Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band that was formed in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released nine full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of styles, including nu metal, death metal, groove metal, and thrash metal. Fear Factory was enormously influential on the heavy metal scene in the mid-to-late 1990s. Fear Factory went on hold in March 2002 following some internal disputes, but re-formed a year later without founding member Dino Cazares, adding bassist Byron Stroud, and previous bassist Christian Olde Wolbers as guitarist.

Fear Factory was formed in 1989 under the name Ulceration, which the band agreed would "just be a cool name". In 1990, the name "Fear Factory" was adopted to reflect the band's new death metal sound, which was influenced by early British industrial metal, industrial music, and grindcore yet remained rooted in a conservative extreme metal approach; a facet of the band's music that resulted in its wider music audience appeal.  The band's origins can be traced to an outfit formed by guitarist Dino Cazares--formerly of The Douche Lords--and drummer Raymond Herrera in Los Angeles, California. Their first lineup was completed with the addition of bassist Dave Gibney and vocalist Burton C. Bell (ex-Hate Face), who was allegedly recruited by an impressed Cazares, who overheard him singing "New Year's Day" by U2. Cazares played bass on the first three Fear Factory albums Concrete, Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture, on which Cazares changed many of the riffs during the recording. It took Cazares two weeks to get the appropriate guitar tone. Cazares created, wrote and recorded all the music on the album. Wolbers joined the band two weeks before they were scheduled to go on tour to promote the album and, although he contributed musical changes to a couple of songs on the album he stated that these were not significant.  Fear Factory's earliest demo recordings are strongly reminiscent of the early works of Napalm Death and Godflesh, an acknowledged influence of the band in the grindcore-driven approach of the former and the mechanical brutality, bleakness, and vocal stylings of the latter. According to Brian Russ of The BNR Metal Pages, the demos are remarkable for integrating these influences into the band's death metal sound and for Burton C. Bell's pioneering fusion of extreme death growls and clean vocals in the same song, which was to become a significant and influential element of the band's sound throughout their career. The use of grunts and "throat singing" combined with clean vocals later defined the nu metal and other emerging subgenres of metal. Many vocalists in today's metal scene use two or more methods of singing and vocalizing lyrics. The band contributed two songs to the L.A. Death Metal Compilation in 1990. The band played its first show on October 31, 1990.  In 1991, Fear Factory recorded a series of cuts for their debut album with the then-little-known producer Ross Robinson in Blackie Lawless' studio. The band's members were unhappy with the terms of their recording contract and caused a delay with the album's release. The band retained the rights to the songs, many of which they re-recorded in 1992 with a different producer, Colin Richardson, for inclusion on their debut release Soul of a New Machine. Meanwhile, Ross Robinson obtained the rights to the recording, which he used to promote himself as a producer. The album was officially released in 2002 by Roadrunner Records under the title Concrete after the band's breakup. The release was controversial because the album was issued because of the band's outstanding contractual obligation and without the approval of every band member.  Fan opinion has been divided as to whether Ross Robinson's production properly captured the intricacies of the band's sound. The released album favored a straight-up approach and Robinson's distinct drum sound. Concrete has become an important album for fans of the early Fear Factory sound; it can be seen as a bridge between the band's sound on their demo recordings and their debut release, Soul of a New Machine, and a blueprint for later songs and B-sides.  Based on the Concrete recording, Max Cavalera recommended Fear Factory to the then-death-metal-focused Roadrunner Records label, which offered the band a recording contract. While the band signed the contract, it has since become controversial because of Roadrunner's treatment of the band during the events surrounding its 2002 breakup. This was reflected in the first album Archetype (2004), which was released following the band's re-formation. The opening song with lyrics by Burton C. Bell, "Slave Labor", was direct about the band's feelings on the matter. After working with numerous bassists, Andrew Shives was hired as a live bassist prior to the release of Soul of a New Machine.  Soul of a New Machine (1992), which was recorded with producer Colin Richardson, gave the band greater exposure in the music scene. It was considered revolutionary for its industrial death metal sound that combined Bell's harsh and melodic vocals, Herrera's machine-like battery, the integrated industrial samples and textures and the sharp, down-tuned, rhythmic, death metal riffs of Dino Cazares. Cazares and Herrera wrote all the music. Because the band had no bass player, Cazares played both guitar and bass on the recording.  Due to the extreme nature of the music, the album never reached the level of popularity attained by their later, more accessible works, and remains a cult favorite. Soul of a New Machine is considered by many as Fear Factory's final work death metal album because with each album, the band's style shifted away from the death metal subgenre.  To promote the album, Fear Factory embarked on extensive U.S. tours with Biohazard, Sepultura, and Sick Of It All. During this period, sampler-keyboardist Reynor Diego joined the group. An album tour of Europe with Brutal Truth, then Cannibal Corpse, Cathedral, and Sleep, followed. The following year, they hired Front Line Assembly member Rhys Fulber to remix some songs from the album, demonstrating the band's willingness to experiment with their music. The results took on a predominantly industrial guise, and were released as the Fear Is the Mindkiller EP (1993). Soul of a New Machine and Fear is the Mindkiller were released (2004) as a package in a new re-mastered reissue by Roadrunner Records.  In 1993, Andrew Shives was forced to leave the band. Cazares recorded both the guitar and bass for the entire album. In November the same year, the band met Belgian Christian Olde Wolbers through Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard. Wolbers auditioned for Fear Factory's permanent bassist. Wolbers joined the band immediately since the band's tour was starting in two weeks.

Were they trying to get away from death metal?
the album never reached the level of popularity attained by their later, more accessible works,