FEAR FACTORY's DINO CAZARES Recruits ONCE HUMAN's LAUREN HART For DIVINE HERESY Project

FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares has recruited ONCE HUMAN's Lauren Hart as the new singer of his DIVINE HERESY project.

Cazares announced Hart's addition to DIVINE HERESY late Monday night (August 1) on the band's official Facebook page. He wrote: "I'm almost ready to write some new material w/ singer Lauren Hart. I will be handling all guitar and bass. I currently do not have a drummer or bassist for live or possible tracking, so any professional musicians in the USA interested let me know.

"Let me be clear about this: I will not be using any former members. With that being said R.I.P. Joe Payne one of the best bassist/guitarist.

"We are currently record company free so all of this will be supported out of our own pockets.

"Ps. This does not take away from any other things that I’m currently working on".

Just four days earlier, Dino shared a short Instagram clip of Hart singing DIVINE HERESY's "Failed Creation" and he included the following message: "Wow watch @ohlaurenhart destroy 'Failed Creation' next DH singer ? give her a follow and check some of her other covers. #explorepage #music #melodicdeathmetal #guitar #fearfactory #oncehuman #metal".

Although there has been no official confirmation on the matter, Hart is also rumored to have auditioned for the singer slot in FEAR FACTORY following the September 2020 departure of that band's original frontman Burton C. Bell.

After temporarily parting ways with FEAR FACTORY — the influential, gold-certified industrial metal band he co-founded — in 2002, guitarist and extreme metal pioneer Dino Cazares (also of BRUJERIA and ASESINO) began laying the foundation for a new project that would combine metallic aggression, muscular precision and melodic accessibility. Initially joining forces with acclaimed drummers John Sankey (DEVIL YOU KNOW, DEVOLVED) and Nicholas Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR) to write, Cazares eventually completed the album with drummer Tim Yeung (MORBID ANGEL, VITAL REMAINS, HATE ETERNAL) and vocalist Tommy Vext (BAD WOLVES, SNOT),Cazares's vision was realized, and DIVINE HERESY was born.

The group's first record, "Bleed The Fifth" — produced by former MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader (GOJIRA, DEVILDRIVER) and featuring cover art from Joachim Luetke (ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, DIMMU BORGIR) — was released in 2007 in North America via Century Media Records and by FEAR FACTORY's longtime home, Roadrunner Records, in Europe — received rave reviews from the global metal press. Metal Hammer called DIVINE HERESY "a quintessential 21st Century American metal band," while Kerrang! raved that the album "couldn't be more metal if it hung a massive V around the neck of the Eiffel Tower while gargling liquid mercury." The album also featured a guest appearance from guitarist Marc Rizzo (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, ILL NINO) and bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY). After adding bassist Joe Payne (NILE),the band supported the album's release by touring extensively alongside the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ALL THAT REMAINS, STATIC-X, ARCH ENEMY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, SHADOWS FALL and CHIMAIRA, as well as appearing at Australia's Soundwave festival.

Unfortunately, DIVINE HERESY's initial lineup splintered in 2008 when Vext was let go, and Cazares, Yeung and Payne quickly rebounded with new vocalist Travis Neal (DIRGE WITHIN, THE BLOODLINE) and released their second album, "Bringer Of Plagues", in 2009. The record also saw the band's sound augmented by keyboards from Rhys Fulber (FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY). Produced by Mader once again, and featuring artwork from Anthony Clarkson (DEVIN TOWNSEND, KATAKLYSM, HYPOCRISY),the album — which cracked the Billboard Top 200 upon its release — was heavier than its predecessor, with AllMusic describing it as "a head-down, hair-pinwheeling metal album" and Kerrang! praising its "thunderous, jaw-dropping intensity." The band returned to the road with gusto, touring with the likes of MOONSPELL, GIGAN, AFTER THE BURIAL and 36 CRAZYFISTS, but soon after Cazares rejoined a new-look FEAR FACTORY, DIVINE HERESY went on hiatus.

"Bleed The Fifth" and "Bringer Of Plague" were released on vinyl in May 2021 via M-Theory Audio. "Bleed The Fifth" was released on black-and-white haze vinyl, while 2009's "Bringer Of Plagues" was offered on smoke-colored wax. Each record also included additional bonus tracks not contained on the original CD releases.