Editing Soul of a New Machine

{{For|the book by Tracy Kidder|The Soul of a New Machine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Soul of a New Machine
| type         = album
| artist       = [[Fear Factory]]
| cover        = Fear Factory Soul of a New Machine.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = August 25, 1992
| recorded     = May 1992
| studio       = Grand Master, Ltd. ([[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]])
| genre        = <!--Genres sourced in the Overview section-->
*[[Death metal]]
*[[industrial metal]]
| length       = 55:14
| label        = [[Roadrunner Records|Roadrunner]]
| producer     = [[Colin Richardson]]
| prev_title   = 
| prev_year    = 
| next_title   = [[Fear Is the Mindkiller]]
| next_year    = 1993
| misc         = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Fear Factory]] studio album
 | type       = studio
 | prev_title = 
 | prev_year  = 
 | title      = Soul of a New Machine
 | year       = 1992
 | next_title = [[Demanufacture (album)|Demanufacture]]
 | next_year  = 1995
}}
}}

'''''Soul of a New Machine''''' is the debut studio album by American [[industrial metal]] band [[Fear Factory]], released on August 25, 1992, by [[Roadrunner Records]]. Although this record was Fear Factory's first studio album to be released, it was actually their second album to be recorded, after ''[[Concrete (Fear Factory album)|Concrete]]'', which was recorded in 1991 but not released until 11 years later. German magazine ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]'' described it as [[death metal]] with many other elements such as [[industrial metal]].

''Soul of a New Machine'' was remastered and re-released on October 5, 2004, in a [[digipak]], packaged together with the remastered ''[[Fear Is the Mindkiller]]'' EP.

==Overview==
Guitarist [[Dino Cazares]] has stated that ''Soul of a New Machine'' is a [[concept album]], concerning man's creation of a machine that could be either technological or governmental. It was also confirmed by bassist [[Christian Olde Wolbers]] in an interview.<ref name="KindaMuzik">{{cite web|title = KindaMuzik - Interview with Christian Olde Wolbers|author=Bart Nijssen|publisher=KindaMuzik|url=http://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/fear-factory/fear-factory|accessdate=2007-04-13|date=September 17, 2001}}</ref> The particular concept would later play a more prominent role in some of Fear Factory's later albums.

Jason Birchmeier of [[AllMusic]] described the album as ushering in the [[alternative metal]] era of the 1990s.<ref name="Fear Factory's Soul of a New Machine album review" /> ''Soul of a New Machine'' has also been described as [[death metal]] with elements of genres like [[industrial metal]] and, to some extent, [[grindcore]].<ref name="Metal Hammer">{{cite web|publisher=[[Louder Sound]]|work=[[Metal Hammer]]|last=Boyd|first=William|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/every-fear-factory-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best-1?fbclid=IwAR1EwkWrFDjDg16KpTavKJwW6iuCPr_1vRtqQt2g4nWH5VbHVR10p0IZCDQ|title=Every Fear Factory album, ranked from worst to best|quote=Nobody else was merging the toxic combination of death and industrial metal except Fear Factory|date=August 19, 2016|accessdate=January 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aversionline.com/view/fear-factory-scumgrief-from-soul-of-a-new-machine-roadrunner-1992 |title=Song of the Day: Fear Factory, "Scumgrief," from Soul of a New Machine (Roadrunner, 1992) |publisher=Aversion Online |date=August 14, 2014 |accessdate=January 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2013/11/oldie-but-goldie-fear-factory-soul-of-a-new-machine/ |title=Oldie But Goldie: Fear Factory – Soul of a New Machine |date=November 21, 2013 |publisher=Moshville |accessdate=January 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2022/10/12/youre-gonna-want-to-pick-up-this-limited-edition-vinyl-set-of-fear-factorys-soul-of-a-new-machine/ |title=You're Gonna Want to Pick Up This Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set of Fear Factory's Soul of a New Machine |publisher=MetalSucks |last=Keenan |first=Hesher |date=October 12, 2022 |accessdate=January 5, 2022}}</ref> Author Colin Larkin of ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' wrote "''Soul of a New Machine'' established Fear Factory as a genuine death metal force, with a good collection of songs delivered with originality and ferocity."<ref>{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |quote=The Colin Richardson-produced ''Soul of a New Machine'' established Fear Factory as a genuine death metal force, with a good collection of songs delivered with originality and ferocity. |publisher=Omnibus Press |date=May 27, 2011 |isbn= 9780857125958}}</ref>

The record featured a different conceptual style from Fear Factory's later works. "Martyr" is about someone who dies for a cause; "Leechmaster" is about relationship problems; "Scapegoat" was based on how Cazares was once wrongfully accused by the law; "Crisis" is an anti-war song; "Crash Test" concerns [[animal testing]] and "Suffer Age" is based on [[serial killer]] [[John Wayne Gacy]]. The other songs contain different themes. Samples from the movies ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'', ''[[Blade Runner]]'', and ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' are heard sporadically throughout the album.

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Fear Factory's Soul of a New Machine album review">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r57074/review|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score = 8/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |year=2007 |location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], [[Canada]] |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=154}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]''
| rev3Score = 8.5/10<ref name="Rock Hard"/>
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->

AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier remarked that "Fear Factory were quite ahead of their time in 1992". The critic also noted the diversity of the genres featured in the recording, saying that "Soul of a New Machine was so groundbreaking because it [fused] together some of the best aspects of numerous metal subgenres", which "[resulted] in a unique sound".<ref name="Fear Factory's Soul of a New Machine album review" />

''Rock Hard'' rated the album highly, saying that the sound of the album was strange, indescribable yet required listening. Rock Hard also complimented the blending of various sub-genres, with particular note to Burton Bell for managing such an eclectic set of vocals.<ref name="Rock Hard">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/fear-factory-soul-of-a-new-machine_269991.html|title=Soul of a New Machine review by Rock Hard|author=Frank Albrecht|publisher=Rock Hard|accessdate=29 January 2019}}</ref>

*''[[Kerrang!]]'' (p.&nbsp;61) - "[The album] contains all the unrefined qualities that would soon make Fear Factory legendary."

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_lyrics = [[Burton C. Bell]] except where noted
| all_music = [[Dino Cazares]] and [[Raymond Herrera]]
| title1 = Martyr
| lyrics1 =
| length1 = 4:06
| title2 = Leechmaster
| lyrics2 =
| length2 = 3:54
| title3 = Scapegoat
| lyrics3 =
| length3 = 4:33
| title4 = Crisis
| lyrics4 =
| length4 = 3:45
| title5 = Crash Test
| lyrics5 =
| length5 = 3:46
| title6 = Flesh Hold
| lyrics6 =
| length6 = 2:31
| title7 = Lifeblind
| lyrics7 =
| length7 = 3:51
| title8 = Scumgrief
| lyrics8 =
| length8 = 4:07
| title9 = Natividad
| lyrics9 =
| length9 = 1:04
| title10 = Big God/Raped Souls
| lyrics10 =
| length10 = 2:38
| title11 = Arise Above Oppression
| 
| length11 = 1:51
| title12 = Self Immolation
| lyrics12 =
| length12 = 2:46
| title13 = Suffer Age
| 
| length13 = 3:40
| title14 = W.O.E.
| lyrics14 =
| length14 = 2:33
| title15 = Desecrate
| lyrics15 =
| length15 = 2:35
| title16 = Escape Confusion
|
| length16 = 3:58
| title17 = Manipulation
| lyrics17 =
| length17 = 3:29
| total_length = 55:14
}}

==Credits==
===Fear Factory===
*[[Burton C. Bell]] – lead vocals (credited as "Dry Lung Vocal Martyr"), programming (credited as "Hardware, Utilities"), lyrics, intro programming (10)
*[[Dino Cazares]] – guitars (credited as "Discordant"), bass, arrangements
*[[Raymond Herrera]] – drums (credited as "Variable Percussive Wrecking")
*Andrew Shives – bass ("Discordant Bass"){{efn|name=bass|group=main}}

===Additional personnel===
*[[Colin Richardson]] – producer, mixing, add. performer (9)
*Steve Harris – engineer, mixing
*Bradley Cook – assistant engineer
*Rober Fayer – assistant engineer, add. performer (9) 
*Eddy Schreyer – mastering
*[[Ted Jensen]] – remastering (Expanded Edition)
*Satok Lrak, Karl Kotas (spelled backwards) – computer graphics, art direction
*Joe Lance – photography
*Lora Porter – executive producer, add. performer (9)
*Otis – sampling (credited as "Sample God"),
*Darius Seponlou – introduction (5), intro programming (5)
*[[Monte Conner]] – A&R

==References==
{{notelist|group=main|refs=
{{efn|name=bass|Andrew Shives was officially credited as the album's bassist in the liner notes and artwork. Years later, Dino Cazares stated that he himself (and not Shives) played all of the bass parts on the album. Burton C. Bell also corroborated Cazares' claims, although in that particular interview, Bell also claimed that Shives' replacement (Christian Olde Wolbers) did not play on the subsequent ''Demanufacture'' album, which was disputed by numerous others. Shives has not publicly commented on his role in the band since then.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.moshville.co.uk/interview/2015/12/interview-burton-c-bell-of-fear-factory/ |title=Interview: Burton C Bell of Fear Factory |website=The Moshville Times |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref>}}
}}
{{Reflist}}

{{FearFactory}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soul of a New Machine}}
[[Category:1992 debut albums]]
[[Category:Fear Factory albums]]
[[Category:Roadrunner Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Colin Richardson]]
[[Category:1990s concept albums]]