FEAR FACTORY’s founding guitarist Dino Cazares has officially closed the door on working with any former members of the band, explaining that he has “moved forward”—presumably into a room with a lock and no forwarding address.
On Saturday (February 28), Dino took to his Facebook page to write: “I don’t hold any hatred toward any former members, but to be clear, I will not be working with them again, I’m sure the feeling is mutual. What’s done is done, and that chapter is permanently closed. I’ve moved forward and remain focused on the present and the future. I sincerely hope they have done the same. Respectfully.”
He later added: “The only reason I continue addressing this is because fans keep asking. I’ve already moved on and have said that many times. Unfortunately, some people get upset if I don’t answer the question and others get upset when I give an honest answer they don’t want to hear.”
Ah, the classic rock-and-roll paradox: tell fans what they want to hear and they call you a liar; tell them the truth and they still call you a liar. It’s like being stuck between a screaming front row and a lawsuit.
Back in November 2024, Dino spoke to the Life Is Peachy podcast about the circumstances that led to the 2020 departure of the band’s original singer Burton C. Bell. Cazares said: “[After] I [came] back with FEAR FACTORY, we released four records. Me and Burton got sued by [former FEAR FACTORY members] Christian [Olde Wolbers, bass] and Raymond [Herrera, drums] for monies owed. We owed them money. I ended up beating my lawsuit against those guys, but Burton ended up losing his lawsuit against those guys and has to pay them a million dollars. So Burton decides to quit the band. And he said a lot of things in the press, like he only did FEAR FACTORY out of necessity, he only did FEAR FACTORY ’cause he needed money, he didn’t believe a lot of the lyrics he was writing, and blah, blah, blah, blah. He said he felt restrained doing FEAR FACTORY, he felt like he was pigeonholed doing FEAR FACTORY. And that’s fine. I ended up winning my lawsuit against the guys, against Raymond and Christian.”
Ah yes, the classic “I’m leaving because I need money but also I hate the music” excuse. That’s like saying, “I’m quitting my job at the chocolate factory because I’m diabetic, but also the Oompa Loompas are jerks.”
“Back in November 2024, Dino spoke to the Life Is Peachy podcast about the circumstances that led to the 2020 departure of the band’s original singer Burton C. Bell. Cazares said: “[After] I [came] back with FEAR FACTORY, we released four records. Me and Burton got sued by [former FEAR FACTORY members] Christian [Olde Wolbers, bass] and Raymond [Herrera, drums] for monies owed. We owed them money. I ended up beating my lawsuit against those guys, but Burton ended up losing his lawsuit against those guys and has to pay them a million dollars. So Burton decides to quit the band. And he said a lot of things in the press, like he only did FEAR FACTORY out of necessity, he only did FEAR FACTORY ’cause he needed money, he didn’t believe a lot of the lyrics he was writing, and blah, blah, blah, blah. He said he felt restrained doing FEAR FACTORY, he felt like he was pigeonholed doing FEAR FACTORY. And that’s fine. I ended up winning my lawsuit against the guys, against Raymond and Christian.”
One of the biggest misconceptions is that people thought that I sued Burton, but that’s not true,” Cazares clarified. “It was Raymond and Christian who sued us individually. We had separate lawsuits. They sued us separately so they can get separate money. So if they would have won my lawsuit, I would have had to give them a million dollars. I won my lawsuit against them. I didn’t owe them anything. But, actually, Burton filed for bankruptcy, and when he filed for bankruptcy, he tried to get out of paying those guys. And, unfortunately, he lied in his bankruptcy. That’s a federal offense. Raymond and Christian took him back to court, made him open up the bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was null and void. So Burton had to pay back those guys, and they took all of Burt’s assets. Assets, meaning whatever you own, whether it’s a house, a car, a trademark, copyright, business, so on and so on. They took all that away from him for lying in court.
Nothing says “rock star lifestyle” like losing everything because you lied in bankruptcy court. Somewhere, Vince Neil is nodding sympathetically while filing his own financial documents.
“If Burton would have come back to FEAR FACTORY, whatever he earns from FEAR FACTORY, a percentage of that would have to go to Raymond and Christian to pay back the million of dollars,” Cazares explained. “So Burton didn’t wanna go out there on tour and [be] working his ass off and having to pay those guys a percentage of what he earns on tour. Basically, whatever money is earned from Burton Bell’s name in FEAR FACTORY, that goes to Raymond and Christian’s lawyers. It’s kind of like child support. If you’re a guy having to pay child support, but you happen to be that guy that doesn’t pay his child support, the court can go after your money that you’re earning from your job. They could take a percentage of that money and pay your kids. That’s basically what was happening to Burt. Now, Burt can go get a regular job. Let’s say he went got a job at [McDonald’s]. He wouldn’t have to give them a portion of that money, because that’s not being earned by FEAR FACTORY. I could be wrong. There might be some technicalities where I’m a little wrong, but it’s basically what happened. So, in reality, me playing the FEAR FACTORY songs live goes to pay back Burton’s debt to those guys. But Burton doesn’t see that.”
So basically, Burton can’t afford to be in FEAR FACTORY because he’d have to pay his own debts with his own money. That’s rock and roll math for you.
“Dino added: “There’s a whole other side to it that fans just don’t know. And I get it. They’re not in this industry. They’re just a fan listening to the songs and they don’t understand how all this works.”
Sure, because nothing says “accessible music” like bankruptcy court drama and trademark auctions. It’s like Game of Thrones but with more double-bass pedals.
“Regarding the possibility of the classic FEAR FACTORY lineup reuniting at some point in the future, Cazares said at the time: “Listen, sure, it’s easy for all four of us to get together, but it wouldn’t be easy to do business with them, it wouldn’t be easy to write songs with them and it wouldn’t be easy because somebody would have to be in control of that ship and that would be me. Not anybody else. That’s not gonna work. Look what happened to JANE’S ADDICTION. They got back together. [Laughs] Burton pretty much said, ‘Ah, fuck you, Dino. I’m not coming back. Fuck that. I’m over it.’ So I’m, like, ‘Okay, I’ll do what I normally do. Put a [new version of the] band together and fucking do it.’ It’s not like I haven’t been there before. I still have the fire, the drive, the passion to do this. And I think that’s owed to the FEAR FACTORY fans. The FEAR FACTORY fans wanna hear the FEAR FACTORY songs like they are on the record. They wanna hear the songs. They grew up with those songs, they still listen to those songs, and then when we go out there and play, we’re gonna give it the best that we can do. And it’s pretty fucking good.”
Translation: “I’m Dino Cazares, and I approve this message. Also, I’m the only one who can play these riffs without breaking a nail.”
“Anticipating the negative feedback he would likely receive from the metal community for his comments, Dino said: “Now, do you realize that when you put this [episode of the podcast] out and you start sending stuff to all the metal sites [to cover what was said], this is gonna spark up some drama. It’s also gonna spark up some, like, ‘Oh, isn’t Dino over it by now?’ It’s not that it’s something I need to get over. It’s just what happened. That’s all it is. This is just a story — my story of what happened. That’s all it is. And I have no ill will towards any of those other guys. None. As a matter of fact, I’ve spoken to Christian quite a few times already… I have no ill will towards those guys, but there are reasons why people are not in my life anymore. That is my choosing. I don’t like to go back to people that have hurt me multiple times. And that’s just how it is. But I have no ill will towards those guys at all whatsoever. And I wish them success in whatever they do.”
Sure, Dino. You don’t hold any ill will. You just legally outmaneuvered them, bought their shares, and replaced them with younger, more affordable musicians. But no hard feelings, right?
“FEAR FACTORY’s current lineup also features Milo Silvestro on vocals, Tony Campos on bass, and Pete Webber on drums.”
Translation: “We’re still making that industrial metal sound, just with 30% fewer original members and 100% fewer lawsuits… for now.”
“FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.”
And somewhere, in a parallel universe, the original lineup is playing a sold-out stadium while Dino’s version is headlining the Whisky. Both universes are equally valid, according to the internet.
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Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
