Burton C. Bell – FEAR FACTORY (audio interview)
After speaking with Burton C. Bell, frontman of industrial heavy metal titans FEAR FACTORY, I’ve gotta quote Stewie Griffin: “They say don’t meet your heroes, but they can eat my ass, because that was awesome!” – the fact that Burt is indeed such an awesome dude is made all the more impressive by the fact that he and the band have been in it for such a long damn time. Since their first show as “Fear Factory” in late 1990, the band have gone on to become one of the most infamous acts in modern metal, influencing not just other acts, but engineering & pioneering what has become widely known as industrial metal.
Bell’s innovative use of combination sung and growled vocals, coupled with Dino Cazares’s machine-gun riffery and a rhythm section that (while subject to lineup changes over the decades) has driven the sledgehammer assault on eardrums the world over – and the boys show no sign of slowing down. Coupled with their impending appearance at Soundwave, Fear Factory are celebrating their recent signing with Nuclear Blast by preparing to deliver their 9th studio album – one that Bell says carries forward the theme of “Man vs. Machine” that is so central to Fear Factory’s identity, while still presenting themselves “like a band that’s been around for 25 years that still is relevant.” (07:06 in)
There’s some gold to be heard here – including details of an intimate connection between Fear Factory and Faith No More bassist Billy Gould that goes back to the band’s inception, the bands to which you’ll find Burt moshing along in the front come Soundwave time (“I’m not a poser, I don’t watch from the side of the stage” – 02:19 in.), AND there’s a fun fact in here that involved Burt and early-era Nirvana that might just blow your mind… unless you already know what I’m talking about 😉
Enjoy \m/ – Dougie (@terrydougie)
To see Burton and the boys bring their industrial-tinged aural destruction to Australian shores, you MUST be at Soundwave. Dates here:
