Shannon Joy at LA Music Blog recently caught up with FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell to discuss reuniting with guitarist Dino Cazares and the band's new album, Mechanize. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Q: Mechanize takes a step back to the classic Fear Factory sound. Was there a conscious effort to recreate that feel with this release?

Bell: "Not intentionally, I think it naturally happened. Having Dino back in the band obviously–Dino’s riffing style is a major sound, it’s a major hallmark or stamp of the Fear Factory sound. It’s the way he plays; he’s very inspired by repetition, rhythm, mechanical riffs and that nature, so having him back just kind of brought that back into the mix. We did sit down and talk about how there were certain aspects of Fear Factory that I missed in the band, like the industrial [and] electronic edge of it. It wasn’t in the forefront, but it was a nice flavor, a nice ambient-type of thing that added to the feel of the music, and another reason why we wanted to do that.

Having Rhys [Fulber] come back into the mix–he also was a big creator of that sound, you know, from Demanufacture and Obsolete–and having him, that sound came back as well. So the chemistry of all three of us working together, yeah it’s gonna have a classic sound because that’s the original sound."

Q: How did the songwriting process change between the time that Dino left and now?

Bell: "I really wanted to be more involved with it this time. There was a chemistry between Dino and I that was missing when he was not in the band. It was apparent in the first recordings of Fear Factory with Dino and I working together. Having him back in the band, it was that inspiration, it was that creative force going again. So yeah, it was definitely different not having him, because I didn’t have my counterpart in the band, the one that really understood the vision we shared. When Dino and I started this band, we had a vision. Christian wasn’t in the band, and Raymond wasn’t really a visionary at that time, so it was Dino and I who created the vision of Fear Factory. And having him back in–it was just there."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

As previously reported, Cazares is now pulling double duty as the band will open all dates on this month’s Fear Factory North American tour. The band will be signing copies of Bringer of Plagues at their merch booth at every show. This package is rounded out with 36 CRAZYFISTS and AFTER THE BURIAL.

Cazares comments: “We have been waiting patiently for the perfect touring opportunity to present itself and I couldn’t possibly be more pleased to have Divine Heresy open all of the Fear Factory shows this July. I am excited to pull double duty for the first time and I am relieved that we could finally make this happen. It makes perfect sense for Divine Heresy to open for Fear Factory and we promise to deliver a brutal set that is going to annihilate everyone. Be sure to come by the merch booth each night to say hello to us all and we look forward to seeing everyone soon. It’s certainly been way too long.”

Tour dates are as follows:

July

13 - Calgary, AB - Flames Central
14 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
15 - Regina, AB - Riddell Centre
16 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre
17 - Maplewood, MN - The Rock
19 - Des Moines, IA - People’s Court
20 - Chicago, IL - Metro
21 - Detroit, MI - Harpo’s
23 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
25 - New York, NY - The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
26 - Towson, MD - Recher Theatre
27 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock

For more info on the tour and on Divine Heresy visit their MySpace page.