05.10 Fear Factory

Coming Around Full Circle with the Return of Dino Cazares

By Jillian Locke

Mechanize, Fear Factory’s 2010 Candlelight Records release, marks the triumphant return of founding guitarist Dino Cazares back into the fold. With a current line-up consisting of vocalist Burton Bell, bassist Byron Stroud, and drummer Gene Hoglan (Testament, Strapping Young Lad, Metalocalypse), Cazares has helped bring Fear Factory’s sound back around, full circle.

Regarding the reunion with his long-lost comrade Burton Bell, Cazares shares: “I remember the collaboration back in the day, then coming back in the band in 2009 and writing with him again…it felt really good, fresh, and new. I think it was very healthy that we had time apart; we both had different projects we were working on, which allowed us to grow as musicians. I think it only helped us.”

The band took to recording the 10 rippers that comprise Mechanize with Fear Factory veteran Rhys Fulber. “Rhys was the guy who’s been involved with FF since 1992,” Cazares reflects. “He really helped us shape who we are ~ helped us in the evolution of FF and our sound. He brought more of an industrial vibe to our sound, so it was an obvious choice to bring him back.”

As for the first recording process since Cazares’ departure in 2002, it flowed more seamlessly than anyone could have predicted. “Recording was definitely really smooth and easy. Gene Hoglan is a very professional guy and a legendary drummer. To me, this is pretty much as high as I can go with metal drummers. Collaborating with him was very simple because he really understood what Burton and I were trying to do.”

Mechanize seems to pick up where 1998’s Obsolete left off, but instead of being just a continuation, Mechanize was created in the time that Obsolete predicted, and according to Cazares, is a more “socially aware” effort. “Obsolete was more of a futuristic album, in that it told the tale of where we’re going to be as humans in the future, when technology is taking over and less human compassion will be there. With Mechanize, all the stuff we had been talking about ~ technology getting caught up ~ well, we are here in 2010, and the technology has caught up to what we were talking about in the 90s. Mechanize is more socially aware of what’s going on now.”

Now that Fear Factory has regrouped, is revamped with the return of Cazares, and has once again put forth a killer album, one question remains: What’s the best part of being in Fear Factory? “The creative process,” Cazares quickly replies. “Playing songs together and collaborating with people who have the same ideas as I do, but can add to them…and playing live to people who like the music and really get what you’re saying and really love the band. That’s amazing.”