Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares has pushed back against claims that the band deceived drummer Gene Hoglan regarding the use of programmed drums on their 2012 album The Industrialist. The controversy erupted after Beat Motel Zine Music Podcast released a video titled “Fear Factory’s Betrayal: Drummer Gene Hoglan’s Shocking Exit.” The video alleged that Hoglan was not informed the band would use drum programming instead of live drumming on the record.
In the podcast, the host claimed that Hoglan discovered after the fact that the album had been recorded with programmed drums without his knowledge. The host stated: “You’re talking about the program drums. They didn’t tell the drummer they were doing that. He find out afterwards. Cuz the album was actually recorded by the vocalist Burton C. Bell and the guitarist Dino Cazares. Gene Hoglan, who was the drummer, left afterwards. From what I can tell, they recorded the album without even telling him it was happening.”
Cazares responded directly to these allegations on his X account, rejecting the characterization of events. He clarified the timeline and circumstances surrounding the album’s production. Cazares stated: “These dudes have it wrong in their understanding of how things went. The drummer was no longer a part of the band, which is why we used a drum program for the Industrialist. Therefore, there was no need to inform a drummer who was not present during the time we were using a drum program. No-one got replaced.”
The decision to use programmed drums on The Industrialist marked a significant departure from Fear Factory’s previous work. It became one of the most debated aspects of the album’s release. The band had originally wanted to work with Hoglan on the record, but negotiations between the parties fell through over financial terms. This made it impossible for the drummer to participate in the sessions. With Hoglan unavailable, Burton C. Bell and Dino Cazares moved forward with the project using drum programming assistance from John Sankey of the band Devolved.
The band defended the choice as both a practical and creative decision that benefited the recording process. The use of drum programming made the writing process faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective than traditional recording methods would have been. Bell and Cazares argued that the machine-like precision of programmed drums complemented Fear Factory’s industrial aesthetic and sonic vision for the album. The decision to use digital percussion rather than live drumming became integral to the album’s overall sound and production approach.
The controversy surrounding the album’s drums persisted for years. Some listeners and critics felt that the programmed percussion made the record sound less organic compared to Fear Factory’s earlier work. However, the band maintained that the technological approach was consistent with their industrial roots. The precision achieved through programming could not have been replicated by a live drummer. The debate highlighted the tension between artistic vision and fan expectations, as some supporters felt the album would have benefited from traditional drumming while others appreciated the experimental direction.
A decade after the album’s original release, Fear Factory addressed the ongoing criticism by announcing a reissue titled Re-Industrialized in 2023. The reissue replaced the original programmed drums with live drum tracks. This decision acknowledged the persistent fan sentiment while also validating the band’s original artistic choices by demonstrating that the songs themselves remained strong regardless of the percussion approach. The reissue represented a compromise that allowed both versions of the album to exist, giving listeners the option to experience The Industrialist in its original form or with the newly recorded live drums.
