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'{{Article issues|article=November 2009|OR=July 2008|citations missing=July 2008|date=November 2009}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | Name = Fear Factory | Img = Fear factory live.jpg | Img_capt = Fear Factory circa 2001 | Img_size = 250 | Landscape = yes | Background = group_or_band | Alias = | Origin = [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[United States|USA]] | Genre = [[Industrial metal]]<br/>[[Groove metal]]<br/>[[Alternative metal]]<br/>[[Nu Metal]]<br/>[[Death metal]] (early) | Years_active = 1989–2002<br>2003-2006<br>2009-Present | Label = [[Roadrunner Records|Roadrunner]], Liquid 8/Calvin, [[Candlelight Records]] | Associated_acts = [[Brujeria (band)|Brujeria]], [[Asesino]], [[Ascension of the Watchers]], [[Arkaea]], [[Zimmers Hole]], [[Strapping Young Lad]], [[Divine Heresy]] | URL = [http://www.Fearfactorymusic.com/ Official website] | Current_members = [[Burton C. Bell]]<br/>[[Dino Cazares]]<br/>[[Byron Stroud]]<br/>[[Gene Hoglan]] | Past_members = [[Dave Gibney]]<br/>[[Andy Romero]]<br/>[[Andrew Shives]]<br/>[[Christian Olde Wolbers]]<br/>[[Raymond Herrera]] }} <!-- This article is written in American English. Keep it as such. --> '''Fear Factory''' is an American metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles [[death metal]], [[groove metal]], [[thrash metal]] and [[industrial metal]].<ref name="ugo">[http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/bandsondemand/artist.aspx?cat=metal&artist=Fearfactory&full=Fear%20Factory www.ugo.com] "Despite the setback of their shoddy first album, Fear Factory tightened its sound and as traditional death metal structures began to fade, they evolved into a popular industrial metal band while also incorporating a groove metal style. However, their sound has become so unique it seems to elude and genre, and arguments continue over the label that should be placed on them. This has also gotten them heard in the mainstream, and many say Fear Factory is a "stepping stone" for mainstream listeners to venture deeper into the underground."</ref><ref name="dis">[http://www.drownedinsound.com/bands/491 www.drownedinsound.com] "LA's Fear Factory were once named Ulceration. They originally formed in 1989, but when the new decade dawned, it probably occurred to them that Fear Factory was a much better name for a combination of thrash metal, death metal, groove metal, industrial metal, metal metal and probably some other metals."</ref><ref name="em">[http://edmontonmusic.com/bands/Fear+factory.html edmontonmusic.com] ""Ulceration" was not picked for any real reason other than that Burton C. Bell and/or other members thought it would "just be a cool name" for the band. They then renamed to Fear Factory in 1990. Characterized by a mix of thrash metal/groove metal guitar riffs..."</ref><ref name="rh">[http://www.raymondherrera.com/site/companies.php www.raymondherrera.com] "Fear Factory Fear Factory was formed on October 31, 1990 in Los Angeles, California by ex-guitarist Dino Cazares and drummer Raymond Herrera. Characterised by a mix of thrash metal (though Fear Factory sound more in the vein of groove metal) guitar riffs, roaring vocals that make way for melodic singing, pulse driven drum beats, and powerful basslines..."</ref> The resultant sound proved to be enormously influential on the [[heavy metal music|metal]] scene from the mid-90s and onwards.<ref name="BNR">{{cite web |author= Russ, Brian |url= http://www.bnrmetal.com/v2/bandpage.php?ID=FeFa |title= Fear Factory |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= BNR Productions}}</ref> Fear Factory disbanded in March 2002 {{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}following some internal disputes, but they reformed later that year minus founding member [[Dino Cazares]] adding bassist, [[Byron Stroud]], and casting then-bassist [[Christian Olde Wolbers]] as guitarist. In April 2009, a new lineup was announced with founding guitarist Cazares returning, and [[Gene Hoglan]] being added as drummer. Bell and Stroud are both reprising their respective roles, and the band has completed a studio album, [[Mechanize]]. Former members Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera (both currently playing in [[Arkaea]]) dispute the legitimacy of the new lineup, and a legal battle is underway from both parties. The band has performed at three [[Ozzfest]]s as well as the inaugural [[Gigantour]] and has had singles in the US Mainstream Rock Top 40 and albums in the Billboard Top 40, 100 and 200. Prior to 2001 they have toured around 2000 shows. They have sold over [[Fear Factory discography|1 million albums]] in the U.S. alone. == History == ===The early years=== Fear Factory's roots lie in an outfit formed by guitarist [[Dino Cazares]] (formerly of ''The Douche Lords''<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |author= Huey, Steve |url= http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:imk9kett7q7x~T1 |title= Fear Factory Biography |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Allmusic]]}}</ref>) and drummer [[Raymond Herrera]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] in 1989. Their first line-up was completed with the addition of vocalist [[Burton C. Bell]] (ex-''Hate Face''<ref name="AMG" />), allegedly recruited by an impressed Cazares upon overhearing him singing [[New Year's Day (song)|New Year's Day]] by [[U2]] in the shower at a common boarding.<ref name="FFF">{{cite web |author= Hook, James; Maske, Douglas A.; Rhoney, Stephen |url= http://www.Fearfactoryfans.com/bio.php |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20050205232828/http://www.Fearfactoryfans.com/bio.php |archivedate= 2005-02-05 |title= Who is Fear Factory? |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= FearFactoryFans.com}}</ref> Cazares played bass on the first 3 Fear Factory albums Concrete, Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture. They started out under the name '''Ulceration''', apparently picked for no real reason other than that Burton C. Bell and/or other members thought it would "just be a cool name" for the band,<ref name="FFF" /> but they subsequently shifted to '''Fear Factory''' in 1990; the new moniker being more reflective of their burgeoning new [[death metal]] sound, influenced just as much by early [[United Kingdom|British]] [[industrial metal]], [[industrial music]] and [[grindcore]] as much as it continued to remain firmly rooted in a conservative [[extreme metal]] approach; a facet of their music that eventually saw the band’s appeal spread out over a wider music audience. The earliest demo recordings of the band are strongly reminiscent of the early works of [[Napalm Death]] and also [[Godflesh]], an acknowledged influence of the band, in the grindcore driven approach of the former and the mechanical brutality, bleakness and vocal stylings of the latter. The demos are remarkable for integrating these influences into their death metal sound and for Burton C. Bell’s pioneering fusion of extreme [[death growl]]s and [[clean vocals]] in the same song, which was to become a significant and influential element of the band’s sound throughout their career.<ref name="BNR" /> The use of grunts and "throat singing" combined with clean vocals has later defined the [[nu metal]] and newer genres 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.<ref name="AMG" /> They played their first show on Wednesday, October 31, 1990. ===''Concrete''=== {{Main|Concrete (album)}} In 1991, Fear Factory proceeded to record a series of cuts to comprise their debut album with the then relatively unknown producer, [[Ross Robinson]] in [[Blackie Lawless]]’ studio. However, due to the band being unhappy with the terms of their recording contract, the material was not released at the time. They retained the rights to the songs, however, many of which they re-recorded with a different producer, [[Colin Richardson]], for inclusion on their actual debut release ''Soul of a New Machine'', in 1992. Meanwhile, Ross Robinson obtained the rights to the recording, which he used to promote himself, subsequently finding enormous success during the [[nu metal]] explosion of the mid-late 90s when he worked with bands such as [[Korn]], [[Limp Bizkit]] and [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]]; ironically, bands that had little in common with the Fear Factory of 1991. The recording itself was eventually given an official release through [[Roadrunner Records]] in 2002 under the title ''Concrete'' during the band’s interim demise. It was seen as a controversial release, being issued out of the band’s outstanding contractual obligations and without the approval of all of the band’s members. Although fan opinion has been divided over whether the Ross Robinson production properly captures the intricacies of the band’s sound, with the finished product favoring a more straight-up approach and Robinson’s distinct drum sound, the “secret” album has nevertheless become an important album for fans of the early Fear Factory sound and can be seen as a bridge between the band’s sound on their demo recordings and that on their debut release, ''Soul of a New Machine'' as well as a source of the blueprints for some of the band’s later songs and [[b-side]]s. Based on the ''Concrete'' recording, [[Max Cavalera]] recommended them to the then death metal focused Roadrunner Records label, who proceeded to offer them a [[recording contract]].<ref name="FFF" /> While the band signed the contract at the time, it has since become the source of some controversy based on Roadrunner’s treatment of the band during the events surrounding their interim break up in 2002. This is supported by Burton C. Bell’s scathing lyrics on “Slave Labor” - the opening song on 2004’s ''Archetype'', the band’s first album after their reformation – that do not mince their words about the band’s feelings on the matter. After going through numerous amounts of Bassists, [[Andrew Shives]] was hired as a live bassist prior to the release of their debut album. ===''Soul of a New Machine''=== {{Main|Soul of a New Machine}} Recorded with producer Colin Richardson and released in 1992, ''Soul of a New Machine'' was the band’s first exposure to the wider music scene and was seen as revolutionary for its pioneering industrial death metal sound, combining Bell’s harsh and melodic vocals, Herrera’s machine-like battery, the integrated industrial samples and textures and the sharp, down tuned rhythmic death metal riffs of Dino Cazares. Due to the extreme nature of the music, the album was not successful in the mainstream and even today remains more of a cult favorite, never seeing the level of popularity attained by their later, more accessible works. Indeed, the band’s style progressively shifted further away from the death metal sound with every subsequent release and ''Soul of a New Machine'' can strictly be seen as Fear Factory’s final effort that lies firmly in the death metal camp. The band added sampler/keyboardist [[Reynor Diego]] to the lineup and supported the album by embarking on extensive tours across the U.S. with [[Biohazard (band)|Biohazard]], [[Sepultura]], and [[Sick Of It All]] and a tour of Europe with [[Brutal Truth]], then [[Cannibal Corpse]], [[Cathedral (band)|Cathedral]], and [[Sleep (band)|Sleep]]. The following year, they hired [[Front Line Assembly]] member [[Rhys Fulber]] to remix some songs from the album, demonstrating the band’s willingness to experiment with their music even at this early stage. The results took on a predominantly [[industrial music|industrial]] guise, and were released as the ''[[Fear Is the Mindkiller]]'' [[Extended play|EP]] in 1993 (both ''Soul of a New Machine'' and ''Fear is the Mindkiller'' were re-released together in a new re-mastered reissue by Roadrunner Records in 2004). In 1994, Andrew Shives was forced to leave the band. In the same year, the band met a vacationing [[Christian Olde Wolbers]] (originally from [[Belgium]]) in LA, through [[Evan Seinfeld]] of [[Biohazard (band)|Biohazard]], whom they recruited as their permanent bassist.<ref name="FFF" /> Although Christian joined the band with immediate effect, due to tight studio deadlines and Cazares’ regular tweaking of the guitar parts on the next album, he was unable to record the bass parts on all of its songs, with Cazares recording the bass for the remainder of the tracks. ===''Demanufacture''=== {{Main|Demanufacture}} Fear Factory released their second album ''Demanufacture'' in 1995, featuring a slight thawing down in the overly brutal approach of the early recordings in favor of a more [[industrial metal]] approach, characterized by a mix of rapid fire [[thrash metal]]/industrial metal guitar riffs and tight, pulse driven drum beats, roaring (rather than growled, but still aggressive) vocals that made way for melodic singing and powerful bass lines. The production was also more refined and the integration of atmospheric [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]] parts and [[industrial music|industrial]] textures upon Cazares’ and Herrera’s precise musicianship made the songs sound clinical, cold and machine-like and gave the band’s music a futuristic feel;. Many fans consider Rhys Fulber’s involvement with the band integral to this dimension of their sound. There were extensive contributions from Reynor Diego as well; adding key samples, loops and electronic flourishes to the group dynamics. ''Demanufacture'' is generally considered to be the band’s defining work and received much critical acclaim upon release, being awarded the maximum five K's rating in the UK’s [[Kerrang!]] rock magazine. It went on to become a fairly successful album. While ''Soul of a New Machine'' failed to chart anywhere, ''Demanufacture'' made the Top 10 of the Billboard Heatseekers charts and a video was filmed for the song "Replica". The song "Zero Signal" was featured on the ''[[Mortal Kombat (film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' film soundtrack in 1995. Instrumental versions of ''Demanufacture'' songs were later used in the ''[[Carmageddon]]'' video game for the [[Personal computer|PC]]. Fear Factory spent the next few years touring with such bands such as [[Black Sabbath]], [[Megadeth]] and [[Iron Maiden]] and appearing at the 1996 and 1997 [[Ozzfest]]s, among other music festivals. During that time their jersey is seen in the video of [[Counterfeit (song)|Counterfeit]] by [[Limp Bizkit]]. In May 1997, the band released a new album composed of ''Demanufacture'' remixes by artists such as DJ Dano or [[Junkie XL]] (now known as JXL) called ''[[Remanufacture - Cloning Technology]]'', which marked the band’s first appearance on the [[Billboard 200]] and also appeared on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Roadrunner Records re-released ''Demanufacture'' and ''Remanufacture'' in a 10th Anniversary single package reissue in 2005, similar to that of ''Soul of a New Machine'' in 2004. This edition also includes bonus tracks from the [[digipak]] version of ''Demanufacture'', which was also released in 1995. ===''Obsolete''=== {{Main|Obsolete (album)}} July 1998, saw the release of Fear Factory’s third studio album, titled ''Obsolete'', with the band reportedly canceling an appearance at the [[Dynamo Open Air Festival]] to finish the album sooner.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}} ''Obsolete'' was similar in sound to ''Demanufacture'', but also saw the introduction of more [[progressive metal]] and [[alternative metal]] elements<ref name="Obsrev">{{cite web |author= Prato, Greg |url= http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:pdevad3ku8w1 |title= Obsolete Review |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Allmusic]]}}</ref> and for the first time, featured Christian Olde Wolbers recording with the band in his full capacity as a band member. It also featured Dino Cazares using 7-string guitars for the first time tuned to A tuning (A,D,G,C,F,A,D,), paving the way for a lower-tuned sound than before. The album is also notable for Rhys Fulber’s increased involvement with the band. While Fear Factory had explored the theme of “Man versus Machine” in their earlier work, ''Obsolete'' was their first actual [[concept album]] that dealt specifically with a literal interpretation of this subject, telling a story called ''Conception 5'' written by Bell that takes place in a future world where mankind is rendered "obsolete" by the Machines, and features characters such as the “Edgecrusher”, “Smasher/Devourer” and the “Securitron” monitoring system. The story is presented in the lyrics booklet in a screenplay format in between the individual songs, with the printed story parts linking the lyrics of the songs together thematically. Bell explained the concept in an interview as follows{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}: {{Quotation|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.|Burton C. Bell}} Coincidentally released in the alternative metal boom of the late 90s, ''Obsolete'', supported by tours with [[Slayer]] and later, [[Rammstein]], along with a headlining spot on the second stage at Ozzfest in 1999 (as last-minute replacements for [[Judas Priest]]), went on to become the band’s highest selling album, marking the band’s first entry into the Top 100 on the Billboard charts. The album also spawned singles in "Descent" and in the [[digipak]] bonus track, "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]", a cover of the famous [[Gary Numan]] song (featuring a guest appearance by Numan himself, on the song, as well as in its music video), that made the Mainstream Rock Top 40 in 1999 and was also featured in the video game, Test Drive 6. Incidentally, Numan also performs a spoken word sample on the album’s title track. A video was also filmed for the song, "Resurrection". To date, ''Obsolete'' remains the only Fear Factory album to have achieved gold sales in the US. ===''Digimortal'' and demise=== {{Main|Digimortal (album)}} In early 2001, Fear Factory was asked to headline [[SnoCore Tour|SnoCore Rock]]. The success of ''Obsolete'' and "Cars" was to be a turning point for the band, with Roadrunner Records now keen on capitalizing on the band’s sales potential and pressuring the band to record more accessible material for their follow-up album, titled ''Digimortal'', which was released in 2001. While ''Digimortal'' remained consistent with the band’s lyrical evolution, with Bell now singing about Man and Machine having become merged and unable to be separated without immense harm being caused, musically, the shift to simpler, more radio friendly song structures lost the band some of its more extreme metal fans and the album is considered by some to be inferior to their earlier releases. Fan opinion, however, remains strongly divided between those who view the album as a colossal failure, those who associate it with the nü metal movement and others who contend that the sound is still the same Fear Factory at its core and praise the merits afforded by the Rhys Fulber production. ''Digimortal'' made the Top 40 on the Billboard album charts, the Top 20 in [[Canada]] and the Top 10 of the [[Australia]]n album charts. "Linchpin" off the album again reached the Mainstream Rock Top 40. A remix of the song "Invisible Wounds" was included on the ''[[Resident Evil (film)|Resident Evil]]'' film soundtrack, and an instrumental [[digipak]] bonus track called "Full Metal Contact" was originally written for the video game, ''[[Demolition Racer]]''. A [[VHS]]/[[DVD]] release called ''[[Digital Connectivity]]'' was released soon after, in January 2002, which documents each of the four album periods of the band via interviews, live clips, music videos and tour/studio footage. The video is not generally seen as exceptionally well put together.<ref name="DC">{{cite web |author= "glumer" |url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Factory-Digital-Connectivity-REGION/dp/B00005TQ49 |title= Could have been so much better |accessdate= 2007-03-15 |publisher= Amazon.co.uk}}</ref> Although ''Digimortal'' had a successful start, the sales did not reach anywhere near the levels of ''Obsolete'' and the band received little tour support. The direction of the album coupled with strong personal differences between some of the band members created a rift that escalated with time, to the point where Bell announced his exit in March 2002. The band disbanded immediately thereafter. The band’s contractual obligations remained unfulfilled however, and Roadrunner did not release them without controversially issuing the ''Concrete'' album (originally from 1991) in 2002 and the [[b-side]]s and rarities compilation, ''[[Hatefiles]]'' in 2003. During his time away from Fear Factory, Bell started his side project along with [[John Bechdel]], called [[Ascension of the Watchers]], who released their first EP, ''Iconoclast'', independently via their online store in 2005. ===Return=== Over time, it emerged that the rift between the members was largely between the guitarist Dino Cazares and the other members, particularly Bell. Cazares was the first to speak out after the break-up, proceeding to make claims and allegations against Bell and the other members in May 2002 in a [[Blabbermouth.net]] interview.<ref name="Blab1">{{cite web |author= Krgin, Borivoj |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=3437 |title= EXCLUSIVE: DINO CAZARES Speaks Out On FEAR FACTORY Split - May 13, 2002 |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref> Almost all of these allegations were subsequently addressed and refuted by Herrera in a counter interview,<ref name="Blab2">{{cite web |author= Krgin, Borivoj |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=3591 |title= Ex-FEAR FACTORY Drummer RAYMOND HERRERA: "DINO CAZARES Is Just A Bitter, Bitter, Fear Man" - May 20, 2002 |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref> speaking on behalf of all the other members. Olde Wolbers and Herrera got back together later in 2002 and laid the foundations for what was to become the return of Fear Factory. With Cazares now permanently out of the line up, Bell was approached with their demo recordings and was impressed enough to rejoin the band and Fear Factory was formed once again. Christian switched to guitar and [[Byron Stroud]] of [[Strapping Young Lad]] was approached to join the band as their new bassist, and has been their bass player since 2003. Dino Cazares has continued recording and performing with his side project called [[Asesino]], a [[Mexican]] [[deathgrind]] band featuring [[Tony Campos]] of [[Static-X]] on vocals. In 2007, he has also started a new group called [[Divine Heresy]], featuring [[Tim Yeung]], formerly of [[Hate Eternal]] and [[Vital Remains]], on drums ===''Archetype''=== {{Main|Archetype (album)}} Fear Factory made their live return as the mystery band at the Australian [[Big Day Out]] festival in January 2004, followed by their first American shows since reforming, on the spring [[Jägermeister]] tour along with [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] and [[Chimaira]]. The new lineup's first album ''Archetype'' was released on April 20, 2004 through new record label [[Liquid 8 Records]] based in [[Minnesota]]. ''Archetype'' saw Fear Factory returning to an alternative and partially industrial metal sound and is generally considered to be a strong and 'back-to-form' record, if not a particularly innovative effort, with most of the trademark elements of the band firmly in place. {{Quotation|When you look up the definition of the word, Archetype, it's the actual model from which everything else is copied. Fear Factory is that in my opinion, and Archetype is a defining moment for us. Listen to this record, and you'll know exactly where all these other bands came from.<ref name="LS">{{cite web |author= Anonymous |url= http://www.loudside.com/music/artists/id/25/ |title= Biography |accessdate= 2007-03-15 |publisher= Loudside.com}}</ref>|Burton C. Bell}} Videos were shot for the songs "Cyberwaste", "Archetype" and "Bite the Hand that Bleeds", with the latter featuring on the ''[[Saw (2003 film)|Saw]]'' film soundtrack. Further tours with [[Lamb of God (band)|Lamb of God]] and [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]] in the US and with [[Mnemic]] in Europe put the band back on the worldwide metal map. The new Fear Factory has largely abandoned the direct "Man versus Machine" theme prevalent on earlier releases in favor of subjects such as [[religion]], [[war]] and [[corporatism]]. ===''Transgression''=== {{Main|Transgression (album)}} To the surprise of many fans, Fear Factory soon revealed plans to subsequently record and release their next full-length album over a very short period of time with mainstream rock producer [[Toby Wright]] (normally known to work with bands such as [[Korn]] and [[Alice in Chains]]). This was allegedly due to pressure from their new label, Calvin Records, who pulled back the album’s due date from four months away to just a month and a half, in order that the band would have a completed new album to support on the inaugural [[Gigantour]], which they had been invited to participate on by [[Dave Mustaine]].<ref name="Utopia">{{cite web |author= Yates, Rod |url= http://www.utopia.com.au/intv_Fearfactory.php |title= Fear Factory |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= Utopia Records, Australia}}</ref> The resultant album, ''Transgression'', was released barely a year after ''Archetype'' on August 22, 2005 in the [[United Kingdom]], and on the following day in [[North America]] to highly polarized reviews, with some critics hailing the album as a diverse and progressive effort and other reviewers not receiving the record very well.<ref name="MF">{{cite web |author= Milburn, Simon |url= http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=596 |title= FEAR FACTORY: Undercurrent |accessdate= 2007-03-15 |publisher= The Metal Forge}}</ref> Although the album starts off as a Fear Factory record, subsequent songs include mellow/alt-rock numbers in "Echo of My Scream" (featuring [[Faith No More]]’s [[Billy Gould]] on bass) and "New Promise", a [[pop-rock]] song in "Supernova" and a faithful cover of [[U2]]’s poppy, "[[I Will Follow]]".<ref name="Decibel">{{cite web |author= Terry, Nick |url= http://decibelmagazine.com/features/oct2005/Fear_factory.aspx |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20051129013525/http://decibelmagazine.com/features/oct2005/Fear_factory.aspx |archivedate= 2005-11-29 |title= Fear Factory |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Decibel magazine]]}}</ref> Christian Olde Wolbers has expressed disappointment with the finished product, calling it only half-finished, and has blamed the label for the severe time constraints imposed during the recording sessions and for the inclusion of the U2 cover,<ref name="Utopia" /> but Burton C. Bell has maintained that he is proud of the album and sees it as the band "stepping over boundaries".<ref name="BurtonTransgression">{{cite web |author= Krgin, Borivoj |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=3591 |title= FEAR FACTORY Frontman Says 'Transgression' Is 'An Experimental Record' - Aug. 18, 2005|accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref> Over 2005-2006, Fear Factory went on to promote the album on their successful "Fifteen Years of Fear" world tour in celebration of their fifteenth anniversary, inviting bands such as [[Darkane]], [[Strapping Young Lad]] and [[Soilwork]] to join them on the US jaunt and [[Misery Index (band)|Misery Index]] to join them on the European jaunt. Late 2005 saw Fear Factory tour the US once again on the "Machines at War" tour, with an all star death metal line-up of special guests in [[Suffocation (band)|Suffocation]], [[Hypocrisy (band)|Hypocrisy]] and [[Decapitated (band)|Decapitated]], playing certain old classics from ''Soul of a New Machine'' such as "Crash Test" which they had not performed live in many years. ===Hiatus and other projects=== An online statement from Wolbers in December 2006 indicated that the band was to head back into the studio to record a new album, produced by the band, immediately after the completion of the ''Transgression'' touring cycle.<ref name="Forums2">{{cite web |author= “Myra” |url= http://www.Fearfactoryforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12605 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070929060444/http://www.Fearfactoryforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12605 |archivedate= 2007-09-29 |title= New Album News? |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= Fear Factory Forums}}</ref> That same month, Burton C. Bell confirmed in an interview that the band would part ways with [[Liquid 8 Records]]<ref name="Blab3">{{cite web |author= Krgin, Borivoj |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=63178 |title= FEAR FACTORY Splits With LIQUID 8 RECORDS - Dec. 2, 2006 |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref>. Yet rather than begin work on a new studio album, the band members briefly went their separate ways, and began working with other projects. Bell contributed vocals to the songs "End Of Days, Pt.1", "End of Days, Pt. 2", and "Die In A Crash" on [[Ministry (band)|Ministry]]'s 2007 album ''[[The Last Sucker]]''<ref>http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/burton_c_bell_talks_about_involvement_with_ministry.html</ref>, and later toured with the band in support of the album. Bell referred to this as a "dream come true" in an interview, describing Ministry front man [[Al Jourgensen]] as "one of [his] heroes."<ref name="metalsucks.net">http://www.metalsucks.net/2008/05/06/metalsucks-interviews-burton-c-bell-of-ascension-of-the-watchers-ex-Fear-factory/</ref> In that same interview, Bell talked at length about his new band [[Ascension of the Watchers]], providing insight into the inspiration behind the project's formation.<ref name="metalsucks.net"/> Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera went on to start their own new band, called [[Arkaea]], with vocalist Jon Howard and bassist [[Pat Kavanagh]] of [[Threat Signal]]. In describing the band, Wolbers stated that "Ironically, half of the Arkaea album consists of songs that were intended to be the next Fear Factory record." <ref name="metalunderground.com">http://www.metalunderground.com/bands/details.cfm?bandid=6178</ref> [[Arkaea]] released their debut album [[Years in the Darkness]] on July 14, 2009.<ref name="metalunderground.com"/> ===New Fear Factory and ''Mechanize''=== {{Main|Mechanize}} On April 7, 2009, [[Burton C. Bell]] and ex-guitarist [[Dino Cazares]] announced the reconciliation of their friendship, and the formation of a new project with Stroud on bass and drummer [[Gene Hoglan]] ([[Death (band)|Death]], [[Strapping Young Lad]]). On April 28, this project was revealed to actually be a new version of Fear Factory, minus Herrera and Wolbers.<ref name="Blab4">{{cite web |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=118983 | title=BLABBERMOUTH.NET - FEAR FACTORY Reforms With DINO CAZARES, BURTON C. BELL, GENE HOGLAN"}}</ref> Bell, when asked why Herrera and Wolbers were not included, stated that "[Fear Factory]'s like a business and I'm just reorganizing...We won't talk about [their exclusion]".<ref>http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/uncategorized/Fear-factory-interview-part-2/</ref> In June 2009, Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera finally spoke about the issue on the radio program "Speed Freaks". Instead of offering reasons for leaving the group, Herrera revealed that technically, he and Wolbers never left. "[Christian and I] are actually still in Fear Factory...[Burton and Dino] decided to start a new band, and furthermore, they decided to call it Fear Factory. They never communicated with us about it", said Herrera.<ref name="roadrunnerrecords.com">http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122059</ref> Herrera went on to say that the original four members (Bell, Cazares, Wolbers, and himself) are contractually regarded as Fear Factory Incorporated, and said "it's almost like them two against us two, so it's kind of a stalemate." Herrera also stated that he and Wolbers had written eight songs for the next Fear Factory record, but that a "personal disagreement" had come up between them and Bell, which left Bell not wanting to continue work with the band.<ref name="roadrunnerrecords.com"/> [[File:FearFactory 2010 Tour poster.jpg|thumb|200px|Fear Factory 2010 Tour Poster]] Fear Factory featuring Bell and Cazares was set to make its live debut on June 21 in the Metalway Festival in Zaragoza, Spain.<ref>http://www.metalwayfestival.com/index2.html</ref> However, the show was canceled "at the last minute", apparently due to the legal complications referenced by Herrera that now surround the use of the name "Fear Factory". The rest of that lineup's planned performances over Summer 2009, which included a tour of United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand in August 2009, had also been canceled.<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122326</ref> The group claims, however, that they canceled their touring plans so as to finish writing and recording the next Fear Factory album.<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122542</ref> Despite the canceled performances in Europe, shows around December have been confirmed in many South American countries, including Argentina<ref>http://www.ticketek.com.ar/Conciertos/Metal/FEAR-FACTORY__FEARTEA#</ref> , Chile<ref>http://www.chileanskies.com/2009/09/17/Fear-factory-vuelve-a-presentarse-en-chile/ </ref> and Brazil. Despite ongoing issues between the two parties, the new Fear Factory is moving ahead with the recording process. In late July 2009, a short video shot with a cell phone showed Dino recording over drum tracks with long time contributor Rhys Fulber. According to recent interviews with Bell and Cazares, the band is about half way through the recording process and is pushing for an early 2010 release, and at least one show in South America has been announced. On November 6, 2009, [[blabbermouth.net]] revealed that Mechanize will be released on February 9, 2010, on [[Candlelight Records]].<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=129951</ref> On November 8, 2009, the new Fear Factory released a track titled "Powershifter" on Youtube.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfekNwxK0e4</ref> On November 10, 2009, Burton C. Bell gave a track list for the Mechanize album, along with the meanings of each song.<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=130169</ref> ==Legacy and influence== Fear Factory’s innovative approach towards, and hybridization of the genres of industrial metal, death metal and alternative metal has had a lasting impact on metal music ever since the release of their first album in 1992. Fear Factory is noteworthy among contemporaries for their lyrical focus on [[science fiction]], with much of their music telling a single story spanning several [[concept albums]]. The band has often been called a "stepping stone"<ref name="UGO">{{cite web |author= Anonymous |url= http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/bandsondemand/artist.aspx?artist=Fearfactory&cat=metal |title= WHY WE LIKE ‘EM |accessdate= 2007-03-15 |publisher= UGO.com}}</ref> leading mainstream listeners to venture into less-known/more extreme bands, and are consistently appreciated. In the ''Soul of a New Machine'' re-release, [[Machine Head (band)|Machine Head]] vocalist [[Robert Flynn]], [[Chimaira]] vocalist [[Mark Hunter (musician)|Mark Hunter]] and [[Spineshank]] guitarist Mike Sarkisyan have cited Fear Factory as an influence in the liner notes. Robert Flynn stated his vocal style was influenced by Burton Bell's vocals and that Machine Head have been wrongly credited for the vocal style. Mark Hunter stated that Chimaira's drumming was heavily influenced by Raymond Herrera. Other Bands that have Fear Factory in their liner notes include [[Disturbed]], [[Static-X]] & [[Coal Chamber]]. Modern bands such as [[Mnemic]], [[Scarve]] and [[Sybreed]] contain significant influences of the band’s technique and have also credited a substantial debt of gratitude to the band.<ref name="Mnemic">{{cite web |author= Stefanis, John |url= http://www.getreadytorock.com/pure_metal/mnemic.htm |title= Interview: Mnemic (Mircea) |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= www.getreadytorock.com}}</ref><ref name="Scarve">{{cite web |author= Scarve |url= http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51749824 |title= Official Scarve MySpace |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[MySpace.com]]}}</ref><ref name="Sybreed">{{cite web |author= “CRITICALTOM” |url= http://www.geocities.com/criticaltom_2000/sybreed.html |title= Interview with Reality Entertainment recording artists: SYBREED |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= Critical Mass Webjournal}}</ref> [[Peter Tägtgren]] of [[Hypocrisy (band)|Hypocrisy]] has said that “Fear Factory are close to our hearts” and that “''Soul of a New Machine'' was the influence for me to start my other project, 'Pain'”.<ref name="Hypocrosy">{{cite web |author= Anonymous |url= http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/news.archive5.html |title= Hypocrisy |accessdate= 2007-03-14 |publisher= [[Nuclear Blast]] America}}</ref> ==Band members== ;Current * [[Burton C. Bell]] &ndash; [[singing|lead vocals]] (1989&ndash;present) * [[Dino Cazares]] &ndash; [[electric guitar|guitar]] (1989−2002, 2009&ndash;present) * [[Gene Hoglan]] &ndash; [[drum kit|drums]] (2009&ndash;present) * [[Byron Stroud]] &ndash; [[Bass guitar|bass]] (2003&ndash;present) ;Former * [[Raymond Herrera]] &ndash; [[drums]], [[percussion]] (1989&ndash;2008) * [[Christian Olde Wolbers]] &ndash; [[Bass guitar|bass]] (1993&ndash;2002) [[guitar]] (2002&ndash;2008) * Dave Gibney &ndash; bass, vocals (spoken word intro for "Big God/Raped Souls" on ''[[Concrete (album)|Concrete]]'') (1989&ndash;1991) * Andy Romero &ndash; bass on ''Concrete'' (1991&ndash;1992) * [[Andrew Shives]] &ndash; bass (1992&ndash;1994) ;Additional personnel * [[Rhys Fulber]] &ndash; [[Sampling (music)|samples]]/[[keyboard instrument#Electrophones|keyboards]]/programming/mixing (1993&ndash;2004,2009&ndash;present) * Reynor Diego &ndash; [[Sampling (music)|samples]]/[[keyboard instrument#Electrophones|keyboards]] (live and recorded on ''[[Demanufacture]]'') (1991&ndash;1995) * [[Steve Tushar]] &ndash; keyboards, programming, electronics * [[John Bechdel]] &ndash; live keyboards (1998&ndash;2006) ==Discography== {{see details|Fear Factory discography}} ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable" |- !Title !Date of Release !Label !US Charts !US Sales |- | ''[[Soul of a New Machine]]'' | August 25, 1992<br /> October 5, 2004 (Reissue) |rowspan="4"| [[Roadrunner Records|Roadrunner]] |align="center"| - | 130,000 |- | ''[[Demanufacture]]'' | June 13, 1995<br />November 7, 1995 (Digipak)<br />June 7, 2005 (Reissue) |align="center"| - | 285,000 |- | ''[[Obsolete (album)|Obsolete]]'' | July 28, 1998<br />March 23, 1999 (Digipak) |align="center"|77 | 470,000 |- | ''[[Digimortal (album)|Digimortal]]'' | April 24, 2001 |align="center"|32 | 182,000 |- | ''[[Archetype (album)|Archetype]]'' | April 20, 2004 | Liquid 8 |align="center"|30 | 143,000 |- | ''[[Transgression (album)|Transgression]]'' | August 23, 2005 | [[Calvin Records|Calvin]] |align="center"|45 | 75,000 |- | ''[[Mechanize]]'' | February 9, 2010 | [[Candlelight Records]] |align="center"|- | - |} == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == * {{Official|http://www.Fearfactorymusic.com/}} * {{MySpace|Fearfactory}} {{Fear Factory}} [[Category:Musical groups established in 1989]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002]] [[Category:California heavy metal musical groups]] [[Category:American death metal musical groups]] [[Category:Industrial metal musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles, California]] [[Category:Groove metal musical groups]] [[Category:Roadrunner Records artists]] [[Category:Musical quartets]] [[bg:Fear Factory]] [[cs:Fear Factory]] [[da:Fear Factory]] [[de:Fear Factory]] [[el:Fear Factory]] [[es:Fear Factory]] [[fr:Fear Factory]] [[gl:Fear Factory]] [[hr:Fear Factory]] [[is:Fear Factory]] [[it:Fear Factory]] [[hu:Fear Factory]] [[ms:Fear Factory]] [[nl:Fear Factory]] [[ja:フィア・ファクトリー]] [[no:Fear Factory]] [[nn:Fear Factory]] [[pl:Fear Factory]] [[pt:Fear Factory]] [[ro:Fear Factory]] [[ru:Fear Factory]] [[simple:Fear Factory]] [[fi:Fear Factory]] [[sv:Fear Factory]] [[uk:Fear Factory]]'