Fear Factory parted ways with original vocalist Burton C. Bell in 2020 and the split wasn't exactly amicable. Bell has made it clear that he's not keeping up with his former bandmates anymore, though he does plan on performing Fear Factory songs live when he goes out on a solo tour eventually.
Fear Factory has since moved on and hired vocalist Milo Silvestro. Which is great, because Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares said he felt Bell was phoning in his performances toward the end of his time with the band anyway. Cazares said in an interview with Brutal Planet Magazine that Bell was "phoning things in" and that the "band was going down for a little while" before Silvestro came in.
"Yes and no. I've always had the fire. I don't need anybody to bring me new energy, but it does feel good when you have somebody who can match the energy that you have. Because for a while there, I just felt that — and I'm speaking off the cuff here — that Burton C. Bell was just kind of phoning things in; he was just kind of going through the motions, and it just felt like he didn't wanna be there.
"And so it was kind of lacking. The band was going down for a little while. And as soon as Milo came in, it was a breath of fresh air to play with somebody who wanted to be there. And that felt really good. And, of course, all the trolls are gonna come after me for saying that, but it is what it is. I mean, I lived through it. I was there."
Cazares later reiterated that Silvestro has breathed new life into the band, saying "People ask me the same question that you have: Did [Milo] bring new energy? Did he bring new life into the band? Yes, he did, because, like I said, he's matching my energy that I have for this band.
"You've gotta remember: I live, breathe, die Fear Factory. I live, breathe and die fucking metal and all different forms of it. I live for this shit. I love it. And that's why I'm still here."
Catch Fear Factory and Silvestro at the upcoming Metal Injection festival, happening later this month in Los Angeles.
