Fear Factory

Born in October, 1990, Fear Factory understands only too well what "fear" is all about. Los Angeles, the band's hometown, is not a place for the feint. "Some guy once pulled a gun on me in a restaurant because he thought I was looking at him funny!" - Dino Cazares.

Incidents like this, the breakdown of "civilized" society, and the boundaries that people cross every single day, have made Fear Factory's dissonant cries jarring aural signposts of the modern age. Demanufacture, recorded by Colin Richardson with the engineering/mixing help of Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber (with Greg Reely assisting), shows versatile brutality and a set of songs to chill. Fear Factory want you to know what it means:

‘A soundtrack for an anonymous person struggling to exist in a world where the sense of individuality is unacceptable... even taboo. A soundtrack for an anonymous person who is sick and tired of government lying to everyone when government conspiracy is a way of life. A soundtrack to spearhead the resistance and create a new society.'

This album is a collection of songs which involves YOU as a central conceptual character in a world where your anonymous leader is simply trying to survive. "Demanufacture," the title song, sets the mood of the record. A vicious and unrelenting anthem in which the main character finally puts their foot down and will accept no more bullshit from everyday life. "New Breed" is Fear Factory fighting, showing that there will be change, that there has to be a new destiny, that there will be a new future. "Body Hammer" describes the anger of the new leader, who will stop short of nothing to declare and implement the necessary changes in bringing about the demise of a fucked up society. "Flashpoint" shows that we can all face up o our past, that it is perhaps better to purge ourselves of past lies and actions, that there can be happiness and joy found in the establishment of a clean slate. Demanufacture unfolds yet further, detailing a cold, aggressive and vital time when one new leader struggles to establish a new way. It is a product of vision and fear, and everyday intensities that push Fear Factory beyond the boundaries of normal, daily stress and thought.

For Fear Factory, the chill runs deep during studio work, their own fears and worries doubling under the pressure of production. It gives them an edge. "We're fearful and paranoid of putting out a bad record," says Dino. "A bad record to us would be one that isn't tightly played, isn't well worked out. If there's any room for human error, it's ever-so-slight, which his why computers are a big comfort zone, because of their accuracy."

Fear Factory, as you have doubtlessly gathered, embrace technology warmly. "Computers are the wave of the future," Dino states. "We recorded half of the album using computer technology and it was great, we loved it. Next time around we'l probably do our entire record on computers. What we really like about machines, computers, all that sort of equipment is the cold harshness of the sound it generates. Multiple tracking on the guitars, sampled and then quadrupled put into the computer with the drum tracks really gives it a cold, hard feel; the really abrasive, brittle sound we like."

Living in Los Angeles has left Fear Factory open to potentially great physical harm onmany occasion. That manifests itself into studio-contained aggression, that being another key element to Demanufacture. "Agression is the main emotion we feel while we're recording," Burt explains. "It's like living in a meltingpot like L.A., there's a lot of stress involved and our lives in general always happen to see stress channeled into work. Tension's everywhere. Dino was at the Whiskey in L.A. buying a drink for himself and this girl when some guy bumped his arm. Dino spilled the beer he just bought,a four dollar Bud! So he said, "Hey you just bumped me and spilled my beer," and the guy just looked at Dino and said, "So fucking what!" Dino told him that maybe he could help pay for another and he just said, "You know what? Fuck you! I could shoot you right now, blast you right here," and he pulled this gun out and started waving it at Dino! Dino could've died over a Budweiser!"

Expect to see and hear Demanufacture all over the world. Fear Factory have toured with the likes of Sepultura, Biohazard, Megadeth, Korn, and most recently Iron Maiden, everywhere from Europe to Australia to Mexico and, of course, extensively in America. This year will see Fear Factory spread out even further to more distant corers of the globe.

For all the terror to be found in Los Angeles, Fear F actory wouldn't enjoy paradise any better. At the end of their travels every time, all roads lead to Los Angeles. "There's the other side, paradise, like Australia, which is great. But we really couldn't be there because there's no gangs, no cops pullin' you over, no tension. Over there we'd be too comfortable, we'd want something to happen, we'd have to create something. It's like a sickness, an addiction."

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