FEAR FACTORY kicked off a European tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, “Demanufacture”, Friday night (July 18) at Turock in Essen, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:
“Demanufacture” album:
01. Demanufacture
02. Self Bias Resistor
03. Zero Signal
04. Replica
05. New Breed
06. Dog Day Sunrise (HEAD OF DAVID cover) (first time since 2016)
07. Body Hammer
08. Flashpoint (first time since 2016)
09. H-K (Hunter-Killer) (first time since 2016)
10. Pisschrist
11. A Therapy For Pain (first time since 2016)
Encore:
12. Shock
13. Edgecrusher
14. Powershifter
15. Linchpin
16. Archetype
In a 2021 interview with Cuartel Del Metal, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked what the initial response to “Demanufacture” was from the fans and the critics when it was first released in 1995. He responded: “Some people didn’t realize that it was real. Some people thought it was electronic drums — programmed drums. Some people thought my guitars were sampled. Because it was such a tight record, it was so mechanical sounding in some ways, so people thought it wasn’t real. I was very happy that I was able to create a sound that people still admire today; people still love it today. Some people are still influenced today by that record. It was a milestone in the band’s career, and it was something that we created that, I think, defined the genre of industrial metal. Sure, you had bands like MINISTRY and GODFLESH and stuff like that, but I think that FEAR FACTORY took it to another level. We combined a lot of elements that maybe other people weren’t doing. I think one of the main things also was the production of the record. The mixing of the record definitely took it to a new level. When Rhys Fulber and Greg Reely mixed the record, it was mindblowing, that it set the standard for that type of music. The vocals alone inspired a generation of musicians to come, vocalists to come. Syncopated guitars and drums… A lot of people were saying, ‘Well, MESHUGGAH made that popular.’ Yeah, MESHUGGAH didn’t make it popular till much later. FEAR FACTORY at that time was a much bigger band. We were the only band, really, at the time that was really popularizing that style with the syncopated guitars and drums. So, yeah, I feel very lucky that I made a classic record that stood the test of time.”
In December 2020, Dino told The Pit that he still revisits “Demanfucature” “quite a lot, because it was a groundbreaking record. And I go back sometimes just to listen — not to the tones or anything, but listen to the structures,” he said. “But a lot of times, I apply those structures into newer songs. Like, ‘Okay, how did I write a song like ‘Zero Signal’? How does it go? How does it start? Where does the verse go? Where does the mid-section go?’ And blah blah. If I’m stuck on a new song, I’ll go back to ‘Demanufacture’ and be, like, ‘Okay, that’s how we did it, so let’s go back and apply it to this song.’ Even though the songs are completely different, the riffs are different, it’s still something that helps me craft songs today.”
In 2020, Run Out Groove celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Demanufacture” album by issuing it on vinyl and expanding it with a previously unreleased live concert from 1996’s Ozzfest. “Demanufacture” was mastered for vinyl with lacquers cut by FEAR FACTORY‘s producer-engineer Damien Rainaud. The three-LP set was pressed on transparent blue, solid white, and black mixed-color vinyl at Record Industry and housed in a tri-fold jacket containing an exclusive poster.
FEAR FACTORY‘s current lineup features Cazares, Milo Silvestro on vocals, Tony Campos on bass, and Pete Webber on drums. Ricky Bonazza (BUTCHER BABIES) is playing bass for FEAR FACTORY on the road in Europe while Campos is busy touring with STATIC-X.
Silvestro‘s addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.
FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
In early 2023, FEAR FACTORY completed the “Rise Of The Machine” U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X. It marked the Cazares-led outfit’s first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.
Webber had been filling in for FEAR FACTORY‘s longtime drummer Mike Heller who was unable to play with the band due to “scheduling conflicts.”
FEAR FACTORY‘s latest album, “Aggression Continuum”, was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, featured Cazares, Heller and FEAR FACTORY‘s original singer, Burton C. Bell.
In September 2020, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he “cannot align” himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect, apparently referring to Cazares.
Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY had been a long time coming. “It’s been on my mind for a while,” he said. “These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.”
