Hailing from Oakland , California, Down Factor are shooting to become one of the metal elite with the release of their second album Murder the World. Their brand of death & thrash metal instantly brings to mind bands like Fear Factory, Exodus, Nevermore, and Slayer. At times, the music here gets pretty technical, especially the insane drum work of Ramon Ochoa, who moves into Gene Hoglan-like territory on songs like "Eye Consume" and "Seethe". With some pretty inventive guitar riffs and an overall relentless assault, it's hard not to like these guys. The guitar work from George Anderson and Brooks Rocco is so crisp and crunchy thanks to the stellar mixing job done by Juan Urteaga, that you instantly get pulled in despite some rather ordinary arrangements at times. Lyrically, this is some pretty dark and bleak stuff, but it fits the overall mood of the music. They even throw in a haunting and powerful instrumental titled "The Root of All Evil", which features churning rhythms and excellent lead guitar work from Anderson and Rocco. The title track is perhaps my favorite piece on the CD, with some intricate riffs and pounding drum work supporting Anderson's aggressive vocal attack.
I also dug the creepy layout and design of the booklet, and it's obvious they put some time and effort into it, which basically sums up the whole album. This is quality stuff that probably won't set the world on fire but will definitely raise some eyebrows in a positive way.
Track Listing
1. The Wake
2. Blood of the Patriots - Part I
3. Blood of the Patriots - Part II
4. Gods of War
5. A Song About Insanity
6. Blinded
7. Eye Consume
8. Seethe
9. The Root of All Evil
10. Murder the World
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