Out of our Xela...

Well, today is our last full day in Xela. We´re finishing up our Spanish lessons, and will be saying goodbye to our homestay mother early tomorrow morning. She was very nice, and cooked us really good vegetarian meals.

Spanish lessons went very well- the subjunctive still sucks though.

Our probable next step is Guatemala City, which should only be a jumpoff for El Salvador.

Now, to continue with what I started before I left and the desert island discs...

First of all, I must mention that I was talked into buying the London Calling album on Christmas Day 1999, by my Uncle Pat, when I was a mere 14 years old. I had just gotten my first pair of Doc Martens, as then I was only a budding young punk, whose sole knowledge of the style was that it was fast and loud. London Calling changed that, all for the better. Thanks Uncle Pat. I eventually repaid him by getting him a London Calling t-shirt...from London.

Anyway, onto today´s entry.

I know a lot of Fear Factory fans, and a vast majority of them tell me that their favorite FF album is Demanufacture. With all due respect, that´s a great album, but I would have to go with Obsolete.

My reason is this. Concept albums are typically hard to follow and often border on cheesiness more intense than a birthday party in middle school. The boys in FF managed to avoid this by creating a science fiction futuristic hell where it kind of resembles Terminator. Musically, they managed to forge the perfect alloy of cold industrial machinery with organic melodicism, ambience and emotion.
Burton C. Bell´s vocals are at their best in both respects- brutal shouts that give way to a world weary howl, Dino´s guitar work is atmospheric yet punishing, the synth effects are always well placed, and the rhythm section of Christian and Ray will kick the ass of any drum machine. I dare any programmer or hotshot drummer to come up with anything that sounds as cool as the drum salvos in ¨Shock.¨

This album also contains one of my favorite songs of all time. The second-to-last track of the storyline, Resurrection features the most dramatic shift from such a minimalist arrangement during the verses (lone synth pad, Burton´s lonely, isolated, almost imprisoned vocals) to absolute brutality- Burton goes from a sing to a scream in the same word. Yes.

Anyway, this album still stands the test of time for me- it sounds nothing like the nu metal that it was lumped in with. It also represents, to me, the perfect fusion of mechanical and human in music and lyrics.