Fear Factory's first show with new singer cancelled by extreme weather

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Fear Factory were due to play first gig with new vocalist Milo Silvestro in California on Saturday

Fear Factory, new line-up
(Image credit: Nuclear Blast)

New Fear Factory vocalist Milo Silvestro's tenure with the band has got off to an unfortunate start after his first scheduled performance fell victim to extreme weather.

The band were due to kick off their tour with Static X at the Fillmore in San Francisco on Saturday (February 25), just days after confirming former Dead Channel man Silvestro as their new singer in place of  Burton C. Bell.

But just hours before the show, the band said on social media: "Due to extreme weather conditions here in California, Fear Factory will not make the first show on the Rise Of The Machine tour at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

"We tried everything we could but the California Highway Patrol did not permit anyone from driving through the Grape Vine Tejón Pass on the I-5 freeway for safety reasons.

"We apologise to anyone who bought tickets to see us but I promise, we will be back."

The next stop on the tour is at the Roseland Theatre in Portland, Oregon, on Monday (February 27).

Announcing Silvestro as the band's new singer this week, guitarist Dino Cazares said: "The search was long and meticulous, but I know for sure we got the right guy."

Silvestro, who beat out over 300 applicants for the position, said: "This is a huge opportunity for me. I've been a fan of the band for many years and it feels very surreal but I’m excited to be part of it.

"I know I have some massive shoes to fill but I'm here to do it in the best way possible and give justice to the vocal legacy of this legendary band."

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.