Burton C. Bell is nearing an incredible milestone; in 2015 he will have been the front man for the Californian band Fear Factory for quarter of a century. In an industry that chews bands up and spits them out this is an incredible achievement that only a small percentage of musicians ever achieve. Don’t expect elaborate celebrations or gratuitous back patting from this U.S. quartet, their focus is squarely aimed on completing their ninth studio album.
Although I was unable to pry the elusive album title from Burton he did update me on the progress of the new album. “The lowdown is we are currently working on it. We currently have nine new tracks that sound fucking amazing and currently we are writing lyrics and putting vocals to all the tracks. I think Dino and I have finally decided on an album title but we’re not ready to release it just yet but I think we have a really good album title that’s going to fit with the concept. Sonically it has Fear Factory all over it but I think it’s going to be much more crafted, much more focused with the sound, it’s still the Fear Factory sound but it sounds raw and will just be ravenous to hear.”
Fear Factory are a band that have always marched to the beat of their own drum, the Californian quartet have rewritten the rules when it comes to heavy music and in doing so have garnered plenty of admirers along the way. Bands such as Machine Head, Spineshank, Chimaira, Slipknot, Static X and Coal Chamber have cited Fear Factory as an influence to some degree. I asked the vocalist whether it puts pressure on them when writing an album that they are looked upon as visionaries of the genre. “On my part, no. If all those bands you just mentioned name Fear Factory as one of their influences I am fucking honored. Those bands are just amazing in their own right, they’ve done great in their own careers and I can proudly say that I am friends with all those people, good on them it’s fucking awesome. It doesn’t put pressure on me, we just do what we do and that’s what we’ve always done. Fear Factory is the only Fear Factory, our personalities that we have, our style, lets us create the Fear Factory sound so I don’t feel pressure. The only pressure we put is on ourselves to make a great record.”
Fear Factory are no strangers to Australia, since 1993 they have regularly frequented our shores. Each tour has covered all the major capitals, so what is it about Australia that keeps them coming back? “It’s the fans that keep us going back, I mean Australia is a beautiful place, it’s a great country. It’s a really different world from where we’re from in North America, it’s the fans that keep bringing us back. It’s the first continent as a whole to really accept Fear Factory completely, we were there on our first album. We did like two weeks’ worth of shows like on our first record and that’s unheard of in 1993. Ever since then I think we just laid a lot of groundwork, playing a lot of shows, playing small places, just doing as much as we can. We really reached out, we’re like American ambassadors to Australia.”
Although I was unable to pry the elusive album title from Burton he did update me on the progress of the new album. “The lowdown is we are currently working on it. We currently have nine new tracks that sound fucking amazing and currently we are writing lyrics and putting vocals to all the tracks. I think Dino and I have finally decided on an album title but we’re not ready to release it just yet but I think we have a really good album title that’s going to fit with the concept. Sonically it has Fear Factory all over it but I think it’s going to be much more crafted, much more focused with the sound, it’s still the Fear Factory sound but it sounds raw and will just be ravenous to hear.”
Fear Factory are a band that have always marched to the beat of their own drum, the Californian quartet have rewritten the rules when it comes to heavy music and in doing so have garnered plenty of admirers along the way. Bands such as Machine Head, Spineshank, Chimaira, Slipknot, Static X and Coal Chamber have cited Fear Factory as an influence to some degree. I asked the vocalist whether it puts pressure on them when writing an album that they are looked upon as visionaries of the genre. “On my part, no. If all those bands you just mentioned name Fear Factory as one of their influences I am fucking honored. Those bands are just amazing in their own right, they’ve done great in their own careers and I can proudly say that I am friends with all those people, good on them it’s fucking awesome. It doesn’t put pressure on me, we just do what we do and that’s what we’ve always done. Fear Factory is the only Fear Factory, our personalities that we have, our style, lets us create the Fear Factory sound so I don’t feel pressure. The only pressure we put is on ourselves to make a great record.”
Fear Factory are no strangers to Australia, since 1993 they have regularly frequented our shores. Each tour has covered all the major capitals, so what is it about Australia that keeps them coming back? “It’s the fans that keep us going back, I mean Australia is a beautiful place, it’s a great country. It’s a really different world from where we’re from in North America, it’s the fans that keep bringing us back. It’s the first continent as a whole to really accept Fear Factory completely, we were there on our first album. We did like two weeks’ worth of shows like on our first record and that’s unheard of in 1993. Ever since then I think we just laid a lot of groundwork, playing a lot of shows, playing small places, just doing as much as we can. We really reached out, we’re like American ambassadors to Australia.”
Fear Factory’s next trip to Australia is in early 2015 as part of the biggest event of the Australian heavy music calendar, the Soundwave Festival. So which bands as a musician and music fan is Burton looking forward to playing alongside. “All of them. Soundgarden, this will be the second time we’ve played with Soundgarden on a festival in Australia, we did the Big Day Out with them back in 95 or 96 I think. It was their last tour as Soundgarden for quite some time, so to be back on tour with them again will be fantastic. Ministry, old friends of mine, I’m looking forward to being with those guys. Godflesh, I’ve been a fan of Godflesh since I was eighteen, to tour with them again and see Justin (K. Broadrick) diddle away on the guitar. Who else is playing? Lamb Of God, get a load of those guys, great people, Randy (Blythe) one stubborn mother fucker, what a great vocalist he is. I am looking forward to hanging out with all these people.”
I put the Fear Factory frontman on the spot by asking what where the highlights of a career spanning nearly twenty five years. “Playing with Metallica. Opening up for the Sabbath reunion in Birmingham England. Playing with Ministry, playing with Godflesh, playing with the original Sepultura. What else? In my career I was asked to do vocals on Geezer Butlers first solo record, a highlight for my personal career. Going to Russia, going to Japan, going to South Korea. There’s like so many highlights, it’s like every day on the road is a new gift, it’s hard just to name one you know.”
Burton C. Bells parting words to their legions of Australian Fear Factory fans is “We’re just fucking excited to finally be on this fantastic tour, Soundwave. We’re just beyond excited to finally be on it and we’re gonna make sure that Fear Factory sounds great and all the Australians out there are going to see a fucking awesome show.”
Interview by Mike Trandafil
I put the Fear Factory frontman on the spot by asking what where the highlights of a career spanning nearly twenty five years. “Playing with Metallica. Opening up for the Sabbath reunion in Birmingham England. Playing with Ministry, playing with Godflesh, playing with the original Sepultura. What else? In my career I was asked to do vocals on Geezer Butlers first solo record, a highlight for my personal career. Going to Russia, going to Japan, going to South Korea. There’s like so many highlights, it’s like every day on the road is a new gift, it’s hard just to name one you know.”
Burton C. Bells parting words to their legions of Australian Fear Factory fans is “We’re just fucking excited to finally be on this fantastic tour, Soundwave. We’re just beyond excited to finally be on it and we’re gonna make sure that Fear Factory sounds great and all the Australians out there are going to see a fucking awesome show.”
Interview by Mike Trandafil