Fear Factory inspired by LA riots

Fear Factory mainman Burton C Bell says growing up during the LA riots in the early 90s inspired his fascination with science fiction.

Violence flared following the acquittal of four LAPD officers for the beating of a black motorist Rodney King in 1991. And Bell says the sight of the National Guard on the streets left a lasting impression.

He tells The Indian Express: “We experienced the LA riots first-hand. I remember the National Guard patrolling the roads of LA, setting up posts across the street. This wasn’t science fiction – this was pure struggle. But these are the experiences that create science fiction, because we were struggling, we were fighting the establishment, the machine.”

Fear Factory recently signed with Nuclear Blast for their ninth album which is currently in pre-production. The band hope to release the record in 2015 with Rhys Fulber handling production duties and Andy Sneap behind the mixing desk.

Guitarist Dino Cazares said: “We’re doing pre-production right now and we’ll be back in the studio next month to track the album. We have a lot of songs written – we’re almost done.”

Meanwhile, former Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera recently slammed the band’s last album, 2012’s The Industrialist, calling it “stale” as they chose to use drum machines rather than a live musician. He left the band in 2009.