Dino Cazares Says Milo Silvestro Brings Back Classic Fear Factory Sound: ‘He Delivers Every Night’
He compares Silvestro’s voice to Burton C. Bell’s 1990s era in new interview.
Summary
- Dino Cazares says new vocalist Milo Silvestro delivers live, reminding him of Burton C. Bell in the ’90s era.
- A new Fear Factory album with Silvestro is in the mixing stages, first single expected by the end of 2025.
- Cazares insists the record keeps the classic Fear Factory sound, while adding Milo’s own vocal identity.
FEAR FACTORY guitarist and mastermind Dino Cazares has once again praised the band’s new vocalist, Milo Silvestro, saying the Italian-born singer is “reminiscent of what Burton sounded like” in the band’s heyday. Cazares also confirmed that the band is in the “mixing stages” of its first studio album with Silvestro, with a new single planned for release by the end of 2025.
In a new interview with Metalshop TV conducted at this year’s Brutal Assault festival, Cazares spoke about what it has been like working with the group’s latest addition.
Related
“Well, it’s been almost three years that we’ve been working with Milo Silvestro,” Dino said. “And yeah, definitely he brings a new element to the band. He is reminiscent of what Burton sounded like back in ‘95, ‘96, maybe even ‘98, ‘99. People wanna hear those songs sang properly live, and Milo definitely delivers every night.”
Cazares previously revealed how he first discovered Silvestro. Speaking to Sensei J of “The CMS Network” back in 2023, Dino explained:
“I was looking for somebody for about two years… I had a few guys that were pretty good, but they just didn’t have the full range. And then, all of a sudden, this kid from Italy, Milo Silvestro, pops up. A lot of fans were tagging me on his videos on YouTube. He was doing FEAR FACTORY covers, and I was, like, ‘Damn. This kid’s pretty good.’ He hit all the notes, the melodic vocals, the heavy vocals. The thing that I needed was somebody who could recreate the past but also be the future, and I believe he’s got all that.”
The band’s relentless touring schedule over the past few years has solidified the new lineup, which also features longtime bassist Tony Campos and drummer Mike Heller.
In a 2024 interview with The Rock Podcast With Jet, Cazares elaborated on the band’s renewed energy.
“The vibe in the band is amazing right now. We’ve been touring non-stop and the machine is just getting tighter and tighter. Milo came in so prepared, he’s a true professional. It’s allowed us to play songs we haven’t played in a long time because he can handle it.”
Regarding the progress of the recording sessions for FEAR FACTORY’s first album with Silvestro, Dino told Metalshop TV that the wait is almost over.
“That seems to be the big question. Since there’s kind of been a resurgence of FEAR FACTORY, we’ve been constantly touring for the past two and a half years… Between all that time, we’ve been working on a new record and we are in the mixing stages now of the new record. And we wanna get a single out by the end of the year and then have a new record out by next year.”
While the band is honoring its legacy, Cazares has also made it clear that the new material is a step forward.
“It still has that classic FEAR FACTORY sound, of course,” he stated in a separate interview with Australia’s “Everblack” podcast. “The riffs, the drums, the keys… it’s all there. But Milo is bringing his own flavor to it, especially with the vocal melodies. He’s not just a clone; he has his own identity, and that’s what’s exciting. It’s the next evolution of the band.”
FEAR FACTORY’s upcoming album will be the follow-up to “Aggression Continuum”, which was released in 2021. The vocals on that LP were recorded by Burton C. Bell in 2017, before he announced his departure from the band in September 2020.
In September 2020, vocalist Burton C. Bell officially announced his departure from FEAR FACTORY, citing long-standing disputes and a lack of trust within the band. His exit followed years of legal battles over the rights to the group’s name. Bell later described the situation as exhausting, noting that lawsuits and internal conflicts drained his enthusiasm for continuing.
In June 2021, FEAR FACTORY released their tenth studio album, “Aggression Continuum”, through Nuclear Blast Records. The record, which had been tracked primarily in 2017, featured performances by Bell, guitarist Dino Cazares, and drummer Mike Heller. The release became the band’s first since Bell’s departure, with Cazares spearheading the promotional efforts.
In early 2023, the band returned to U.S. stages as the support act for STATIC-X on the “Rise Of The Machine” tour. The run introduced FEAR FACTORY’s new vocalist Milo Silvestro and bassist Javier Arriaga, marking the first live lineup without Bell. The tour served as a relaunch of sorts for the Cazares-led version of the band.
Later in 2023 and into 2024, FEAR FACTORY continued to tour extensively, with Silvestro and Arriaga solidifying their roles. Cazares also kept busy with side projects, including collaborations with other metal artists, while reaffirming that new music under the FEAR FACTORY banner was in the works.
Check out the full chat 👇
Got a tip for us? Email: [email protected]
Singer reflects on how the drummer’s return stopped feeling surreal after a handful of shows.
