Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares has pushed back against claims about the band’s alleged betrayal of drummer Gene Hoglan. He addressed the controversy in a post shared on his X account.
The dispute stems from a video by Beat Motel Zine Music Podcast, which Cazares himself reposted. The video is titled “Fear Factory’s Betrayal: Drummer Gene Hoglan’s Shocking Exit.” The host alleged that Hoglan was never informed the band had used programmed drums on The Industrialist, and that he only found out after the fact. Cazares responded directly to those claims, clarifying his version of events.
“These dudes have it wrong in their understanding of how things went,” Cazares said. “The drummer was no longer a part of the band, which is why we used a drum program for the Industrialist.”
Cazares went on to explain why he felt no notification was necessary.
“Therefore, there was no need to inform a drummer who was not present during the time we were using a drum program,” he continued. “No-one got replaced.”
The Beat Motel Zine Music Podcast host had previously stated that the album was recorded solely by vocalist Burton C. Bell and Cazares, with Hoglan departing afterwards upon learning of the situation. Cazares’ response disputes the timeline and framing of those events.
The controversy brings renewed attention to one of the more turbulent chapters in Fear Factory’s history, centered on the making of The Industrialist, the band’s 2012 studio album. The record was recorded exclusively by Bell and Cazares. Drum programming was handled by John Sankey of Devolved — a creative decision that proved divisive both within the band and among its fanbase.
Hoglan had joined Fear Factory as part of the band’s 2009 reunion lineup, which also included Bell, Cazares, and bassist Byron Stroud. That lineup recorded Mechanize, released in 2010, marking a strong return for the group. His tenure with the band, however, did not extend to the follow-up record. By the time The Industrialist was being assembled, Hoglan was no longer involved in the recording process, and the album moved forward without a live drummer.
Hoglan’s departure followed his discovery that the album had been completed without him. The circumstances surrounding that exit have remained a point of contention. Differing accounts exist as to whether he had formally left the band before recording began or whether he was effectively sidelined during the process. Cazares’ latest comments represent his clearest public statement yet on the matter. He firmly places Hoglan’s exit prior to the album’s creation rather than as a consequence of it.
The Industrialist marked the first Fear Factory album on which no live drummer received a performance credit. The decision drew mixed reactions at the time of the album’s release in June 2012. A decade later, Fear Factory revisited the record with Re-Industrialized, a 2023 remix and remaster that replaced the programmed percussion with newly recorded live drums by Mike Heller, who has since become the band’s full-time drummer. No further statement from either Cazares or Hoglan has been issued at this time.
