The heaviest band on earth (almost)
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When Fear Factory announced that guitarist Dino Cazares and singer Burton C. Bell had reunited alongside bassist Byron Stroud and drummer Gene Hoglan, the interwebs went apeshit. If Black Sabbath are the gold standard of intra-band drama, Fear Factory are C-list tabloid fodder. Personally, I am curious as to what this lineup will produce. Fear Factory’s reputation has long been in the gutter, and Cazares and co. know this is probably the band’s last gasp. In honor of this reunion, and also the new, not-that-good Terminator flick, here’s “H-K (Hunter-Killer)” from 1995’s Demanufacture.
What really excites me, though, is the sheer heaviness of this lineup. I once put together a fantasy all-star band that would be the heaviest band on earth. It would have Dino Cazares and Karl Sanders on guitars, Vrangsinn of Carpathian Forest on bass, Gene Hoglan on drums, and either Robert Smith or B.B. King on vocals. (Hoglan is famous for his size, but people don’t realize how goddamn tall he is, too. When he walks into a room, it gets darker. He blocks that much light. It is amazing to behold.) Vrangsinn would never play with such a lineup, though. Stroud, a strapping young lad, would be a perfect replacement. Thus, Fear Factory are 3/5 of the way to being the heaviest band on earth. One wag on Blabbermouth remarked that on the band’s upcoming tour, the Europeans would have to reinforce their stages. Let’s hope Fear Factory get tour support, as they might have to pay baggage fees just to get on the plane.
