Fear Factory

Burton C. Bell – Vocals
Raymond Herrera – Drums
Christian Olde Wolbers – Guitar
Byron Stroud – Bass

Rarely can a musical artist claim to be a true innovator, a creator of their own genre, a revolutionary amongst a sea of sameness. Having invented the “cyber metal” sound, Fear Factory is one of those rare cases.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1990, Fear Factory entered the metal scene with a crushing debut with 1992’s Soul Of A New Machine. Combining death metal with an industrial influence, the original lineup of vocalist Burton C. Bell, drummer Raymond Herrera, guitarist Dino Cazares and bassist Andrew Shives was onto something that had not been widely explored. Even Fear Factory’s earliest sound was immediately distinguishable by Herrera’s intense machine-like drumming and Bell’s tremendous dual vocal style, which seemed to effortlessly switch between animalistic growls and clear, operatic tones. Fear Factory had set a new standard in extreme music, a standard they would continue to bear to this very day.

Soon after the release of Soul Of A New Machine, the band would release the Fear Is The Mindkiller EP. Fear Is The Mindkiller was composed of material from Soul Of A New Machine, remixed by Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly for an added industrial edge. Herrera and Bell’s fascination with technology would become a recurring theme for Fear Factory, both lyrically and stylistically, as they would often feature remixes as bonus tracks on studio albums.

In 1995, Fear Factory would release their second full length album, Demanufacture, which further refined Fear Factory’s distinct sound. Herrera’s beats invoked robotic, mechanical imagery, while Bell’s lyrics were bleak and ominous. This was also the introduction of bassist Christian Olde Wolbers, who would replace Shives. The album told a tale of machines overthrowing humanity and human opposition to mechanical progress. The remix album, Remanufacture, was very well received by fans and kept the band fresh in listeners’ minds until the release of Obsolete in 1998.

Obsolete saw a creative surge in Fear Factory. The album blended the technological themes of Demanufacture with a more cinematic atmosphere while Bell’s vocals reached a new level of refinement. A commercial success, Obsolete saw the band breaking into the Top 100 on the album charts. A headlining spot on the second stage of 1999’s Ozzfest as well as the band’s involvement in soundtracks to movies like Saw, Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil and video games like Rainbow Six: Lockdown and Donkey Kong Country helped to further cement Fear Factory as one of the premiere artists of the extreme music scene.

Digimortal, which was released in 2001, would be the last Fear Factory studio album to feature Cazares on guitars. Although the album reached Top 40 status, Bell and Cazares were having differences, and Bell left the band. In 2002 the band released their original demo recordings as Concrete and in 2003, an album of remixes and rarities called Hatefiles. Just when it seemed the band was over, Bell returned and Cazares departed, allowing Fear Factory to be resurrected and create their return effort, Archetype, on Liquid 8 Records. Olde Wolbers took on guitar duties and Byron Stroud of Strapping Young Lad was recruited to handle bass. Archetype was a return to the Demanufacture-era sound, and won much praise from longtime fans and press.

Summer of 2005 sees the band preparing to release their fifth studio album, Transgression. Herrera describes Transgression as “very precise and heavy… Burton’s vocals soar while the keyboards add a cinematic and industrial feeling.” Transgression sees the band working with producer Toby Wright for the first time. “Toby has worked with huge bands like Metallica, Korn, Alice In Chains and Soulfly,” says Herrera. “It’s definitely interesting working with somebody of his caliber. He’s also a really big fan, so it’s not like we’re just bringing in a heavy hitter who doesn’t know what this band is about.” Herrera also offers a preview of some of the new material. “'Supernova' is a mid-tempo song that will likely become a single, while 'Echoes Of My Scream' features classical strings and an operatic sound.” With a confirmed slot alongside Megadeth, Dream Theater, Nevermore and the Dillinger Escape Plan on this summer’s Gigantour, Fear Factory will soon be bringing Transgression to towns across the country.

Fear Factory was one of the first bands to fuse the loud, crushing intensity of death metal with the cold harshness of industrial electronics and samples, producing a more varied sonic palette with which to express their bleak, pessimistic view of modern, technology-driven society. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1990 by vocalist Burton C. Bell (formerly of Hate Face), percussionist Raymond Herrera, and guitarist and ex-Douche Lord Dino Cazares. Following their contribution of two tracks to the L.A. Death Metal compilation, Fear Factory signed to Roadrunner Records and released their debut album, Soul of a New Machine, in 1992, which featured new bass player Andrew Shives, added to allow Cazares to play guitar on tour. The following year's Fear Is the Mind Killer EP showed Fear Factory's willingness to experiment with their music and broaden its scope by placing tracks from their debut in the hands of remixers Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly; the EP also marked the debut of keyboardist Reynor Diego, who along with Fulber joined the band as a touring keyboardist. Shives was fired in 1994 and replaced by Christian Olde Wolbers. In 1995, Fear Factory released its second full-length album of new material, Demanufacture; it was followed two years later by another remix project, Remanufacture (Cloning Technology), which this time featured contributions from a number of different remixers, including many techno-oriented artists, as well as more input from Fear Factory themselves. Steve Tushar replaced Diego in 1996. The members of the band have performed in a number of side projects, the most notable of which is Cazares' and Herrera's Brujeria; others include G/Z/R (Bell) and Nailbomb (Cazares). Fear Factory reconvened in 1998 for Obsolete, a record that found the band's well-established style fitting seamlessly into the growing alternative metal boom. As such, it became the band's biggest hit yet, hitting the Top 100 on the album charts. Fear Factory's profile was further boosted by appearances on several film soundtracks and on the 1999 Ozzfest tour. Their next album, 2001's Digimortal, entered the charts in the Top 40, but by the next year vocalist Bell decided to leave the band. Cazares was the one who eventually left the band, however, while Wolbers moved to guitar and Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad) was hired for the bass spot. Amidst the lineup changes, Roadrunner dropped the band and, in 2002, issued their original 1991 recordings on the compilation Concrete. Fear Factory moved to Liquid 8 for 2004's Archetype. The equally merciless Transgression followed in August 2005. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide