Concrete (Fear Factory album)

Although released in 2002, Concrete was recorded in 1991 in Blackie Lawless's studios. It was intended to be Fear Factory's first release, but the band wasn't happy with the record deal they were in, so they left their producer, Ross Robinson.

When they were taken to court, Robinson won the rights to the album, and the band retained the rights to the songs. Fear Factory would later re-record eight of the songs for their 1992 debut, Soul of a New Machine, recording under the name "Factoría de Miedo" (Spanish for "Fear Factory") to hide from their label. Robinson would use the album to promote himself, which eventually lead to his producing Korn, whereby he would become the most sought-after nu metal producer of the 1990s. After the band's breakup in 2002, Roadrunner Records released the album to help meet unfulfilled contractual obligations.

Eight of the songs on Concrete were re-recorded in 1992 and released on Soul of a New Machine: "Big God/Raped Souls", "Arise Above Oppression", "Crisis", "Escape Confusion", "Dragged Down by the Weight of Existence" (re-recorded as "W.O.E"), "Desecrate", "Suffer Age", and "Self Immolation". "Concrete" was later renamed as "Concreto" and re-recorded as a b-side for the "Dog Day Sunrise" single, and later appeared as a bonus track for the digipak release of Obsolete.

"Piss Christ" is not the same song as "Pisschrist", which appears on Demanufacture. "Ulceration" is named after the band's original name. "Sangre de Niños" ("Children's Blood" in Spanish) was originally featured on one of the Cry Now, Cry Later 7" compilations released under the "Factoría de Miedo" moniker. "Soulwound" (a bonus track for Obsolete) is a renamed and re-recorded version of "Soulwomb". The opening guitar riff in "Echoes of Innocence" was used as a synthesized motif in "A Therapy for Pain", the final track on Demanufacture. The title also appears in that song as a lyric.

Writing, performance and production credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[4]