Fear Factory
Fear Factory is a Los Angeles, California-based death metal/industrial quartet fronted by co-founder and self-styled 'Dry Lung Vocal Martyr' Burton C. Bell.
Characterised by a mix of hardcore guitar riffs, roaring vocals, pulse driving drum beats, and powerful basslines, Fear Factory has been making waves in the American death/industrial metal scene since their debut album, Soul of A New Machine (1992). The following year, they hired Front Line Assembly member Rhys Fulber to remix some songs to create Fear is the Mindkiller (1993). In 1994, bassist Andrew Shives left the band. In the same year, bassist Christian Olde Wolbers met the band whilst vacationing in LA and agreed to assist them with their next recording, Demanufacture (1995), which went on to become a hugely successful album. Fear Factory spent the next few years touring with such bands as Black Sabbath, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden. The band released a new album composed of Demanufacture remixes called Remanufacture in May 1997, closely followed in July 1998 by their new album, Obsolete, cancelling an appearance at the Dynamo Open Air Festival to finish completion of the album sooner. Wasting no time, they hit the road with Slayer and then began another tour with Rammstein.
Proponents of the concept album, Fear Factory have explored the idea of "Man versus Machine" throughout their work. Concerning their latest album, lead singer Burton C. Bell explained:
- "The concept of this record is that man is obsolete. The idea is still man versus machine - man versus the system machine... man versus the government machine. Demanufacture told a story, Remanufacture was another chapter in the story and Obsolete is another part of the Fear Factory concept. We're up to the point in the story where man is obsolete. Man has created these machines to make his life easier but in the long run it made him obsolete. The machines he created are now destroying him. Man is not the primary citizen on Earth."
Following some personal differences between band members, Bell announced his exit in March 2002, and the band disbanded immediately thereafter.
Bandmembers
- Burton C. Bell - vocals
- Dino Cazares - lead guitar
- Christian Olde Wolbers - bass
- Raymond Herrera - drums
Discography
- Soul of a New Machine (1992)
- Fear is the Mindkiller (EP) (1993)
- Demanufacture (1995)
- Remanufacture - Cloning Technology (1997)
- Obsolete (1998)
- Obsolete - Digipack (1998)
- Digimortal (2001)
- Digimortal - Digipack (2001)
- Concrete (2002)
- Hatefiles (2003)
- Archetype (Not released yet) (2004)