FEAR FACTORY Recruits HAVOK Drummer PETE WEBBER For U.S. Tour

FEAR FACTORY has recruited Pete Webber (HAVOK) to play drums for the band on the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour with STATIC-X. Webber is filling in for longtime FEAR FACTORY drummer Mike Heller who is unable to make the trek due to "scheduling conflicts."

The 38-year-old Pete was born in Massachusetts began drumming at age five after listening to lots of music and growing fond of the drums. Watching a lot of drummers on MTV videos and having a good ear helped him learn the basics. A lot of Pete's growth came from covering other bands' music and helping him create his own style — acts such as SLIPKNOT, PRIMUS, PANTERA, SEPULTURA, FEAR FACTORY, and many more.

Due to extreme weather conditions, FEAR FACTORY was forced to cancel its appearance Saturday night (February 25) at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California at the opening show of the "Rise Of The Machine" tour as the support act for STATIC-X.

The San Francisco concert would have marked FEAR FACTORY's first appearance with new singer Milo Silvestro, who recently joined the band as the replacement for the band's original singer Burton C. Bell.

The "Rise Of The Machine" 42-date North American tour, which also features DOPE as well as select dates with MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID, will hit Portland, Oregon Monday night (February 27).

Earlier in the month, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares told "The Jasta Show" about the band's vocalist search: "A lot of females stepped up. And there was definitely some females in the top five that I almost chose. But it did take a long process for me to find somebody. I was touring with SOULFLY [as a session guitarist] around late 2021 up till recently. And in that process I was looking for singers, and I was very meticulous, because I know how important it is for FEAR FACTORY fans that I pick the right guy. And I believe, and I know that I got the right dude. So I'm very happy [about] that."

Cazares went on to say that he "definitely" considered "guys [who] were in other bands" but that he thought "there would be a lot of scheduling conflicts, if the guy is in another band, and then we wouldn't be able to tour as much. What it somebody wanted us to do something like the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I wouldn't be able to do it because the singer has another gig somewhere else," Cazares explained. "So I wanted a guy who was fresh off the boat, new-school guy. I like discovering new talent. There's a lot of talented people out there, and they just never get the shot. So I wanted to give kind of an unknown guy a shot, or an unknown person a shot."

Dino previously told RichardMetalFan that he wasn't "afraid" of replacing someone like Bell. "I've been there before," he said. "I'm ready to move on forward. I look forward to it. I think it's gonna be fucking ripping. It's gonna be killer. I'm gonna put out some more heavy shit. So I don't think anybody needs to worry. The vocalist I got is amazing. He's younger; he's in his mid-30s. He's at his vocal peak, I think. He's there and ready to go."

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.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside Heller.