FEAR FACTORY - Monolith (2019)

par Pietro Lun 11 Fév 2019, 13:25

FEAR FACTORY has set "Monolith" as the title of its long-awaited new album, tentatively due later this year.

The effort, which will once again be made available via Nuclear Blast, will mark the Californian band's first collection of new music since 2015's "Genexus" LP.

The news of the new FEAR FACTORY's new album title was broken by singer Burton C. Bell during an interview with SiriusXM's Jose Mangin at this past November's inaugural Headbangers Con in Portland, Oregon. (Note: Video of the interview has just been uploaded to YouTube.)

"FEAR FACTORY, we have a new record," Bell said (see video below). "It's done. It's delivered to the label. And we've got some technical difficulties, and once that's finished, the record's gonna come out. It's gonna be called 'Monolith'. It's a great record."

Burton also revealed the tentative "Monolith" album cover via his smartphone. You can check it out below. (Note: The title and artwork may change before the album's release.)

Back in May 2017, Bell told the Kilpop web site that the positive reaction to "Genexus" has "absolutely" inspired him and his bandmates to try to top it with their upcoming effort. "It was such a great response," he said. "Putting out that record was just positive all the way around, which just makes us drive even further and drive even harder. Now we've been working on a new album. All the new songs, I say, in my opinion, are even stronger than 'Genexus', 'cause it just seems even more tight. We're on a groove, and it's kicking ass."

In 2016, FEAR FACTORY completed a U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety. Asked if playing such an iconic record from beginning to end every night influences the songwriting process for new material, Bell told Kilpop: "Sometimes. It takes you back to your roots, that's for sure… Recapturing your identity — identity within your band is very important. If you have your sound, that's great. But the motivation to move forward and try different things, that is also part of your identity, and you can make it yours as long as it doesn't lose your identity. We can do like some bands have done… Not to name anybody, but metal bands that moved forward and [done] a [very different-sounding] record… Well, FEAR FACTORY has done it once. We have a record called 'Transgression'; it was our rock record. And we totally just, like, alienated [much of our fanbase]. People were, like, 'That was you? That doesn't sound like FEAR FACTORY.' And I'm, like, 'Well, that's what the title 'Transgression' means.' [Laughs]"

FEAR FACTORY was the subject of breakup rumors in May 2017 when the band's former bassist-turned-guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers posted a since-deleted eulogy for FF on his Instagram. He wrote "RIP Fear Factory" and appended that post with the hashtag #GrownAssMenThatCantWorkOutShit.