When I saw the flyer of this specific tour in late August, I was psyched. When I realised that it fell right on my trip schedule, I started jumping around like a small kid opening its Christmas presents. Fear Factory has been one of the first bands I heard ("Replica" will always be on my top-10 songs). A FF tee was one of the first metal shirts I ever bought. "Demanufacture" was one of the first records I owned. The last time I saw them was in 2010 in Athens promoting "Mechanize", which I really fancy. Given the mediocre impression that "The Industrialist" left me, especially after having heard "Mechanize", I was very curious to see if they could convince me that they still have it.
This time I made sure to arrive early at the venue to avoid cold (OK, I lied. I was confused about the time; the event was set at 19:00 and the ticket wrote 18:30). About half-an-hour later I stepped inside. Devoted fans got a hold on the barricade and people gathered as Dagoba was ready to hit the stage. I was astonished by the feedback those Frenchies had! The audience would sing along some lyrics and mosh from the very begining. Their set was tight and heavy during the 30' it lasted. My personal favorite was the drummer, who could have easily been playing for Motley Crue. Kudos for the style! The moment they finished, the stage caught on fire by the road crew rushing to set everything for FF.
If there's a word that best describes Fear Factory, I believe it's 'drum triggers'. You perceive the noise about to be blasted in your face from the drum tests. After 20' the crew was done and "The Industrialist(s)" got loose. It came to a surprise when I saw Matt DeVries on the bass guitar. I had heard about the departure of Byron Stroud but never followed the story, so last time I heard about Matt, he was still playing in Chimaira and would be moving to Six Feet Under. The guys delivered a fast, loud and abrasive setlist for one hour. I did notice, however, the absence of a couple of songs, like "Resurrection". The mystery was later resolved, as Devin Townsend apologized for shortening the setlist due to curfew. When Burton C. Bell anounced that the last four songs would be from the "Demanufacture" album, the crowd got fired up. Reaching the end with "Replica", BCB asked the crowd to repeat after him that "(They) don't want to live that way" and ended in the most spectacular way their concert.
While the stage was being reset, a compilation of funny youtube videos played on the background, until the time Devin and the guys hit the stage. Truth is, I have never actually followed DT 's career, but I do have more or less heard some of his work. I honestly believe that this hilarious Canadian troll is a musical genius. And he proved (all of) it while playing. The audience brought the house down and willingly participated to the sing-alongs, helping Devin to look even more "un-cool". The most amazing moment was during the intro of "Lucky Animals", when they were asked to sing and display their "jazz hands" in order to make "the most irritating song [he] has ever written that much more irritating".
This concert went way beyond my expextations and made my trip totally worth it. If you haven't still caught FF on the road, you should. You definitely should.
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