Former Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell recently explained his refusal to sign one specific Fear Factory album. He addressed the situation in an interview on the Scandalous podcast.
Bell was asked about his feelings regarding Fear Factory releasing ‘Aggression Continuum’ with his vocals despite his official departure from the band nearly a year prior. His response revealed disappointment with changes made to the album after his exit.
“No, I didn’t feel that way. But I was really disappointed that they changed everything. They kept my vocals,” Bell said.
The vocalist provided additional context about the album’s timeline and the changes that led to his refusal to sign it.
“I mean, the album was done in 2017. It was mixed, mastered. It had an album cover, had a title, and then after three years, I departed and shit happened. They went and changed everything,” he continued. “So, that’s the one record I won’t sign.”
This statement clarifies Bell’s position on the controversial release and his specific objections to the alterations made to the completed work.
The controversy surrounding ‘Aggression Continuum’ stems from the extensive modifications made to the album after Bell’s departure from the band in 2020.
Wikipedia reported that ‘Aggression Continuum’ became Fear Factory’s tenth studio album when it was released on June 18, 2021. The album underwent significant changes from its original 2017 version. The band reworked substantial portions of the material despite keeping Bell’s vocal tracks intact.
The production process involved multiple industry professionals to reshape the album’s sound. Nuclear Blast Records noted that the album was mixed by renowned producer Andy Sneap, who has worked with major acts including Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, and Trivium. The reworked version featured live drums by Mike Heller replacing the original programmed drums. It also included new guitar and bass tracking by Dino Cazares.
The album’s release came after a prolonged period of uncertainty for the band. Northern Transmissions revealed that Fear Factory had been on hiatus due to a legal battle over the group’s name. This contributed to the three-year delay between the album’s completion and Bell’s departure.
Despite the controversy surrounding the changes, the album marked a significant return for Fear Factory after years of legal troubles and lineup changes that had plagued the industrial metal pioneers throughout their career.
