Candlelight Records today confirms February 9 as the American release date for Mechanize, the seventh studio album from Fear Factory. Mechanize features the highly reported reconciliation of vocalist Burton C. Bell with original guitarist Dino Cazares along with bassist Byron Stroud and journeyman drummer Gene Hoglan (Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad). The anticipated album also welcomes back keyboardist/producer Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly).

Alright, when I initially heard this news I immediately thought that…well, I didn’t think much of it at all because Fear Factory has been one big bag of irrelevance over the last few years with their biggest contributions coming in the form of band squabbling. That all changed though when I saw that the band had acquired Gene Hoglan. Hoglan on a Fear Factory album? Um, Holy shit?