(Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)


Just going to start off with ten questions that we like to try to ask everyone for a mini feature. To start off, what do you guys do when you're not working?

BURTON C. BELL (VOCALS): Like after a tour, I just stay creative. I work on my other projects, or I take photography. Just keep creative. Always artistic. Or do nothing. Sometimes doing nothing is all I want to do.

Vice of Choice.

BCB: I like alcohol. I could do without smoking weed, but I like having a cocktail.

Favorite city and venue, present setting aside.

BCB: I like the 930 Club in Washington DC. It's probably the best club in North America. It's just amazing. Everybody there is cool. A Great Vibe. It was designed by musicians for musicians.

What scares Fear Factory... or you personally.

BCB: I don't know if anything really scares us. Flying doesn't scare me. Terrorism... You know what? Growing up with violence around me all my life, somebody else is just adding to the pot. I don't think we're really scared of anything. It's a fear that we've overcome because we've experienced the world. Fear mostly comes from the unknown. Personally the only thing that scares me is spiders. (laughs)

What are you sick of answering from interviewers... your most over asked question.

BCB: I don't think there's anything I'm sick of answering. I just enjoy talking to people. I'm a social creature.

What did you want to do before the music?

BCB: I wanted to be a writer. Novels, fiction, poetry... In some ways, I've done that. This band has been somewhat of a catapult for my writing. I've written a lot; I have somewhat of a volume of work because of this band. If I wasn't in a band, I'd be doing something. I'd make ends meet by any means necessary. I'm not afraid of work. But I would always stay creative. I would press myself to be creative and make money off of that. That's what I'd strive for. A couple years ago, during the split and all that, I got a job house painting some friend's place. I needed the money.

What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?

BCB: Oh, Bugs Bunny. Looney Tunes; even still. I liked Bugs Bunny. He was funny; I liked the wit that character had; very sarcastic and quick. That was the humor of the day. I have a new one, that's a really good one. Invader Zim.

Oh, yeah, I picked up the first DVD of that just the other day.

BCB: IS IT OUT?

Yeah, you can pick it up just up the street at [Name of large Audio Visual Superstore on Granville Street].

BCB: I'm going there... RIGHTEOUS! I can't wait.... I'm laughing just thinking about it! (I found out the next day that the shop up the street had sold out, and the tour staff were finding him a copy elsewhere)

If you could be anyone else for 24 hours, who would it be, and why?

BCB: Wow... alive or dead?

Either would be fair...

BCB: Damn. Martin Luther, the protestant reformer. He's the original anarchist...

Shark and Bear... Rock... water... who wins?

BCB: (laughs) The rock. Strange question. Well, the bear wins. I think the bear wins... it's taken the better position, standing above the shark. It's tactically a better position.

If you could ask me a question, what would that be?

BCB: Was your father an inspiration on you.

I'd say yeah, positive and negative. I'd like to think that I learned from his mistakes as well as his good choices.

Elsewhere

By Richard Murray
Photos : fearfactory.com
Published : June 4, 2004.