Fear Factory

Thu 16th Sep, 2010 in Features

Time heals all wounds, according to Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares on a sunny Californian afternoon. After the much publicised and acrimonious split with his fellow band members, and subsequent re-instatement, Cazares talks remix albums, reconciliations, and about why Fear Factory’s latest album Mechanize, was 10 years in the making.

The latest Fear Factory album Mechanize has been hailed as a return to the sound of the Demanufacture era, which is arguably your finest work. Was it a conscious decision to return to that sound, or was it a natural shift back with your involvement once again?
Well I knew that I had a very signature sound, and so does Burton [C. Bell, vocalist]. And that’s basically the trademark Fear Factory sound. You can really tell from listening to any of our albums that it is definitely Fear Factory. It was naturally going to be that way, the excitement between Burton and I being back together solidified that, I could tell from the demo and jamming sessions that I knew it was going to be a great album. As for the typical sound, I think it’s going to be the same going forward. You know what you’re going to get with one of our records.

Going back to 2002, and the feuding and subsequent split between yourself and the other members of Fear Factory, where did you think your music was headed?
Well I can start by going back further to 2000 in Obsolete, that’s where it started. Where I wanted to take things was back to the Demanufacture era. But unfortunately things went into a different direction and the album Digimortal was born. I wouldn’t say it was a bad album, you know, but every band has a record that isn’t a fan favourite as such and I think that’s probably what happened with Digimortal__. So I had some ideas to go back to the Demanufacture sound after that album, but unfortunately, things took a wrong turn and for me, there wasn’t a next album.

Could you imagine that after what you and the others went through, that you would again be a part of the Fear Factory family?
No, not at all. It didn’t even cross my mind. Things had got so bad between myself and the other members that I couldn’t see it as a possibility.

How did the reconciliation take place between you and Burton?
It was time really. The notion of two old friends wanting to get back together again and make music again. It was really difficult concept to throw away years of friendship, so to get back with Burton was great a great moment, and also a great opportunity to make the album that I had been wanting to make back in 2000.

What was the feeling like walking out on stage again?
I was really nervous. It was like my first every show all over again. It was the same with making the record, I wasn’t sure if it was going to go well and how it would be received, but after the reaction we got when we played live again, It felt really good. Then when we had the record come out, it was a great feeling, we got some great reviews and I got to make the album I was wanting to make after ten or so years.

The relationship between yourself and Burton with former drummer Raymond Hererra and former bassist Christian Olde Wolbers is of course still very fractured, with the two launching legal action against the remaining members. Do you see a positive resolution involved for everyone involved in the future?
At this point I can’t say that I do. Burton’s initial idea was bringing everyone back together. But Raymond and Christian didn’t want to, they didn’t want me back in the band at all. Burton had come to me and said wasn’t happy business wise and music wise with the band and wanted me back.

Considering yourself and Raymond were both founding members of Fear Factory, was it tough knowing Raymond didn’t want you back in the band?
Well Burton and I had a side band before Raymond and I had got together, we were doing this industrial stuff and Raymond at the time was in a death metal band, which he had actually asked me to join, but I couldn’t because it had you know, a horrible death metal name name and it was a pretty horrible band. So I put two and two together, and thought well why don’t I get Raymond to come and start a new band with Burton and I, and convince Raymond to leave his band. And that’s how Fear Factory was born.

Fear Factory albums have synonymous with the Man vs Machine style concepts, which lends well to the trademark Fear Factory sound that you mentioned earlier, what concepts will the next Fear Factory album contain?
My theory is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If everything’s going well and the fans are loving what we’re doing, we don’t want to do anything to alienate the fans. With that being said, we’re not going to compromise what we want to do with an album to suit others. As for the next album, I don’t know what direction the next album will take, but it wouldn’t think it would be a drastic change.

With Fear Factory being fond of following up a studio album with a subsequent remix album, will you follow that trend with Mechanize?
I don’t know, me and Burton had talked about it recently. So we will have to see after the tour has finished whether it’s worthwhile again, but we’ve had alot of fun doing the albums Remanufacture and Fear is the Mindkiller, so never say never!

You’ve been part of one of the metal scene’s most secretive bands – Brujeria – what does the future have in store for them?
I haven’t been doing it for the last couple of years, but I don’t know if there’s another album in the pipeline again, because being back in Fear Factory is my main priority for a while. Although, I’m also doing some stuff in the down time with my side project Divine Heresy, so I’ve been a bit busy lately with them to be doing Brujeria stuff.

Fear Factory’s vocalist Burton C.Bell and bassist Byron Stroud will be playing in their latest project City of Fire in September supporting Soulfly in Australia, before returning with Fear Factory to support Metallica on the Death Magnetic tour. What will you be up to in the time before the Metallica shows?
Kicking back and taking a well deserved break! No I’m going to be getting togther with Divine Heresy, writing some new material with them, and also some material for my new band Asesino. I can’t sit around for too long though, after a while I go a little stir crazy!