City of Fire

Fear Factory side-project City of Fire are basically a much more mellow and commercially accessible version of Fear Factory. Featuring the Factory's bassist Byron Stroud and vocalist Burton C. Bell, along with drummer Bob Wagner (of Econoline Crush ― yeah, Econoline Crush), as well as guitarists Ian White and Terry Murray, City of Fire's self-titled debut is slightly under-whelming and bland most of the time. The album starts strong and heavy with "Carve Your Name," but it's downhill from there, except for "Spirit Guide," which is an angrier track that contains tons of groove. The rest of the album, however, is a drag. Boasting a "sound reflective of the evolving maturity of its members and audience," City of Fire's release is really just a series of boring ambient tracks. The only commendable aspect of the record is Bell's impeccable vocal range, which never ceases to amaze.