The reformed FEAR FACTORY — now consisting of Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar/bass), Raymond Herrera (drums), and Burton C. Bell (vocals) — have posted for download 45-second samples of three cuts from their recently-recorded demo.
The songs available for preview are as follows:
A fourth cut recorded during the same sessions, "Bite The Hand That Feeds", was not made available for download, but is believed to be among the tracks planned for inclusion on the band's upcoming studio album, tentatively due in late 2003.
At the time of this writing, it is not clear if Roadrunner Records will exercise their contractual option to issue the group's next studio album, which will mark the band's first release without guitarist/co-founder Dino Cazares.
FEAR FACTORY unceremoniously split in early March after announcing the departure of Bell, whose personality clashes with Cazares proved to be too much for the frontman to handle, eventually forcing him to leave the group. Subsequent interviews with Cazares and Herrera revealed deep-rooted differences between the other members and Dino, who has since announced plans to launch an as-yet-unnamed new project.
The official web site of Roadrunner Records has posted September 16th as the tentative release date for MACHINE HEAD's forthcoming live CD, entitled MACHINE HEAD: Live At Brixton, October 28th as the tentative release date for TYPE O NEGATIVE's long-awaited and as-yet-untitled new studio album, and July 29th as the tentative release date for the previously-unavailable, Ross Robinson-produced album from FEAR FACTORY, entitled Concrete, which was originally recorded back in 1991.
FEAR FACTORY will release their first DVD, entitled Digital Connectivity, on December 18th. Among other footage, the DVD will feature live video performances of the following 11 tracks:
01. Martyr (Filmed live at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in Eindhoven, Holland – 1993) 02. Scapegoat (Filmed live at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in Eindhoven, Holland – 1993) 03. Scumgrief (Filmed live at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in Eindhoven, Holland – 1993) 04. Demanufacture (Filmed live at The Forum in Kentish Town, London - Machines Of Hate tour, 1996) 05. Self Bias Resistor (Recorded live for MTV UK's Headbanger's Ball - London, 1996) 06. Dog Day Sunrise (Filmed live at The Warehouse in Toronto – 1996) 07. Shock (Filmed live at Club Citta in Japan – 1999) 08. Edgecrusher (Filmed live at Club Citta in Japan - 1999) 09. What Will Become? (Filmed live at House Of Blues - 2001) 10. Damaged (Filmed live at The Reading Festival in England - 2001) 11. Digimortal (Filmed live at The Opera House in Toronto - 2001)
The DVD will also contain the following eight previously unreleased audio tracks and rare B-sides:
01. Frequency (Recorded four months after the completion of Digimortal, making it the newest FEAR FACTORY song) 02. Machine Debaser (Originally recorded for the video game Demolition Racer, parts of this track were later recycled and became the chorus of "Hurt Conveyor" and the bridge of "What Will Become?")) 03. Demolition Racer (also originally recorded for the Demolition Racer video game, a part of this song later became the chorus of "Acres Of Skin") 04. Cyberdyne 05. Refueled 06. Transgenic 07. Edgecrusher (Urban Assault Mix) 08. Descent (Falling Deeper Mix)
To coincide with the DVD’s release, Roadrunner Records will be sending to radio stations a promo CD containing all the audio tracks that are to appear on the DVD. Unfortunately this promo CD will only be given to radio stations and will ONLY be available in the US. In other news, FEAR FACTORY will be releasing special-edition tour EPs in the UK and Australia to coincide with the group’s dates at the upcoming Can’t Take Me Apart tour. The UK version (released November 12th) will feature the following tracks:
01. Linchpin 02. Frequency 03. Machine Debaser 04. Linchpin (video)
The Australian version will feature the following tracks:
01. Frequency 02. Linchpin (Digimortal album version) 03. Machine Debaser 04. Demolition Racer 05. Invisible Wounds (The Suture Mix) 06. Replica (recorded live during the Ozzfest Tour 1996) 07. Edgecrusher (recorded live at The Palace, St. Kilda, Australia on February 26, 1999. Previously unreleased on CD) Plus the "Linchpin" video clip, and the four-part mini series of the making of Digimortal.
GODFLESH have parted ways with Ben Green, bass player and co-founder of the band, who reportedly left the group in order to “go to university and pursue another career". The group’s upcoming European tour with FEAR FACTORY will still take place, with Paul Raven (ex-KILLING JOKE, PRONG) filling in on bass. Source: BLABBERMOUTH
FEAR FACTORY's Digimortal sold 38,000 in its debut week in the US, placing it at number 32 on next week's Billboard Top 200 Pop Album chart. Other FF chart position from around the world are as follows: Canada: #17 (Top 200) and #1 (Top 50 Hard Albums), Germany: #11 (Top 100), Finland: #25, The Netherlands: #69 (Mega Top 100 Album Charts), UK: #24 (National Album Charts). Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET
Fear Factory have finished recording new album "Digimortal" at Ocean Studios in Los Angeles. Mixing has now been completed at Sol Seven in LA. Mastering will take place in January. Dino, guitarist, says: "We've avoided typical studios like Indigo Ranch. We don't want to be working and the all of a sudden have Limp Bizkit walk in - that could be distracting!" The new album will be produced by Rhys Fulber. Look for a release April 23rd.
Fear Factory said: "We will be recording in L.A. We have not picked a studio as yet, but we will pick one soon. As far as a producer goes, we are still looking into producers, but this is what we know: Bob Rock will NOT do the record, he said it was too heavy for him. Toby Wright will not do the record either, he is doing the new Ozzy record. The original plan was to do it ourselves with Rhys Fulber. Rhys will still be a part of this album no matter what, but we are still looking at producers. We will be going into the studio on September 5th. We have 21 songs in total, with eight for the album. We want to write two or three more for the album; the rest of the tracks will be b-side tracks, video game tracks, movie tracks, etc".
