Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Guitarist Dino Cazares of Fear Factory discussed the band’s upcoming studio album in a recent interview with New Breed TV, as per Blabbermouth. The record is expected to be released via Nuclear Blast later this year. Singer Milo Silvestro and drummer Pete Webber, who have been a part of Fear Factory’s touring lineup for almost three years, will be included on the album for the first time.
Each song will have its own detailed synopsis of what each song’s about — lyrically. It’s something that we kind of did on [1998’s] ‘Obsolete’. ‘Obsolete’ was more of a story. This is more of a description of each song, the intention behind it, what the lyrics mean, and it’s gonna be intense. It’s gonna be great. You’re gonna be able to get more details that we’re gonna be releasing through our web site or through Facebook or all through social medias. And, of course, you guys will be getting some of that detail as well. Because I noticed over the years, when it’s just streaming stuff, you don’t get all the details of the song. Sure, you get some lyrics and maybe you get some song credits, but they don’t tell you the whole story behind it, the intention behind the riff or the beat or the lyrics. You don’t get all that extra stuff… So you’re gonna be able to get all the information of what [each song] is about. So it’s gonna be killer.
Dino made this statement on the lyrical ideas of Fear Factory’s next album.
Overall, the record is gonna have one concept that it all blends together, of course. It’s just not gonna necessarily be — how do I say it? — like a book. It’s gonna be a narration of each song. And, of course, it’s always the battle between organic and digital. Obviously we are now into the future of what we’ve been singing about since the ’90s. Now we are 35 years later, where we are now, and that’s what kind of like what we’re talking about. Of course A.I. has taken over in a lot of aspects, and it’s forever evolving, and it’s gonna keep evolving. And we’re enthusiastic about where it’s gonna go, but also very cautious at the same time. To where we are in this new record is where humanity is — humanity is only left in fragments, and there’s very little hope, a little chance for humanity to come back. And when it does come back, it’s gonna be a new living organism that we haven’t even discovered yet.
Dino responded as follows when asked if the band’s upcoming album would feature the previously released Fear Factory song “Roboticist,” which was made available as an instrumental version in 2023 to promote the virtual guitar rig plugin and standalone software Toneforge Disruptor.
Yes. The arrangement slightly changed — for the better, of course. ‘Cause it was originally written as an instrumental, and the ending part of the song is now the middle part of the song. And it sounds amazing. So you just gotta check it out when it comes out.
Cazares also discussed Silvestro’s lyrical contributions to Fear Factory, which was formally unveiled in February 2023.
Well, it’s definitely a huge collaborative effort between all of us, which is me and [longtime Fear Factory collaborator] Damien [Rainaud], our producer. Of course Milo wrote a good portion of lyrics. Of course I helped out. And we have a bass player named Ricky Bonazza, who fills in for Tony Campos. He helps a lot with the lyrics as well. So we all have collaborated lyrically on where we’re going with this stuff and the whole story behind it. Milo definitely — the three years definitely helped him understand Fear Factory even more and where he fits in the band.
Dino continued by saying that high expectations for the band’s first album without original vocalist Burton C. Bell are one of the reasons Fear Factory has taken so long to produce new music with Milo.
A lot of people are, like, ‘Well, put out the record, put out the record.’ We don’t wanna rush. We want it to be the shit, because this record, when it comes out, it’s gonna be forever. So I wanna be able to live with a dope-ass record than something that’s rushed because somebody wants us to put it out quickly. Although I enjoy the enthusiasm with the fans because they pester me every day. But it’s a good pester, and I enjoy it. So I really appreciate that, because it really tells me that they’re ready for it. It’s Milo’s first record, so he has to shine on this record. So we’re definitely taking our time. I think lyrically and conceptually, that probably takes the longest.
Dino emphasized that Silvestro was free to add his own musical signature on the forthcoming Fear Factory Record.
Milo wrote a song. He wrote the closing track, which is really good. It’s along the lines of [the epic cinematic ballad] ‘Expiration Date’ [from 2015’s ‘Genexus’ album]. That’s exactly how this is. I’d love to tell you the title, but I can’t. It’s really good. It’s kind of, like, as humanity, we are gone, humans are gone. All that’s left is microorganisms, and somehow… It’s kind of like how they rediscovered the dinosaur, and they can extract some prehistoric blood and clone a dinosaur and bring ’em back. That’s kind of where we are at the end of the record. And, yeah, it’s a great song. It’s great title. Milo pretty much did it all himself. ‘[Longtime Fear Factory producer/collaborator] Rhys [Fulber] contributed some keyboards on it, so that’s great. [Rhys is] definitely involved in that song heavily.
Dino responded as follows regarding Milo’s general vocal style to the new Fear Factory material.
There are elements where it’s, like, okay, he sounds very similar to Burt, but there’s other parts where he just sounds like it’s a whole new thing, which adds a whole new freshness to the songs. I mean, we still have everything that makes Fear Factory what we are — aggressive verses, screams, growls, and, of course, the big melodic choruses. We still have all that. But sometimes I do a double take and I’m, like, ‘That sounds a lot like Burt.’ And sometimes I’m, like, ‘This is a whole new thing.’ And you’re gonna notice that through the whole record.
[Milo] understands Fear Factory and the sound. He respects the past and what me and the rest of the guys have created. He loves all that, so, of course, it’s only natural for him to have a lot of those elements in him, because that’s what he learned from.
