Los Angeles' Fear Factory was formed as a death metal band by members of various local acts and adult movie actors. The band was first heard on the Roughage Records' (now Dwell) L.A. Death Metal sampler CD and then snapped up with great pride by Roadrunner A&R Monte Connor.

The band initially was deemed death metal with ambient screams, but quickly transformed itself into a well-funded techno/industrial act with no relevance to metal fans. Wolbers is Dutch and was visiting Biohazard in the USA when was asked to audition for the recently-bass less Fear Factory.

Roadrunner and Fear Factory often released re-mix CDs and EPs to further sell and promote the band. Following disappointing sales figures for Digimortal and a consequent difference of opinion between Bell and Cazares, the band made the surprise announcement of its demise in March 2002. Instead a line-up of Burton C. Bell (vocals), Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar/bass) and Raymond Herrera (drums) would cut a three-track demo late in 2002. The songs featured were Slave Labor, Corporate Cloning and Archetyp. Simultaneously Bell and live keyboardist John Bechdel would forge ahead with a new band called The Watchers. Furthermore Wolbers and Herrera would constitute The Kush Project. Not to be outdone Cazares would form Asesino. Cazares would also jam with Body Bag.

The new line-up would work on a new album called Archetype in California and in Vancouver in Canada. The group had earlier signed with Liquid 8 in North America and Roadrunner in Europe. The band recruited bassist Byron Stroud of Strapping Young Lad for live work and Wolbers switched to guitar. Fear Factory hit the road with Slipknot to support the album.

The band's Transgression album was issued on August 23rd through Roadrunner. SYL's Byron Stroud played on the album. The European version featured several extra tracks. A slot on the Gigantour preceded the album's release. Christian Olde Wolbers joined Korn in the spring of 2006. The band and Liquid 8 Records parted ways in late 2006 without producing a new record. After a five-year hiatus, Dino Cazares returned with a new group. Divine Heresy featured Cazares handling guitar and bass duties, Tim Yeung (Hate Eternal and Vital Remains) on drums and newcomer Tommy Vext on vocals. The band’s Roadrunner/Century Media Records’ debut offering, Bleed The Fifth, was set for an August of 2007 release.

FEAR FACTORY - TRANSGRESSION - LIQUID 8
Fear Factory is just too premeditated a band to be taken seriously. The band tries everything to be palatable and trendy. Yet, the vocals are predictable being both trippy and angry; the music is alternately chugging, aggressive and soft and the chords, well, disjointed is the obvious adjective. Guest appearances and a cover version are designed to maximize sales, garner MTV's attention and get a single out, but Transgression is ultimately self-aware, all too mechanical and boring. Once again, heavy metal keeps marching on leaving traitors by the way side.- Ali "The Metallian"