DINO CAZARES On Musical Direction Of Next FEAR FACTORY Album: 'I Just Do What Comes From The Heart'

In a new interview with Metallerium, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked if the music he is writing for the band's next album will be a throwback to some of the early FF LPs like "Demanufacture" (1995) or if it will feature a new sound. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say that so far the songs that I've written for that probably have more influence of 'Mechanize' [2010] and 'Genexus' [2015] and 'Aggression Continuum' [2021]; more of an influence of those three albums so far.

"Going back to 'Demanufacture' — some records that you create, some art that you create sometimes is not easy to replicate, although some fans would probably like to hear that, and some fans probably not," he explained. "But whatever comes out comes out. I don't necessarily say, 'Hey, I wanna write it in this style,' or whatever. I just do what comes from the heart and what comes from my head and just go with that; I go with my gut feeling. But I definitely like to push things as best as they can be."

Last month, Cazares addressed the fact that FEAR FACTORY's upcoming album will be the band's first to feature the group's new vocalist, the identity of whom has not yet been revealed. He told Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf: "You wanna take your time [working with the new singer]. You wanna make sure you find someone that best fits the job. It's not anything new for me; I've started many other bands with other singers, and I've had to replace singers before. But not in a band like FEAR FACTORY. So, yeah, it's definitely very challenging, and I'm definitely up for the challenge. I understand there's probably gonna be some sort of backlash, but there's a backlash with everything. So, yeah, I'm up for the challenge. I'm not planning on changing anything. I'm gonna pretty much keep what FEAR FACTORY is known for and try to honor the legacy of who we are."

Asked if musical chemistry, stage presence and personality were all factors in his decision when selecting the new vocalist of FEAR FACTORY, Dino said: "All of the above, especially when you're working with people that you don't know. Especially someone like the singer, who I don't know that well. When I hired him, I didn't know him that well. Of course we've spent some time together and we got to know each other. You wanna make sure you're not making a bad decision, 'cause this is gonna be something that's gonna last a while. Plus, relationships are relationships. You can't always control how things are gonna turn out. You try your best. And you put your right foot forward and you just keep moving."

Cazares also confirmed that FEAR FACTORY is currently "label-less" after working with Nuclear Blast for the band's last two albums. "We don't have any record company. FEAR FACTORY doesn't have any new record company right now," he said. "We haven't signed any new deals. And we are in the process also of negotiating and evaluating different offers that we have. That's another thing too. I didn't realize that this year that our record contract had expired with Nuclear Blast. But they still have the obligation to promote this record, 'Recoded' [the recently released collection of remixes of the songs from 'Aggression Continuum']. But now, moving forward, we're exploring our options and it's looking really good. So hopefully we'll get some sort of deal done and be able to get this music out to you as soon as possible."

In September, Cazares told "The Jasta Show" that FEAR FACTORY fans will have to wait a few more months to find out the identity of his band's new singer.

"FEAR FACTORY singer and music will be coming just before the [group's North American] tour with STATIC-X," he said. "End of February is the first show, so just before that we'll be releasing the single and the singer. And then boom — right on the road."

According to Dino, he has been working with the new FEAR FACTORY vocalist for a year. "It's just a lot of developing," he said. "You know, FEAR FACTORY is precious to a lot of people, and so I've gotta make sure that it's right.

"I wanted to release some tracks a while ago with the singer, but then I had nothing behind it — no tour or anything like that — so the hype was gonna die down quick," he explained. "So I wanna do it around a tour; that way you've got something to work. And I just didn't wanna release his name too quick, because no one's gonna care by the time I release a track a year later. So I want it all to be done together."

This past February, former NIGHTRAGE singer Antony Hämäläinen, who unsuccessfully auditioned for the vocalist slot in FEAR FACTORY, claimed in an interview that the new FF frontman is "a person from Italy."

In September 2020, original FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from the band, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

"Aggression Continuum" was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller.