Burton C. Bell Explains Why He Won’t Sign Fear Factory’s ‘Aggression Continuum’

Former Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell has opened up about why he refuses to autograph copies of “Aggression Continuum,” the final studio album he recorded with the long-running industrial metal outfit.

Bell fronted the band up until 2020, stepping away following years of legal disputes and internal turmoil. Ultimately, guitarist Dino Cazares secured the rights to the band’s trademarks and continued forward with the project, later recruiting vocalist Milo Silvestro as Bell’s replacement.

While tensions between Bell and Cazares previously played out publicly, Bell recently clarified that his reluctance to sign “Aggression Continuum” isn’t rooted in lingering animosity. Instead, it stems from how the album was altered prior to its eventual release.

According to Bell, the record was completed in 2017 under a different title and presentation. At the time, he had announced the album as “Monolith” and even previewed artwork ahead of an intended 2019 release. However, when the material finally surfaced in 2021, it arrived with a new name and revised artwork.

Speaking on the Scandalous Podcast, Bell explained:

“We finished that record in 2017 and it was titled ‘Monolith’. So to me that was the last record, ‘Monolith’. To me it was the tombstone and ‘Monolith’ was the epitaph.”

Asked whether he held resentment over the album being issued after his departure, he clarified:

“No, I didn’t feel that way. But I was really disappointed that they changed everything. They kept my vocals. I mean, the album was done in 2017. It was mixed, mastered. It had an album cover, had a title, and then after three years, I departed and shit happened. They went and changed everything. So, that’s the one record I won’t sign.”

Though “Aggression Continuum” stands as his final recorded statement with the band, Bell’s comments make it clear that — in his view — “Monolith” represents the true closing chapter of his tenure with Fear Factory.

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[Via Blabbermouth]