Transgression (album)

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r787286|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]

|rev2 = Blabbermouth.net

|rev2score = {{Rating|7.5|10}}[http://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/transgression/ Blabbermouth.net review]

}}

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.{{cite web|title = Ear Candy Mag - Interview with Fear Factory|author=Mike SOS|publisher=Ear Candy Mag|url=http://www.earcandymag.com/fearfactory-2006.htm|accessdate=April 20, 2007|date=April 2006}}

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.{{cite web|title=Utopia Records - Interview with Fear Factory |author=Rod Yates |publisher=Utopia Records |url=http://www.utopia.com.au/intv_fearfactory.php |accessdate=April 20, 2007 |date=February 9, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830180918/http://www.utopia.com.au/intv_fearfactory.php |archive-date=August 30, 2007 |url-status=dead }} 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".{{Cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Fear_Factory/Transgression/84801|title=Fear Factory - Transgression - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives}}

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

{{cquote|We had some really heavy shit on Transgression that never made it to the album because Burt didn't wanna sing on fast blast beat songs. We had over 20 songs. Burt picked the songs he wanted to write too. I helped create and helped write at least 60% of the vocal hooks and melodies on Archetype. I held his hand during the writing and demo process. I wrote the verse in "Cyberwaste", chorus melodies in Archetype, etc... Only "Bonescraper" was done on the spot in the studio. On Transgression I wasn't allowed to interfere with Burt's writing process. It was Burt and Toby. When I heard the first takes I cringed and thought it was demo stage to still find the melodies etc. They told me it was a done deal and to stay out of it. Transgression, I am NOT proud of at all. It's crap. I produced Archetype. Burt produced Transgression with Toby Wright. That is the truth.|https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=490163041030854&id=281907298680&comment_id=5372926&offset=0&total_comments=58 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}}}

In 2016, Metal Hammer named Transgression as Fear Factory's worst album.{{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|date=August 19, 2016|accessdate=January 3, 2020}}

{{tracklist

| all_lyrics = Burton C. Bell, except where noted

| all_music = Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera, except where noted

| total_length =56:45

| title1 = 540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit

| length1 = 4:28

| title2 = Transgression

| length2 = 4:50

| title3 = Spinal Compression

| length3 = 4:12

| title4 = Contagion

| length4 = 4:39

| title5 = Empty Vision

| length5 = 4:55

| title6 = Echo of My Scream

| length6 = 6:58

| title7 = Supernova

| length7 = 4:32

| title8 = New Promise

| length8 = 5:13

| note8 = music: Wolbers, Herrera, Mark Morton

| title9 = I Will Follow

| length9 = 3:42

| note9 = U2 cover) (lyrics: Bono; music: U2

| title10 = Millennium

| length10 = 5:26

| note10 = Killing Joke cover) (lyrics and music: Jaz Coleman, Martin "Youth" Glover, Kevin "Geordie" Walker

| title11 = Moment of Impact

| length11 = 4:03

|all_writing=|title13=|length13=|title14=|length14=|title15=|length15=|title16=|length16=|title17=|length17=|title18=|length18=|title19=|length19=|title20=|length20=}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Exclusive download

| title12 = My Grave

| length12 = 5:36

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Bonus tracks for Japan

| title12 = Empire

| length12 = 3:47

| title13 = Slave Labor

| length13 = 4:05

| note13 = live

| title14 = Cyberwaste

| length14 = 3:40

| note14 = live

| title15 = Drones

| length15 = 4:57

| note15 = live

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = DVD track listing

| title1 = 540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit

| length1 = 4:28

| title2 = Transgression

| length2 = 4:50

| title3 = Spinal Compression

| length3 = 4:10

| title4 = Contagion

| length4 = 4:37

| title5 = Empty Vision

| length5 = 4:52

| title6 = Echo of My Scream

| length6 = 6:57

| title7 = Supernova

| length7 = 4:30

| title8 = New Promise

| length8 = 5:12

| title9 = I Will Follow

| length9 = 3:40

| note9 = U2 cover

| title10 = Millennium

| length10 = 5:24

| note10 = Killing Joke cover

| title11 = Moment of Impact

| length11 = 4:02

| title12 = Transgression

| length12 = 4:51

| note12 = music video

| title13 = Spinal Compression

| length13 = 4:13

| note13 = music video

| title14 = Moment of Impact

| length14 = 4:06

| note14 = music video

| title15 = The Making of Transgression: Violation

| length15 = 5:44

| title16 = The Making of Transgression: Corruption

| length16 = 7:23

| title17 = The Making of Transgression: Contention

| length17 = 7:36

}}

{{unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

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.

• Burton C. Bell – vocals ("Vox Martyr Automata"), effects ("Comprehensive Supervision"); engineering
• Christian Olde Wolbers – guitars ("Visceral Pentatonic Resonance"), bass ("Intrinsic Low End Converge"); arrangements ("Hypermutation of Musical Arrangements")
• Raymond Herrera – drums ("Systematic Battery"); arrangements ("Hypermutation of Musical Arrangements"), engineering
• Byron Stroud – bass* (*credited as a band member but does not perform on the album)

• Reggie Boyd – production assistant
• Tom Jermann – visual design
• Toby Wright – producer, engineer, mixing
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• James Musshorn – assistant engineer
• Matt Prine – editing, visual direction
• Shaun Thingvold – engineer
• Chad Michael Ward – still pictures
• Ben Templesmith – cover artwork{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Fear-Factory-Transgression/release/538482|title = Fear Factory – Transgression (2005, CD)|website = Discogs}}
• Steve Tushar – engineer, design, effects ("Design Strategies For Spectral Ambience")
• Paul Lawler – sound designer ("Additional Textured Compensation") (4 & 6)
• Billy Gould – bass (Special Bass Enhancement) (6 & 7)
• Russell Ali – additional guitar (7)

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Category:Fear Factory albums

Category:2005 albums

Category:Albums produced by Toby Wright