Search - Factory 81 :: Mankind

Nothing short of spectacular

J. Moscatello | mt pleasant, sc United States | 01/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"factory 81 were never trying to make it big.lead singer nate's lyrics are haunting,harsh,blunt,and somewhat disturbing at times.his words are strong and thought provoking, unlike most of the sugar coated poetry in the songs these days.the music is very heavy, very distorted guitars and drumwork with a snare crack that is distinguishable anywhere.there is also a solid use of effects to enhance the disc, making it more unpredictable.the album is unique in that it is a story in itself, taking the listener on a wide variety of emotions,states,and even a song called "diary of a serial killer" displays the haunting truths of life.this album was very out of place in its genre,rising above all the muck and filth polluting it, yet not commercial enough to take them tot he top.amazing brutal album from a band that was gifted in every way, yet no one seemed interested to hear them.amazing work."

What happens when you're rushed instead of developed (1.5/5

Mike | Here and There | 11/20/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"When Factory 81 broke out in the late-90's in suburban Detroit, most abandoned any and all criticism they could have thrown in this band's direction and stuck their nose in F81's behinds, blowing up their ego into having them believe that they were an amazing band. For a local band, this group was absolutely ahead of the class in the Detroit scene, but as a national act that could be sustainable, they were simply considered to be another disposable group that could be manipulated and sold as part of the nu-metal trend.



There were signs this band could have benefited from further development instead of being pushed on a national level. For whatever reason though, when Mojo Records made an offer to their local label, they were catapulted into the spotlight with a remastered version of an album that for all intents and purposes, should have remained a local one. It was critically reviled and didn't do much to set them apart from the other bands coming out at the time.



As soon as the band was cast into the national spotlight, however, a lot of the fans and musicians who previously kissed their behinds started to turn on them. The same people who spent their time going to their shows, telling them how great they were, and who'd jump through hoops to get on a show with the band became the ones who were happiest to see them destroyed; largely out of their own jealousy towards Factory 81's success in both securing a deal on a national record label and touring internationally to support it (One particular instance stood out to me where a guy was completely bad-mouthing them at his own band's show one week and was then rushing to be on the set of their "Nanu" video the following week.) In the end, the heat they attracted in Detroit was due largely to the scene they were in as opposed to a true genuine interest in the music they were creating.



While this band may have been a victim of themselves, they could have been made a victim of the cancerous scene that claimed to support them, Mojo Records (who bought their album and then folded), and Universal Music Group, who couldn't have cared less to support them and subsequently dropped them. Put all that together and you have a recipe for disaster that most bands don't recover from; these guys unfortunately being one of them.



So what about this album? Even taking the age of the album out of consideration, there's nothing on here that's truly groundbreaking. The guitars and bass are solid, the drumming can be amazing one moment and sloppy the next, and the vocals do lack consistency or even a true identity, going back and forth from sounding either like MJK from Tool, Jonathan Davis from KoRn, or Zach de la Rocha from RATM. All and all, if you're feeling like listening to a group that sounds like a perfect hybrid of mid-90's Tool, Deftones, Korn, RATM, and early Machine Head, then yeah, this will be up your alley if you can overlook the singing. Otherwise, while this would have made an excellent pickup to support the up-and-coming band playing at the 300 capacity bar, as a nationally released album it comes up short."

Grows tiresome

the heckler | Michigan, USA | 03/16/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Factory 81 always seemed to be on the brink of being something really special but never quite made it. Mankind is a fairly obvious testament to the shortcomings of the band. Namely, track for track, the album all sounds pretty much the same. From slightly awkward rap-metal to droning grindcore, Mankind is one of the most difficult CDs to listen to from beginning to end. It starts out strong with "Nanu" but gradually loses momentum as the barrage of uninspired riffs and melodies grow increasingly mundane. With obvious debt to bands such as Tool and Deftones, Factory 81 rarely rise to a level above third-rate rap-metal.



Mankind could be pared down to make a killer E.P., but as a full-length release it's simply boring."