Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares Says Burton “Couldn’t Sing Live Anymore”
Update, November 2, 5:50pm: This post’s headline has been updated to reflect a clarification directly from Dino Cazares that he did not mean to imply Burton’s vocal decline is due to alcohol, smoking or drug use, saying Burton doesn’t even smoke or do drugs. He says the comment, which you can read below, was a hypothetical response to a fan asking how he would take care of his own voice.
Original post:
Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares has taken to social media to vent some frustrations with the band’s longtime and former singer, Burton Seabell, who quit the band last month after a bizarre series of events involving a protracted legal battle over the rights to the band’s name.
Some quick background: Cazares launched a crowd-funding campaign in September to put some finishing touches on Fear Factory’s next album — which was initially recorded in 2017 with Seabell’s vocals on it — but Burton called the fundraising effort a “scam,” distancing himself from it, before eventually quitting the band. Burton then issued a longer statement on his decision to leave, and Cazares put out a statement of his own that left the door open for Burton to rejoin while also calling out Burton’s “lies, the negativity and the blame.” Burton then seemingly shut that door, saying “I’m done.”
This morning, November 1, Cazares — who has acquired 100% rights to the band’s name — took to Fear Factory’s Facebook page to promote a new video, which you can watch at the bottom of this post, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Fear Factory. In the accompanying caption, he added:
“On October 31st 1990, 30 years ago Fear Factory was born.
“Thank you to all the fans that have supported Fear Factory for the past 30 years ,we wouldn’t be able to exist without you, you are everything.
“FF will exist and we will continue the War Against The Machines.
“The soul of this machine is still here and alive and well.
“Please Check out this video from our good friends.”
Cazares then began responding to fan comments, many of which expressed misgivings about Seabell’s departure from the band. Some of those comments have since been deleted, but MetalSucks has obtained screen shots.
Responding to one fan who said simply, “Not the same without Burton,” someone responding from Fear Factory’s account, presumably Dino, claimed that Burton’s vocal abilities had suffered in recent years to the point where fans have been complaining about his live performances:
“Im glad it’s not the same he couldn’t sing live anymore it’s not a secret fans have been complains about his voice for years, go look at YouTube comments ,bring on the new voice”
In response to a fan who attempted to take the middle road between the two parties, Cazares lamented of Seabell:
“I just wish he would’ve taken care of his voice over the years, like Mike Patton who screams like crazy and Corey Taylor and Howard Jones who both do screams and melodic singing. Those guys prove it can be done”
Separately, Cazares insinuated that Seabell’s drinking, smoking and drug habits were to blame for the purported deterioration of his voice in recent years, saying (in part):
“If I was a singer I would take care of my voice and not drink hard alcohol, do drugs or smoke. You have to learn how to adapt to your old age. A million singers do it. And million don’t and just have issues.”
In yet another comment, he added:
“Corey Taylor does it well because he works on it goes to vocal coaches does vocal exercises. Some guys don’t care and they have throat problems when they get older”
You can take a look at some of those screen shots, look at the original Facebook post and watch the 30th anniversary video below.
Thanks: Jonathan B.
