Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. It has released ten full-length albums and evolved through a succession of sounds, all in its main style of industrial metal. Over the years, the band has undergone frequent changes in its lineup. Lead vocalist Burton C. Bell was the only consistent member for 31 years until his departure in 2020. Guitarist Dino Cazares is the only remaining original member in Fear Factory's current lineup, after a seven-year sabbatical from the band between 2002 and 2009. The current lineup of Fear Factory consists of Cazares, bassist Tony Campos, vocalist Milo Silvestro and drummer Pete Webber.
Signing to Roadrunner Records in 1991, Fear Factory released their debut album, Soul of a New Machine, the following year. It became an underground success and earned the band a following through touring. After cycling through a few member changes, the "classic" lineup was formed in 1994, with Bell, Cazares and founding drummer Raymond Herrera joined by bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. This lineup recorded three albums, including the breakthroughs Demanufacture (1995) and Obsolete (1998). Both albums, along with worldwide tours, established Fear Factory's reputation as one of the most acclaimed metal bands of the mid-to-late 1990s. The fourth album, and last recorded with the "classic" lineup, Digimortal (2001), failed to match the success of its predecessors.
In March 2002, Fear Factory broke up due to internal disputes, but reformed the following year, with Wolbers replacing Cazares on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass. Two more albums, Archetype (2004) and Transgression (2005), were released before the band went back on hiatus in 2006. Fear Factory reunited in 2009 with a new lineup that featured Cazares, Gene Hoglan replacing Herrera, and Bell and Stroud reprising their respective roles. This lineup recorded the band's seventh studio album, Mechanize (2010). Wolbers and Herrera, comprising 50% of the band's legal ownership, disputed the reunited band's legitimacy, and a legal battle began. In spite of this, Fear Factory has since released three more albums: The Industrialist (2012), Genexus (2015), and Aggression Continuum (2021).
Fear Factory has performed at Ozzfest four times and the inaugural Gigantour. Its singles have charted on the US Mainstream Rock Top 40 and albums on the Billboard Top 40, 100, and 200. It has sold more than a million albums in the U.S. alone.
History Early years and Concrete (1989–1991) Fear Factory was formed in 1989 as Ulceration, which the band agreed would "just be a cool name". In 1990, they adopted the name Fear the Factory. The name was inspired by a factory that the band supposedly saw near their rehearsal space, which was guarded by men carrying rifles. Later, they shortened the name to Fear Factory.
The band originated in an outfit formed by guitarist Dino Cazares, formerly of The Douche Lords, and drummer Raymond Herrera in Los Angeles, California. Their first lineup was completed with bassist Dave Gibney and vocalist Burton C. Bell (ex-Hate Face), who was allegedly recruited by an impressed Cazares, who overheard him singing "New Year's Day" by U2. Cazares played bass on the first three Fear Factory albums Concrete, Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture, on which he changed many of the riffs during the recording.
Fear Factory's earliest demo recordings are reminiscent of the early works of Napalm Death and Godflesh, an acknowledged influence of the band in the grindcore-driven approach of the former and the mechanical brutality, bleakness, and vocals of the latter. According to Brian Russ of The BNR Metal Pages, the demos are remarkable for integrating these influences into the band's death metal sound and for Burton C. Bell's pioneering the fusion of extreme death growls and clean vocals in the same song, which became an influential element of the band's sound. The use of grunts and "throat singing" combined with clean vocals later defined nu metal and other emerging subgenres of metal. Many vocalists in today's metal scene use two or more methods of singing and vocalizing lyrics. The band contributed two songs to the L.A. Death Metal Compilation in 1990. The band played its first show on October 31, 1990.
In 1991, Fear Factory recorded a series of tracks with producer Ross Robinson in Blackie Lawless's studio. Afterward, the band members were unhappy with the terms of their recording contract and refused to sign. The band retained the rights to the songs, many of which they re-recorded in 1992 with a different producer, Colin Richardson, for inclusion on their debut release Soul of a New Machine. Robinson obtained the rights to the recording, which he used to promote himself as a producer. The album was released in 2002 by Roadrunner Records under the title Concrete after the band's breakup. The release was controversial because the album was issued without the approval of Fear Factory. Robinson sued the band, which Bell jokingly said in 2021 that it foreshadowed "the entire career of Fear Factory." Concrete is viewed by the band as a demo; a developmental step toward Soul of a New Machine.
Soul of a New Machine (1992–1994)
Fear Factory shipped the Concrete demo to various labels and was rejected by a number of metal record labels, such as Metal Blade, Earache, Nuclear Blast, and Peaceville Records. After presenting the demo to then-Sepultura lead vocalist Max Cavalera, he recommended Fear Factory to A&R representative Monte Conner of Roadrunner Records, which offered the band a contract. While the band signed the contract, it has since become controversial because of Roadrunner's treatment of the band during the events surrounding its 2002 breakup. This was reflected in the first album, Archetype (2004), released following the band's reformation. The opening song, with lyrics by Burton C. Bell, "Slave Labor", was direct about the band's feelings on the matter. After working with numerous bassists, Andrew Shives was hired as a live bassist prior to the release of Soul of a New Machine.
Released in 1992, Soul of a New Machine, recorded with producer Colin Richardson, gave the band greater exposure in the music scene. The album anticipates the mixing of metal genres that would be called alternative metal. The production combined Bell's harsh and melodic vocals, Herrera's machine-like drums, the integrated industrial samples and textures, and Cazares's sharp, down-tuned, rhythmic, death metal riffs. Cazares and Herrera wrote all the music. Because the band had no bass player, Cazares played guitar and bass on the record. Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic called the album "groundbreaking" and said that "it ushered in the '90s alternative metal era".
To promote the album, Fear Factory embarked on extensive U.S. tours with Biohazard, Sepultura, and Sick of It All. During this period, sampler-keyboardist Reynor Diego joined the group. An album tour of Europe with Brutal Truth, then Cannibal Corpse, Cathedral, and Sleep, followed. The next year, they hired Front Line Assembly member Rhys Fulber to remix some songs from the album, demonstrating the band's willingness to experiment. The results took on an industrial guise, and were released as the Fear Is the Mindkiller EP (1993). Soul of a New Machine and Fear is the Mindkiller were released (2004) as a package in a new re-mastered reissue by Roadrunner Records.
In 1994, Andrew Shives left the band. Cazares recorded the guitar and bass for the album. In November the same year, the band met Belgian Christian Olde Wolbers through Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard. Wolbers auditioned to be Fear Factory's permanent bassist. Wolbers joined the band immediately since the band's tour was starting in two weeks.
Demanufacture and Remanufacture (1995–1997)
Fear Factory's second album, Demanufacture, was released on June 12, 1995. Generally considered the band's defining work, it transitions away from death metal and grindcore to groove metal, characterized by rapid-fire thrash and industrial metal guitar riffs, tight, pulse driven drum beats, and roaring (rather than growled, but still aggressive) vocals that made way for melodic singing and powerful bass lines. The album's production is more refined and the integration of atmospheric keyboard parts and industrial textures upon Cazares's and Herrera's precise musicianship made the songs sound clinical, cold and machine-like and gave the band's music a futuristic feel. There were extensive contributions from Reynor Diego as well; adding key samples, loops and electronic flourishes to the group dynamics.
Demanufacture was awarded the maximum five-star rating in the UK's Kerrang! rock magazine, and went on to become a fairly successful album; whereas Soul of a New Machine failed to chart anywhere. Demanufacture made the Top 10 of the Billboard Heatseekers charts and a video was produced for the song "Replica". The video was featured in the Test Drive 5 video game for the PlayStation. The song "Zero Signal" was featured on the Mortal Kombat film soundtrack (1995). Instrumental versions of the title track, "Body Hammer" and "Zero Signal" were later used in PC video game Carmageddon.
The same year, Burton C. Bell provided lead vocals on Plastic Planet, the debut studio album by the American alternative metal band g//z/r, founded by and named after Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. Fear Factory spent the next few years touring with heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Megadeth and Iron Maiden, and opened for Ozzy Osbourne in North America and Europe during late 1995. They went on their first headlining European tour in mid-1996, with Manhole and Drain S.T.H. playing in clubs and music festivals, such as With Full Force, Wâldrock or Graspop Metal Meeting. They also appeared at the Ozzfest in 1996 and 1997. In early 1997, they participated at the Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand.
In May 1997, the band released a new album composed of Demanufacture remixes by artists such as Rhys Fulber, DJ Dano and Junkie XL called Remanufacture - Cloning Technology. This was the band's first appearance on the Billboard 200. The tracks "Genetic Blueprint" (New Breed) and "21st Century Jesus" (Pisschrist) are featured on Infogrames Test Drive 5 which was released on PC and PlayStation in 1998. Additionally, the song "Remanufacture (Demanufacture)" is featured on the 2000 PC game Messiah, as it is the theme song for the game, and the song is also on 2005 PSP video game Infected. Roadrunner Records bundled the two albums together in a 10th Anniversary package, released in 2005, which is similar to that of Soul of a New Machine (2004). This edition also includes bonus tracks from the digipak version of Demanufacture (1995).
Obsolete (1998–2000)
Fear Factory's third studio album, Obsolete (July 1998), was reportedly completed earlier than planned by canceling an appearance at the Dynamo Open Air Festival.
Obsolete was similar in sound to Demanufacture, emphasizing progressive metal elements. For the first time, the album featured Christian Olde Wolbers writing and recording full time with the band. It also featured Cazares' debut use of 7-string Ibanez guitars tuned to A tuning (A, D, G, C, F, A, D), and paved the way for a lower-tuned sound than previously. The album is also notable for Rhys Fulber's increased involvement with the band.