A new chapter takes shape

Fear Factory‘s latest chapter has been developing gradually rather than arriving as one sudden change. After spending around three years touring extensively, the band worked on new material whenever time allowed, eventually finding the opportunity to concentrate on finishing the album and producing several videos. “We’ve been touring pretty much nonstop for three years,” Cazares explains. “So finally, the last few months, we were able to concentrate, finish the album, do numerous videos.”

“Roboticist” is the first proper recording to feature Silvestro, who had already spent years performing with the band live. Its origins, however, go back further than the current lineup. Cazares originally wrote the instrumental around three years ago as a demonstration track for his guitar plugin, The Disruptor. Designed to showcase a range of tones and tunings, the composition remained an instrumental until Silvestro added his vocals. “When he sang the hook, I was like, that’s it. That’s it. It needed to be released,” Cazares recalls. The band made some rearrangements to accommodate the vocals, including moving the original middle section into a different position. The result became a natural introduction to what comes next, without abandoning the sound listeners associate with Fear Factory.

Cazares is well aware that a new recording inevitably invites comparisons and expectations, particularly when a vocalist joins an established band. Some listeners want to hear something unmistakably familiar; others expect a more radical change. His response is straightforward: “You can’t win. So you just put it out. I hope for the best.”

He is enthusiastic about the finished track and says the forthcoming album will explore different elements while retaining the band’s recognizable musical identity. Another single is also on the way, and Cazares suggests it will offer a different perspective on the new material.

Humanity, machines and the reality of AI

The relationship between humans and technology has been central to Fear Factory since the beginning. Cazares points back to the band’s debut album, Soul of a New Machine, as the starting point for a concept that has continued to evolve alongside technological developments. “It’s really the relationship between man and technology,” he says. “Some people say organic versus digital, man versus machine. But it’s really the relationship between both.”

That longstanding subject feels particularly relevant as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into daily life. Cazares acknowledges that these developments overlap with ideas the band has explored previously, while avoiding giving away the full concept behind the upcoming album. His perspective on AI is not simply one of enthusiasm or opposition. He recognizes that the technology can be useful in creative work, including for artists who incorporate AI into their processes, but also points to concerns around personal data, resource consumption and the infrastructure required to support its growth. “We let AI into our lives,” Cazares observes, referring to the apps, photographs, comments and other information people share online. He argues that the convenience of digital services comes with a trade-off: users continually grant access to personal information, while the technology learns from the material it encounters. He also questions the contradiction of campaigning against AI through the same digital platforms that rely on it. For Cazares, the issue is inseparable from how deeply technology has become embedded in modern life.

Fear Factory have previously explored how technological progress can render once-familiar things obsolete. Looking back at the era surrounding Obsolete, Cazares points to print music magazines and traditional radio as examples of how dramatically the landscape has changed. The ways fans discover music and artists reach their audiences have transformed, reinforcing the band’s longstanding interest in the consequences of technological change.

Taking “Roboticist” to the stage

Although the single introduces a new recording chapter, the live show remains an important part of the band’s current momentum. Fear Factory have already added “Roboticist” to the setlist, giving audiences the chance to experience the new material alongside songs that have defined different periods of the band’s history. Cazares has been pleased with the response so far. He describes seeing audiences react in different ways, from opening slam pits to headbanging and watching the performance, with some fans already singing the new lyrics.

The set also reaches further into the back catalogue. Among the returning songs are “A Rise Above Oppression”, from Soul of a New Machine, and “No One”, which Cazares says the band had not played since the early 2000s. The inclusion of Digimortal material is particularly notable, with the band performing four songs from the album. For Cazares, revisiting tracks that have been absent for so long offers another way to keep the live show moving while reconnecting with different periods of Fear Factory‘s history.

A varied European tour

The Cybernetic Domination Tour brings Fear Factory together with Crystal Lake, Hate and The Nocturnal Affair. According to Cazares, the lineup came together through a combination of personal connections and shared appreciation. He has known members of The Nocturnal Affair for some time, while Hate guitarist Dominic also works as his guitar and bass technician. Crystal Lake, meanwhile, are a band he has admired for years, and conversations about working together had taken place previously. “It’s a good way for them and us to be exposed to different people,” Cazares says. That variety makes the package an opportunity for audiences to discover bands they might not otherwise encounter, while bringing different corners of heavy music together on the same bill.

More to come

“Roboticist” is an introduction rather than the full picture. Cazares confirms that additional singles and a full-length Fear Factory album are on the way, with the next song expected to reveal another side of the band’s current sound. For now, however, he is keeping the wider concept and future announcements under wraps.

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