http://www.myspace.com/theofficialcityoffire
FrantikMag.com has issued an interview with vocalist Burton C. Bell (FEAR FACTORY), in which he discusses CITY OF FIRE, the new band also featuring bassist Byron Stroud, guitarist Terry Murray, guitarist Ian White, and drummer Bob Wagner. The following is an excerpt from the interview, conducted by Gian Erguiza:
Q: The self-titled debut will see its North American release August 24th. What can listeners expect and what kind of experience do you want them to take from it?
A: "They shouldn’t expect Fear Factory because it’s not Fear Factory. I already have Fear Factory and I don’t need to do another band that’s exactly like it. Expect hard rock grooves, psychedelic aspects to it, very melodic but still rocks. It’s got a lot of soul in it and has a lot of passion in it. I am experimenting or taking my voice to every element that I can and experimenting with it doing different types of vocals. It’s obviously me singing but much more than what I usually do. It’s a great brand! You listen to it and it takes you to a nice journey in music and it’s very moving."
Q: Where were these songs written and what kind of topics did you guys throw out there in the open?
A: "These songs were written in Vancouver. Same as a new band, we’re not restrained or confined and I’m just writing what was on my mind at the moment. Everyone in the band is over 40 years old so this is a very mature record. This is a record that’s obviously written by adults and it has a lot of wisdom in it. So it’s about life, love, loss of love and whatever else we felt like writing about, every aspect of it. So if you listen to the lyrics, you’ll get an idea of what was on our minds at the time."
As previously reported, City Of Fire's debut was recorded at renowned Factory Studios in Vancouver in late 2008 with additional material completed in April of this year, the album features fourteen songs, including remakes of THE CULT’s 'Rain' and T-REX' 'Children Of The Revolution'. It will also include the band’s video for the song/single ‘Rising.’
Bell says, “My friends, I am very excited about City Of Fire. Byron and I are very proud of this recording. It is a fresh sound for this era of music. Literally there is nothing that sounds like this right now, and it is time that a hard rock, groove, psychedelic sound comes to your ears. The music is passionate and soulful. It is a mature record for our time, full of wisdom and soul of the ages. Please check the record out. You will not be disappointed.”
Discussing the album’s two unique remakes and the decision to include them, Stroud recently noted, "'Rain' really fits well with the concept of the record and the vibe of Vancouver, which really influenced City Of Fire. I have been wanting to do a version of that song for a long time and once we started writing the record, I knew this was the band to do it.”
Murray adds, “aside from being a killer rock song, we chose ‘Children Of The Revolution’ because we felt the title was a relevant commentary on the climate of the world today. Kids have a lot to revolt about these days and hopefully this will be an anthem for it. We knew that Burt's voice could give this song a modern edge to it, and make it for this generation."