Fear Factory will release their first new song in over five years, “Disruptor,” next Friday, April 16th. The track will be included on the band's upcoming album, Aggression Continuum , which will be released later this year.
Check out a short teaser of the riff from the new album, courtesy of the band's guitarist, Dino Cazares :
In September 2020, singer Burton C. Bell released a statement officially announcing his departure from Fear Factory, stating that he "cannot align himself" with people he does not trust and respect.
Bell's departure from Fear Factory came approximately two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the production costs associated with the release of their highly anticipated new album.
Later, Bell told Kerrang! that his split with Fear Factory had been long expected. “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 of the band members, but of the lawyers involved. I just lost my love for all of it.”
“You can only endure so much. I think 30 years with the band was a good period. Those albums I made with Fear Factory will always be available. I will always be a part of it. I felt it was time to move on,” he concluded.
When asked if there was any chance of reconciliation with Fear Factory in the future, Burton said: “I haven’t spoken to Dino in three years. I haven’t spoken to Raymond [ Herrera , drums] and Christian [ Olde Wolbers , bass] in even longer than that, and I have no intention of doing so. I’m just moving on with my life.”
In October, Dino issued a statement saying that the door for Burton to return to Fear Factory wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton lost the legal rights to the band's name after the legal battle with Herrera and Olde Wolbers.
“I had the opportunity to do something right and I felt that getting the full name was the right thing to do for both of us. So, after almost four years, we can continue as Fear Factory, to make more records and tour,” he said. “That’s why it’s sad to know that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, whatever problems he has, it seems like it could have been resolved.”
In explaining his reasons for starting a fundraising campaign, Cazares said that all donations will go towards covering the production costs of the new LP.
This includes re-recording the drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards, as well as production by Damien Rainaud and Cazares, and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap . Burton's original vocals, which were recorded in their entirety in 2017, will remain on the new version of the album.
Finally, the fundraising campaign marked the band's first public activity since completing a US tour in 2016. The highlight of that tour was their second classic album, Demanufacture , in its entirety.
