Anniversaries are bittersweet in that they are fun to celebrate, but they are often a reminder how quickly time goes past. This became apparent on April 5, 2016, when Fear Factory visited the Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland, to celebrate the anniversary of their iconic Demanufacture album. To pay homage, the band announced it would play the album in its entirety. While that bit of news was exciting, the fact that Demanufacture was released 20 years ago was a bit depressing. But enough of the passage of time, lets get on with the show.
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The show at the Rams Head Live began promptly at 8 pm. There were four bands on the bill, and each added a new layer of energy and excitement to the evening. New York band, Martyrd, kicked off the event. The group played a solid 30 minute thrash style set that established the heavy metal spirit for the evening. Following Martyrd was Los Angeles band, Spades and Blades. High energy is sometimes an overused term, but they defined the term as each member commanded the stage in their own way. They played a great 30 minute set, and they were a blast to watch.
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With the first two bands raising the energy level of the crowd, Swedish death metal veterans Soilwork took the stage. If you’ve been fortunate enough to see them live, you already know that they put on a fantastic show and it was no different in Baltimore. They played a blistering eleven song set that included an eclectic mix of tunes that spanned most of their catalogue. From their newest release, The Ride Majestic, they played “Whirl of Pain” and “The Ride Majestic”.
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After a brief interlude, Fear Factory took the stage. Dino Cazares led the way, raising his guitar high above his head to the thunderous applause of the crowd. As Burton C. Bell took centerstage, the group wasted no time tearing into Demanufacture, playing the eleven track album in order. After finishing the last song, they played a seven song encore that included several songs from their latest release, Genexus, and a few older tunes, including “Martyr” from their highly acclaimed album, Soul of a New Machine.
With Mike Heller Bass manning the kit and Tony Campos on bass, Fear Factory sounded superb. Burton’s vocals were strong throughout the night, and Dino Cazares shredded the guitar in typical Dino fashion.
Fear Factory has been through its share of issues over their history, but they’ve continued to put out fantastic music regardless of their situation. After 26 years, it’s wonderful to see this groundbreaking band still standing and touring. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss the chance to see this tour as it has a great lineup. Meanwhile, I’ll sit back and wonder how in the hell my beloved 90’s occurred over two decades ago.
Fear Factory consists of: Burton C. Bell (vocals), Dino Cazares (guitar), Tony Campos (bass), & Mike Heller (drums).
