Burton C. Bell Reiterates ‘I’m Done’ With Fear Factory

Late last month, singer Burton C. Bell issued a statement that he was leaving Fear Factory, focusing his attention on his other band Ascension of the Watchers. Since that announcement, Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares has expressed that he didn't want Bell to leave and that the door was still open for his return though admitting that it would close at some point. In a new interview with Kerrang!, Bell has reiterated that his time with Fear Factory has come to an end.

When asked if there was a chance for a reconciliation, Bell stated, "I’m done. I haven’t spoken to Dino in three years. I haven’t spoken to Raymond [Herrera] and Christian [Olde Wolbers] in longer than that, and I have no intention to. I’m just moving forward with my life.”

The vocalist stated that the decision was not made in haste, explaining, “It’s been on my mind for a while. These lawsuits just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from band members, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it."

The added experience of working in a drama-free environment with Ascension of the Watchers over the last two years also helped in making the decision. "With Fear Factory, it’s just constantly been like ‘What?!’ You can only take so much," said Bell. "I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I’ve done with Fear Factory will always be out there. I’ll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward.”

Bell says he's proud of his legacy with the band, but adds, "There just comes a point where you have to move forward to do more great things with a different band."

As for the Fear Factory album coming in 2021, Bell confirmed that the record was recorded and delivered in 2017, written and demoed a year prior. Everything was delivered to Nuclear Blast and accepted, but the legal issues amongst band members held up the record. "We’ve just been waiting for all of these lawsuits to be over for it to come out. So, yeah, I’m supposed to be on it because I recorded all the songs,” says the singer.

While Bell is no longer with the group, Cazares is moving forward with the new album, recently confirming that mixing and mastering was in the process of being completed. He also added, "Whatever happens, Fear Factory is here to stay."

Meanwhile, Bell's Ascension of the Watchers will be releasing their Apocrypha album this Friday (Oct. 9).