World Exclusive Fear Factory Interview
Metal Hammer sat down with Burton C Bell and Dino Cazares to discuss everything you need to know about the latest incarnation of Fear Factory!
In this world exclusive interview, Fear Factory founding members Burton C Bell and Dino Cazares talk about their friendship, why Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers weren’t involved, and their plans for a brand new album!
Metal Hammer: This has come as something of a surprise. Aren’t you guys supposed to hate each other?
Burton C Bell (vocals): “Well, you know, we were friends before we were in a band together and after a while we forgot what it was all about. The first time we saw each other in a long time was at the Ministry show in LA, and we just started talking again. It was like ‘I don’t really remember what it was all about!’ It’s like, good friendships will always return, basically.”
Metal Hammer: Were you surprised by that? Had you avoided each other?
Burton: “We never really avoided it, we were just never in the same place. We were in the same place that one night and it was like seeing an old friend again, and it was good!”
Dino: “Burt lives in Pennsylvania and I live in California, so obviously we never really had a chance to see each other. When we did see each other, it was like ‘What’s up, buddy? How’re you doing?’ It was like we’d never stopped being friends. It wasn’t weird, it just felt good. I already know him! Ha ha ha!”
Metal Hammer: So where did the idea come from that it might be time to collaborate on music again? Did that happen straight away?
Burton: “Not straight away. We were talking about it and the more we talked about it, the more it felt like a good idea, so we were just going to be collaborating on some new music.”
Dino: “Before we even talked about it, we had a few drinks! He was on tour with Ministry, he invited me backstage, we had a few drinks, and after that we kept in contact by phone and email and he approached me with the idea and I thought it was a great idea. We had to rekindle the friendship first and then move forward from there.”
Metal Hammer: You guys started Fear Factory in the first place…
Dino: “Me and him were in a band before Fear Factory, doing heavy Godflesh kind of stuff, and were also roommates and it kind of grew from there and we found other musicians and that’s how Fear Factory came about.”
Metal Hammer: When did you decide that this was going to be Fear Factory and not just a new project?
Dino: “Well, Burton pretty much approached me with that idea, and how could I say no? I’d be jamming with my old friend again and it’d great to collaborate with him because we wrote some of the best music of our lives together.”
Metal Hammer: Have you guys rehearsed together yet?
Dino: “Yesterday was our first rehearsal. It was amazing. The vibe was really good. It felt like we never stopped jamming. You know, Burton’s always got a million ideas and obviously I shit out riffs, and playing with one of the best drummers in the world…for me, it’s one of the best collaborations that I’ve ever been a part of.”
Metal Hammer: Do you have specific aims for the new Fear Factory or are you keeping an open mind about the possibilities?
Dino: “There are definitely specific things we want to achieve, but we have to approach this with an open mind. We don’t want to fully repeat ourselves, what we’ve done in the past, but we definitely do want to make this album the future of a classic record.”
Metal Hammer: A lot of bands are reforming these days and everyone always plays all the old classics…is that your plan too?
Dino: “One of the things about Fear Factory’s m.o. is that we were always a band that evolved, and that’s something we want to achieve now too. It’s obvious that we’ve got my signature right hand, my guitar, and we’ve got Burton’s signature vocals, but we’ve got a different drummer and this is eight years later, so there’s gonna be some different ideas and we’re gonna make it the best it can be. We’re not gonna put out a record that’s half-assed. It’s going to be 100 per cent Fear Factory and it’s going to be the future.”
Burton: “I wouldn’t say this is a reunion or a reformation. It’s more of a reorganisation. Fear Factory has been rolling around, even though we haven’t been chugging out records. The last one was four years ago, but it’s just in a state of reorganisation now.”
Dino: “I know a lot of bands, when they get back together they can basically go out and tour off the classics and that’s great. That’s something that we’re definitely going to do and I know a lot of the fans are going to want to hear Dino’s guitar sound back into the mix, and we’re really happy to be able to give them that. We’re going to have some European festivals coming up, including Sonisphere.”
Metal Hammer: …and you’re doing Bloodstock too, right?
Dino: “Yeah, we’re doing Bloodstock as well and some other festivals in Spain and Italy.”
Metal Hammer: Does it mean a lot to be able to return to Europe with a new line-up and play some big festivals?
Dino: “It is a really big deal for us to go back to the UK and Europe, because to be honest with you, that was the first place that really accepted Fear Factory for what it was. People really embraced us right away in Europe, before America or anywhere else in the world besides Australia. Those were the first countries to really get what we were doing and to feel really passionate about it. America happened a little later. Soul Of A New Machine and Demanufacture were obviously groundbreaking records, but America was so into death metal at the time that they didn’t know what to think about the clean vocals. They didn’t know how to take that, and it took a little time for people to get used to that. But in Europe and the UK and Australia, they sucked it up right away and said ‘This is great!’ So it’s going to be exciting for us, for me, to go out there and do it again.”
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It’s awesome that Dino and Burton are back together, but without Raymond Herrera? Come on, guys. What made FF great in the first place was that insanely tight rhythm interplay between Dino and Raymond under Burton’s brilliant vocals. The opening to Demanufacture couldn’t have been done by anyone else. Gene Holgan’s great, but I can’t see them touching that record, Obsolete or Soul Of A New Machine without Herrera.
I’ll still go see them though. And get the record. And the t-shirt. Fear Factory were my first metal band, and I’ll always love them.
Dude! Did you ever see Byron and Gene in Strapping Young Lad? So tight and precise I was convinced they were miming when they played the Camden Falcon in 1997. They’re just as good if not better than Raymond and Christian.
I didn’t see SYL live, no. If they’re that good then, I’ll celebrate with no provisos! Fear Factory are back!!! I’m currently bouncing up and down in my chair in time to ‘Body Hammer’- I haven’t been this excited since… erm… I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited by news ever, come to think of it!
Hmmm without Raymond and Christian… i guess part of its due to Arkaea….
Though i would have to say Raymonds drumming was definitley a signature part of Fear Factory
one more awsome band to see at sonisphere
Give what the fans want!!!!!
Thats great news, Gene is the king of kings when it comes to drumming! Check out Death’s album Symbolic, take into account when that was released and tell me your not impressed!
Im glad its him that replaced Raymond, I dont think there would be many of his calibre around, but Gene is in my mind The Best!
Fear Factory have been hugely influential. It’s good to see them back together again.
WOW! hell yeah! ROCKIN!, i love fear facory!
I quit Fear factory cause I didn´t wanted to wear brassier.
It’s not 1992 anymore. Most drummers these days don’t find the old FF stuff so impossible to play, especially since there are bsically no drum fills to learn. Hoglan will light this motherfucker up. As for Christian….who gives a shit? Go write some beats for Ludacris.
I agree with Repka and many others that have said that Raymond was in is integral to the signature Fear Factory sound. Sure, Gene’s an amazing drummer, I will agree with that. What bothers me is that is this going to be Fear Factory, or a malformation of what used to be?
Only time will tell I suppose.
Still, good to know that they’re back again.
Raymond’s style came from his lack of abilities in most other areas of the drums. he got good with his kick and snare but pretty shit all anywhere else.
Gene Hoglan is on a whole other level. Strapping young Lad’s album “City” was epic and much more extreme than FF managed to achieve. Gene’s timing is perfect, he can definitely make things sound mechanical when he needs to.
FF was the band that got me into metal, but as i got older, i noticed their musical shortcomings after demanufacture. im hoping they move forward and break new ground with this new release
I wonder will they go back to the old techno-industrial metal fusion sound… I much preferred that to their later music, it was so much groovier.
To all the people whining about raymond not playinh drums! Dont worry your precious little metal heads about it, Gene Hoglan is quite possibly THE best metal drummer on the planet! This will kick ass! I have been a Fear Factory fan since Soul of a new machine and I think this will be a better incarnation of the band!
bit disapointin its not th orig line up. that would’v sold em out everywhere. i think th new line up will surprise every1. theyl stil sell out. curious 2 hear how gene sounds playin old FF an really lookin 4ward 2 hearin th new beat of FF. fuk yeah man! iiiiiiiiiii like it!