Live: Fear Factory Astoria, London Live Review 22-6-2004 SashaS – Deo2.com Fear Factory: from the land-of-the-brand butí¢ä‰åŒ_ On the eve on the longest day, as England manages to get one up on the way to the glorious victory, Fear Factory take to the London stage for another triumphant show. Promoting the ‘Archetype’ album after the regrouping of the altered personnel, they are even a meaner machine. The sound is big, murky, heavy, nonconformist, rolling like an enormous road-train over a kangaroo caught in its lights. The rhythm booms like God of Thunder has replaced Raymond Herrera behind the battery, new bassist is ripping like a marauding Viking his looks actually remind us of. Byron Stroud’s taken over the bassing duty from Christian Olde Walbers who is now guitarist with such penchant for huge mutha of riffs. Burton C. Bell presides over with a vocal that appears to be more militant, more passionate, more confident and often as if emerging from the vicinity of the Prince of the Underworld his mane flies every which way as he delivers lyrics that can chill your blood. The singer appears happy to be doing it this way and not restricted [check our interview] by the ousted member, Dino Cazares. [And, tellingly, no song from ‘Digimortal’ makes the setlist.] New songs – opening duo of ‘Slave Labor’, ‘Cyberwaste’, the title cut later í¢ä‰åäóì are backed with older fan favourites such as ‘Dog Day Sunrise’ and even the opening track of their debut album, ‘Soul Of A New Machine’ – ‘Martyr’. í¢ä‰åñFrom 1992,í¢ä‰åŒ reminds us Burt in one of the rare occasions he addresses the audience. There was also a version of the Nirvana cover, ‘School’, a bonus cut on the current disc. Mr Bell and his cyber-reprobates believe in the might of Rock’n’Roll and make it hard not to be swept away by their enthusiasm and songs as effortlessly engaging as football is for millions. Tonight’s sold-out show confirms – as well as the unusually empty London streets – that, despite the general belief, not all of us are addicted to the ‘beautiful game’. A monstrous show – just like being kicked on the inner brain cells. Bruisingly powerful and delightful. Fear Factory, the metal’s rare literati. Playing against the culture of clich퀌©s, they gonna tell you about it with warnings about the future as dark as the soul of a ‘Terminator’.They are the harbinger of new mythology with tuned-downed, screamed-over schizo’d-up repertoire.Fear Factory come from the land of the brave, the free and the brand but ain’t easily branded. They are the rock’s ferocious archetype. Setlist: Slave Labor Cyberwaste Demanufacture Zero Signal Shock Edgecrusher Scumgrief Dog Day Sunrise Act Of God Arise Above Pisschrist Archetype Resurrection School Martyr Replica Human Shields Timelessness For more go to http://www.deo2.com.