout or anything, but still a good track.
9/10
10) Timelessness: Wow, the last track. Okay, but it still never really goes anywhere. This is the slowest song on the disc, which is acheived by a long shot, with not 1 fast part on the entire song. It's still okay. Nothing special.
7/10

This got an 85%, receiving 85 pts. out of 100. That would be about a 4, and that's what I would give it without rating the tracks one by one also. So that's what I'll give it.

I RECOMMEND BUYING THIS CD. NOT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED OR ANYTHING BUT IT IS STILL A GOOD CD. IF YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE BUYING IT, FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING SONGS:
"Shock", "Edgecrusher", "Descent", "Obsolete"

i GIVE FEAR FACTORY'S "OBSOLETE" A:
8 out of 10: A very good addition to your metal collection, but not perfect in every way either.

not their best...or perfect...but darn good........2006-03-16

Not much to say about obsolete. demanufacture is smarter, heavier, and catchier. soul of a new machine/concrete (i prefer to lump them together) is MUCH heavier with a death metal edge. archetype has the best grooves and shows just how big an influence this incredibly underrated band is on modern 'metalcore' or whatever genre label they like to put on bands like lamb of god, shadows fall, and between the buried and me nowadays.

unfortunetly, obsolete is not a must-have. if anything, i'd rate it my 3rd favorite FF album (i am yet to hear digimortal...but i dont exactly have high hopes for it).

however, it is still worth buying if youre a fan, and is a decent place to start if you're looking into this band.

shock is an amazing opener with amazing drum work (the norm for FF), edgecrusher...well its definetly commercial and all, but really...what's the big problem? it'll get caught in your head, and they didn't sell out BECAUSE of this song. smasher/devourer has a good melodic/scream ratio, and a killer outro. securitron passes by sort of fast, but has a great chorus.

descent is easily my favorite track on the cd. why, you ask? its the best handled melodic rocker fear factory ever did. the chorus is, to put it lightly, beautiful, and the rest of the song is excellent. high-tech hate is the heaviest on the cd, with a near-blastbeat in portions (FF's blastbeats are like machine guns...but better). freedom or fire is rather techno-ey...drum-wise, at least, and it shouldn't be frowned upon for any reason. obsolete is my second favorite-very heavy, moves fast, "MAN IS OBSOLETE" replete with thrash pattern easily makes this song worth it.

resurection is easily the biggest departure FF had done up to this time. melodic, ballady...oh wait. then it gets heavy. it retains its emotional impact, however. timelessness is the big departure here-strings and all, its a BIG departure. (once you listen to transgression, however, you'll think FF is departing from their beaten path just to say they've done it)

should you buy it? if you're a fan, there's no reason not to. if you're new to fear factory, try demanufacture, or if you can't find it, archetype. new to metal? eh...either or of demanufacture/archetype (but DEFINETLY not soul or concrete...the brutality of those two frightens even me sometimes).

peace

quite good!.......2005-09-07

i like the lyrics very much! this may be their greatest album ever! they have only two classic albums...others are not so good! i like the vocals very very much! they play instruments very good. the bass guitar and drums are especially good!

The best from one of the best!.......2005-02-13

This is the best Fear Factory album to date!

Takes me back!.......2005-02-03

I remember when my friend in job corps used to play this album and so i asked to listen to it. I loved the song DESCENT and would play it every morning. I bought this cd in a pawn shop and listened to it non-stop. I especially love the melodic voice parts in the songs. The story reminds me of The Matrix! very weird. I think this is the best ROCK album I have ever owned. So if you like to headbang or just wanna chill then pick this disc up. You won't regret it.

Average customer rating:

Analogue synthesis retrospective

Obsolete Systems
Laurie Spiegel
Manufacturer: EMF Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005Y9VO
Release Date: 2001-09-29

Tracks:

Swells
Mines
Crying Tone
A Garden
Improvisation on a "Concerto Generator"
A Harmonic Algorithm
A Cosmos
A Legend
A Myth
Immersion
Drums
Voices Within: A Requiem

Product Description

Laurie Spiegel, electronic music pioneer, has been working with cutting-edge electronic instruments since the 1970s. She has written software, designed systems, and explored most of the early synthesizers. And she's a wonderful composer! The music on this CD is so talented, beautiful, and fascinating that it becomes a stunning demonstration of how musical and humanly expressive technology can be. The CD also demonstrates relationships between instruments and the music that can be composed for them. Spiegel writes: "Each musical instrument, whether electronic or not, implies an aesthetic domain and sensibility unique to its design ... These are a few I've personally explored. When it was new, each of these music systems, now long obsolete, was state of the art, visionary, radically new and so revolutionary that it required extended explanations in response to common questions such as 'Why would anyone ever want to do that?'"

Customer Reviews:

Analogue synthesis retrospective.......2002-03-13

"Obsolete Systems" is a fascinating retrospective of works by pioneering programmer and composer of computer music, Laurie Spiegel. The title derives from the fact that all of the works result from the use of electronic sound synthesis systems which are all now completely defunct. The disc is partly a testimony to how rapidly the field of electronic music changes but also acts as an invaluable record of former times, providing a series of snapshots through the 70s and 80s sound synthesis scene. It thus documents the rise and the decline of the analogue sound synthesis systems, and gives a glimpse too of the earliest days of experimental digital synthesis under the control of desktop microcomputers. As well as providing a historical dimension, though, this release also demonstrates how timeless is the aesthetic which underlies even high-tech music-making, showing beyond all doubt that while the technology may move on, and centre of the soundworld shift slightly as a consequence, the products of those older technologies remain every bit as valid and as vital today as they ever were.

The disc presents more than an hour's worth of material, all of which comes across as pioneering or exploratory in nature. None of this is idle or pointless experimentation, though, so much as a series of deliberately studied forays into vast and (at the time) completely unexplored territories. Many of these works were the very first to be produced using the systems they feature, systems that were, in fact, often the result of this particular composer's own programming and design work.

While many of the works presented here may have started life as sketches, none of them sound to be in the slightest incomplete. And while there is nothing on the disc that may be regarded as particularly penetrating, there is much to admire and enjoy, especially for those interested in more introspective studies of timbre and texture - or, indeed, love wallowing in the enormous sonic landscapes that these bygone systems could so beautifully invoke.

Tracks:

The Magick Bird Of Chomo-Lung-Ma - Obsolete Vs. Delete
Elephant Alarm - Bob Musso/Sassan Gari
Rubayat - J.P. Sluys
Longwalk - Professor Shehab/Luup
Mystery Reveals - Professor Shehab/Captain Kowatchi/J.P. Sluys
Drunken Monkey Ambient Mix - Professor Shehab/Luup
Nectar - Professor Shehab/Captain Kowatchi/J.P. Sluys
Mushroom Hunter - Pauly Biggs
Birth Of Trancemuter - A Live Performance
Lucid Dreaming In Herbal Colors - Trackilla
Qallah Qallah - Professor Shehab/Captain Kowatchi/J.P. Sluys
Splendrous - Professor Shehab/Dr. Israel
Stellar Cellar Dweller - Megabyte
Age Of The Storm - Spectre

Average customer rating:

If you like..............
Best band you've never heard of..

Obsolete
Backandtotheleft
Manufacturer: Metropolis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Trance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Frost
Illuminate
Gelb
Breathe

ASIN: B000A2H7XG
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Misstep
Conquest
False Alarm
Imperfection
Obsolete
Disposable
Heaven's Isolation
Setting Sun
The Happy Song
The Land Of Make-Believe
Misstep

Customer Reviews:

If you like.....................2006-01-29

If you like Assemblage 23, you HAVE to get BACKANDTOTHELEFT! You just have to! No Questions asked! I saw them in Madison with the "Storm" tour and was just amazed! I LOVED THEM! I had bought the cd just based on the fact that I LOVE ASSEMBLAGE 23! I now love BACKANDTOTHELEFT just as much. I can not wait for more out of them! Non stop fun from beginning to end!

Best band you've never heard of.........2005-11-04

I had never heard of Backandtotheleft untill I went to a concert during Assemblage 23's "Storm" tour. Only knowing A23 and being the reason I was there I didn't really give two craps who else was playing but this band came out and they rocked from beginning to end. I certainly came away from that show a fan. I got to talk with them for a moment after the show and bought their CD and got it signed and all. This is an awsome CD but actually for the first time ever I thought they sounded even better live - but this CD is a must. I can't wait to see what happens with their next release. Tom Shear sure did everyone a favor when he got this bands music out for us all.

Average customer rating:

Not as heavy or hard-hitting, but very very good.

Rise

Manufacturer: Mankind Is Obsolete
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAGTF8
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Customer Reviews:

Not as heavy or hard-hitting, but very very good........2007-04-01

This album is not as harsh or heavy as their EP, Metamorph, nor is it as unrelentingly dark; in fact, there are a few tracks that are positive and even radio-friendly ("She" & "Victory", for example). Nevertheless, due to the sombre aesthetic and use of synths & distortion, I myself would classify this as coldwave/American-style industrial, rather than hard rock.

Regardless, this album is well above average in any category. The guitars are strong, the percussion competent, the vocals simply superb, the song-writing varied, and the lyrics thoughtful. I could wish that the bass was a bigger part of the mix or that a few of the tracks were longer, but this is not a huge detractor. There are a few stand-out, five-star tracks on here ("Beyond", "Still Right Here"), no weak spots, and no filler. And there is at least one song, "Someone Like You", fully as heavy as their first disc.

Rise is also quite accessible. Often I find that I have to listen to a new album 3 or 4 times before I can really digest it: this album had me hooked from the very first go. The radio-friendliness of some of the tracks would make this an excellent choice for people looking to transition from the likes of Evanescence or NIN to something more underground. There are also a couple of tracks ("More than What I Am", "Smile in the Dark") that should appeal to the old-school goth crowd, too.

If you are looking for another Metamorph, you may be dissapointed; nevertheless, this album is well worth the money. As an aside, if you ever get a chance to see MKIO live, I highly recommend you do so.

Average customer rating:

Obsolete
Dashiell Hedayat
Manufacturer: Fgl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0009Y9EUY
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Tracks:

Eh, Mushroom, Will You Mush My Room?: Chrysler/Fille de ...
Cielo Drive/17

Album Description

Here is the much awaited reissue of Obsolete, the mythical album by Dashiell Hadayat, a character emblematic of the 70's French underground. 5 total tracks. Comes packaged in a Digipak. FGL. 2005.

Album Details

Here Comes Finally the So Much Awaited Reissue of "Obsolute", the Mythical Album of Dashiell Hadayat, Character Emblematic of the 70's French Underground .