Artist News

Fear Factory frontman discusses split

By | Published on Wednesday 5 August 2009

Fear Factory frontman Burton C Bell has discussed the ongoing legal dispute over the band’s name. As previously reported, there are now two bands called Fear Factory; one featuring bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and drummer Raymond Herrera; the other featuring guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell. Both claim they have more right to the name.

Speaking to Rock My Monkey, Bell said that the whole dispute came down to a disagreement over who should manage the band. He said: “I just want to cut through a lot of the confusion about one issue since it really will be part of every answer. I have not made a public statement about it; I’m not one to air dirty laundry, but I have been forced to correct certain misstatements by Raymond and Christian. The fact that I have not worked with Raymond and Christian for the past three years as Fear Factory is for this one reason – it’s that I did not want to be involved with their manager. Her name is Christy Priske and she happens to be Christian’s wife. During the [2005 album] ‘Transgression’ mixing session, her and Raymond started a love affair that lasted for a couple years. As [she was at that time the] manager [of] Fear Factory, this was completely unacceptable to me”.

Now that Bell and Cazares are working with a new line-up, Rock My Monkey asked why they didn’t just drop the Fear Factory name, and the expensive legal battle associated with their attempt to claim it as their own. Bell replied: “For the exact same reason Raymond didn’t wanna change the name of the band when Dino left [in 2002, before later returning]. And we believe that Dino and I have the right to use the name. I mean, Dino and I started jamming before Raymond was even in the picture. I’ve always been the singer of Fear Factory and Dino was the guitar player of the records that really were the seminal records of this band, that are associated with this band. And it comes down to that Raymond and Christian chose Christy over Fear Factory”.

He also revealed that the Bell/Cazares version of the band is recording a new album, with a view to a February release. The Wolbers/Herrara version of the band is also currently in the studio working on a new album.



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