Transgression (album) explained

Transgression
Type:studio
Artist:Fear Factory
Cover:Fear Factory - Transgression.jpg
Released:August 22, 2005
Recorded:2005
Length:56:42
Label:Calvin Records
Prev Title:Live on the Sunset Strip
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Mechanize
Next Year:2010

Transgression is the sixth studio album by American industrial metal band Fear Factory. It was released in the UK on August 22, 2005 through Calvin Records and released in the US and Canada the next day on August 23. Guest appearances include Billy Gould, the bassist of Faith No More, and Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton, who co-wrote the song "New Promise".[1] The album was released as an enhanced CD with access to the exclusive Fear Factory website. It was also released as an enhanced DualDisc with the DVD side featuring the whole album in (48,000 kHz), music videos and "The Making of Transgression" video. One could also retrieve another bonus track, entitled "My Grave", by putting the CD into the computer and clicking the 'Music' section at the special website.

Transgression is the last album to feature original drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers who both parted ways with the band in April 2009 after original guitarist Dino Cazares returned to the band. Transgression was the first CD Fear Factory recorded since Soul of a New Machine without Rhys Fulber's input. "Moment of Impact" had a music video which found moderate airplay. The song "Transgression" was used in a scene from the 2007 thriller film Mr. Brooks. This is the first Fear Factory album to include guitar solos, with the songs "Echo of my Scream" and "New Promise" featuring one each.

Reception

The album was met with mixed to negative reviews from both critics and fans. Many have cited the downpoint of the album being the poor production and in contrast to the band's previous albums. Additionally, while other albums had a more clean and industrial styled sound, Transgression has a more raw and less polished production style with most of the industrial elements being less prominent in the albums mix or removed completely. Guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers has stated that, in previous records, the band would usually work closely with the producer, while this time they had a producer "do everything". This resulted in a mix and sound that Christian was not happy with. He also described how he had to walk out of the studio because he wasn't pleased with his guitar sound.[2]

Wolbers stated that the band was disappointed with the album due to its hurried finish due to demands from the band's label. This also accounts for the cover songs. Had the band had more time to finish the record, more tracks would have been included, and the album overall would have sounded better.[3] 18 songs were recorded during the Transgression sessions, with five that have yet to be released. Two of them are "Ammunition" and a cover of Godflesh's "Anthem".[4]

In 2013, Christian Olde Wolbers via his Facebook page revealed more details regarding writing\recording Transgression and Archetype:

In 2016, Metal Hammer named Transgression as Fear Factory's worst album.[5]

Song meanings

The title "540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit" refers to the heat in the middle of a Thermonuclear weapon explosion. The lyrics go into detail about the destruction wrought upon the body brought about by such an explosion, with the chorus lamenting the potential loss of life that may be caused by one of these devices if it was ever to be used. The title is actually a conversion of 300 000 °C.

Credits

Fear Factory

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2005)Position
US"center"45[7]
US Indie"center"6[8]
ARIA Charts"center"26[9]
AUT"center"44[10]
BEL"center"74[11]
FIN"center"38[12]
FRA"center"87[13]
GER"center"37[14]
NLD"center"54[15]
SWE"center"56[16]
UK"center"77[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FEAR FACTORY: New Song Available for Download. July 21, 2005.
  2. Web site: Ear Candy Mag - Interview with Fear Factory. Mike SOS. Ear Candy Mag. April 20, 2007. April 2006.
  3. Web site: Utopia Records - Interview with Fear Factory . Rod Yates . Utopia Records . April 20, 2007 . February 9, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830180918/http://www.utopia.com.au/intv_fearfactory.php . August 30, 2007 . dead .
  4. Web site: Fear Factory - Transgression - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives.
  5. Web site: Louder Sound. Metal Hammer. Boyd. William. Every Fear Factory album, ranked from worst to best. August 19, 2016. January 3, 2020.
  6. Web site: Fear Factory – Transgression (2005, CD). Discogs.
  7. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=fear factory|chart=Billboard 200}} Fear Factory – Chart History: Billboard 200 ]. . . March 25, 2013.
  8. Prometheus Global Media. Billboard. Fear Factory - Chart History: Top Independent Albums. September 22, 2014.
  9. Web site: Discography Fear Factory . australian-charts.com . Hung Medien . December 18, 2008.
  10. Web site: Discographie Fear Factory . austriancharts.at . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  11. Web site: Discografie Fear Factory . ultratop.be . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  12. Web site: Discography Fear Factory . finnishcharts.com . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  13. Web site: Discographie Fear Factory . lescharts.com . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  14. Web site: Chartverfolgung / Fear Factory / Longplay . musicline.de . . de . December 19, 2008.
  15. Web site: Discografie Fear Factory . dutchcharts.nl . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  16. Web site: Discography Fear Factory . swedishcharts.com . Hung Medien . December 19, 2008.
  17. Web site: Chart Log UK: Adam F – FYA . zobbel.de . Tobias Zywietz . March 25, 2013 . Zywietz, Tobias.