Fear Factory was one of the first bands to fuse the loud, crushing intensity of death metal with the cold harshness of industrial electronics and samples, producing a more varied sonic palette with which to express their bleak, pessimistic view of modern, technology-driven society.

The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1990 by vocalist Burton C. Bell (formerly of Hate Face), percussionist Raymond Herrera, and guitarist and ex-Douche Lord Dino Cazares. Following their contribution of two tracks to the L.A. Death Metal compilation, Fear Factory signed to Roadrunner Records and released their debut album, Soul of a New Machine, in 1992, which featured new bass player Andrew Shives, added to allow Cazares to play guitar on tour. The following year′s Fear Is the Mind Killer EP showed Fear Factory′s willingness to experiment with their music and broaden its scope by placing tracks from their debut in the hands of remixers Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly; the EP also marked the debut of keyboardist Reynor Diego, who along with Fulber joined the band as a touring keyboardist.

Shives was fired in 1994 and replaced by Christian Olde Wolbers. In 1995, Fear Factory released its second full-length album of new material, Demanufacture; it was followed two years later by another remix project, Remanufacture (Cloning Technology), which this time featured contributions from a number of different remixers, including many techno-oriented artists, as well as more input from Fear Factory themselves. Steve Tushar replaced Diego in 1996.

The members of the band have performed in a number of side projects, the most notable of which is Cazares and Herrera′s Brujeria; others include G/Z/R (Bell) and Nailbomb (Cazares). Fear Factory reconvened in 1998 for Obsolete, a record that found the band′s well-established style fitting seamlessly into the growing alternative metal boom. As such, it became the band′s biggest hit yet, hitting the Top 100 on the album charts. Fear Factory′s profile was further boosted by appearances on several film soundtracks and on the 1999 Ozzfest tour. Their next album, 2001′s Digimortal, entered the charts in the Top 40. (Author: Steve Huey)

DISCOGRAPHY: (not including compilations, box sets or DVDs)
1992 Soul of a New Machine
1995 Demanufacture
1998 Obsolete
2001 Digimortal