Fear Factory - Obsolete

Well, if you've been following this blog, you will have read about my "Industrial Music finds" which is my little adventure on picking up physical copies of albums that I love and would either like to have them in my physical collection, or am picking up older pieces that I used to have in my collection, that I'm picking up again to once again have it in my collection, as... out of all honesty, I really like having physical stuff (predominantly CD's and such). You will also have noticed that one of the recent finds was a physical copy of Fear Factory's "Obsolete" (you can find that particular blog here!). Well, I'm listening to it a lot these days and it's such a good album! I didn't really get into Fear Factory until about 7 or 8 years ago, before that time period, I found it difficult to get into them, but after purchasing their "Mechanize" album... they started to grow on me (seeing them live many years ago also helped with that too). I always thought they were too technical, too machine-like... not sure if that was intentional on their part, but after all these years I'm starting to really enjoy their stuff! And, as far as I'm concerned of all the stuff I've heard of their's, I do think "Obsolete" is probably their best album (for me)! The reason why is cause first of all, I love the song "Descent"... just the way it fuckin sounds! It's so sad and bleak sounding, and even lyrically... so sad! I will say this album kinda reminds me of Skinny Puppy's "Back and Forth: 3 & 4"... just the way it sounds... and the continuity within the album, each song is perfectly placed, and naturally flows into the other... granted Fear Factory's music has always been highly conceptual... but I feel like, out of all their albums (that I've heard), this one seems to flow and it doesn't seem disjointed in any parts... Also, I really like the production (and hey Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly did some of the programming on it)! If you wanted to dig deeper on this album, and have a physical CD, there's a story that's included in the liner notes with the lyrics, that basically tells the story that the lyrics are centered around! Sooo good!! I just wanted to share my thoughts and how I feel... I will recommend though, if you are into industrial metal type stuff!! What is your favorite Fear Factory album?

Collecting Physical CD's and Industrial Music History

(Ministry's "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste")

Well, I've decided to collect CD's again... I realize in this day and age they are pretty much valueless, but to be honest, I've never been into vinyl... and quite frankly I don't want to start... I come from an age where CD's were the predominant medium for music. The whole reason for me collecting these pieces again, is first of all, I like looking at my CD collection, and seeing all the music I have... second, when people come over to my place, they can look at that collection, and there are stories and conversations to be had about those pieces... thirdly, I love looking at the artwork and the liner notes and shit like that, sometimes there is stories in the liner notes, and I like reading them and such. That is one thing that I think that is missing from today's digital music collection... the artwork, the stories, all of that! Most of today's releases there really isn't a digital booklet connected with the album... sure you get the cover artwork, but you don't get the stuff inside, cause generally bands don't include it in the purchase of the music... and a lot of the music aggregators don't allow for a band to include the digital booklet.

(Ministry's "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" back cover)

Today's find was Ministry's "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste". I did have this album when I was in my late teens (18 or 19 or so), but I've realized I love this stuff and I still would like to have it in my collection, and not too sure why I got rid of it in the first place. Lately, I've been really digging Ministry's stuff, and have decided to pick this stuff up again! I've actually been on a whole Wax Trax! kick lately (I know Ministry was not a part of Wax Trax! at this point, but yeah, just been really trying to grab as much of Ministry's stuff, as well as Chris Connelly's stuff, and other select pieces)... I think it's because the whole Wax Trax documentary (Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records), and being that I was too young at the time to really appreciate the whole Wax Trax! "scene" at the time... and I also saw Lead Into Gold last summer... I've just wanted to really explore more of industrial music history and see the evolution of it all, from where we started to where we are now! I mean you look at the start of industrial with Throbbing Gristle and look at it through the years and then Ministry starts the industrial metal thing, and then you look at today's industrial and it has evolved even further! Yeah, just exciting!!

What are you folks listening to, and excited about in the industrial scene?