I think we can safely say that everyone knows everything about Fear Factory. What's that? Not everyone is a big fan of industrial thrash metal? Well, OK, here's the crash course..

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. They rock.

Founded by ex-guitarist Dino Cazares and drummer Raymond Herrera, the Factory played for a couple of years before their death metal debut album proper Soul of a New Machine hit shop shelves in 1992. Most of them just collected dust.

The road to its release had been arduous. Eight of the album's songs had been originally recorded with big name producer Ross Robinson (although then he was just another unknown musician to most) for an album called Concrete. Band and producer fell out and the fight for the rights went to court, where it was decreed that Fear Factory owned the songs, but Robinson retained rights to the recording. As an aside, Robinson later used these tracks to promote himself, and subsequently landed many big name acts such as.. er.. KoRn and Limp Bizkit.

The Concrete album was properly released in 2002. Meanwhile back in the Nineties, Fear Factory toured hard with Biohazard, Sepultura and others, before losing their bassist in 1994 and locating a temporary recording replacement in Christian Olde Wolbers. The album they recorded was 1995's Demanufacture. Kerrang! loved it. Wolbers stayed.

More touring followed, then two albums: Obsolete (1998) and Digimortal (2001). Then came the whole "personal differences" excuse, vocalist Burton C. Bell stomped off, and the band disbanded.

But they didn't really.

Fear Factory returned minus founder member Dino Cazares in 2004. There were two more albums, Archetype and Transgression, and there should be more on the way. Rejoice!

Releases

• The Best Of - album, out 25/09/2006 on Roadrunner Records. 1 review (read/post)
• Transgression - album, out 29/08/2005 on Roadrunner Records. 1 review (read/post)
• Remanufacture - album, out 01/04/2002 on Roadrunner Records. (post review)
• Remanufacture (reissue) - album, out 25/03/2002 on Roadrunner Records. 1 review (read/post)
• Digimortal - album on Roadrunner Records. 1 review (read/post)

News

• 22/03/2006: Roadrunner acts do that touring thing: Fear Factory, Dresden Dolls
• 21/10/2002: Asesino will murder you, Ariba! Ariba!
• 10/06/2002: Fear Factory closed with final release
• 09/05/2002: Gary Numan Exposed
• 10/01/2002: Out With The 'Olde', In With The New
• 22/09/2001: Fear Factory and Machine Head dates
• 11/08/2001: New Factory Work For Release
• 22/05/2001: Roadrunner Goes Cheap

Features

• 01/01/2006: Label Focus: Roadrunner Records

Links

• Road Runner Record - FF's label's website

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