FEAR FACTORY - Live In Brisbane
A Matter Of Death & Life
Saturday 9th May 2026
Written by Tom Wilson
Photographed by: Rashid AlKamraikhi
Earlier this year, Rashid and I were in the Fortitude Valley watching a gloriously silly set by thrash crew PIZZA DEATH, and I had a really nice moment of gratitude, looking around at everyone safe and having a brilliant time, and thinking how great it is that we get to do this.
Australia has its problems, but we live in a free society, no one is dropping bombs on our heads, we aren’t being oppressed, and no one is trying to stop us from having a good time. A lot of people in this world aren’t so lucky. Why am I bringing this up? Because a few days before FEAR FACTORY’s Brisbane show, we learned that a 28-year-old fan named Seamus Duignan was killed in a car crash after seeing them perform in Sydney for his 28th birthday, with guitarist Dino Cazares making a video statement on social media. It threw my earlier gratitude into sharp relief. Life is precious, unpredictable, it doesn’t give a fuck about your plans, and you might be watching the last gig of your life and not know it. More on that later…
Doors have been open for almost an hour when we arrive, and as we walk up through the Tivoli’s foyer, the merch line is still curling around half the venue. FEAR FACTORY were only here two years ago, and people are still this psyched to see them. Speaking of psyched, their support tonight is local deathcore bruisers PRODUCT OF NEGLECT, who we just saw at Mansfield a few days earlier raving about how excited they were for this show. How do they start their biggest show to date? If you guessed “with a slow, malevolent rap beat” … that’s oddly specific, but well done. PRODUCT OF NEGLECT’s drummer and bassist are onstage, playing along to the beat, and as an eerie voice over rings out over the PA, the rest of the band emerge to a roar from the crowd and drop the hammer on some utterly savage slam. As they pound through their set, some mic issues arise, with vocalist Brandon Lee Haase’s filthy lows and squeals dropping in and out, but the gremlin is soon ejected from the sound desk, and they power through as the first pit of the night breaks out. “We love every single one of yas for being here tonight.” The feeling is mutual, boys.
Pictured: PRODUCT OF NEGLECT
Pictured: PRODUCT OF NEGLECT
Pictured: PRODUCT OF NEGLECT
Pictured: PRODUCT OF NEGLECT
After the changeover, the lights go down, and the crowd roars as a narrator’s voice comes over the PA, setting the stage for the Cybernetic Domination tour. The last three words ring especially true – “Adapt or die”. After their very public and messy disintegration, Dino had a choice to make – walk away from an amazing catalogue of music, or pull a band together and soldier on. Did he make the right choice? The roar that greets the opening riff of What Will Become? is your answer, and as the groove kicks in, the floor of the Tivoli looks like it’s on a pogo stick. Bassist Tony Campos couldn’t make this tour, so stepping into his big shoes (but sadly, not his signature socks) is Ricky Bonazza, who is wailing on the thick strings like they owe him money.
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Vocalist Milo Silvestro joining FEAR FACTORY feels like when Derrick Green joined SEPULTURA, and hopefully it won’t be two decades before people give Milo the credit he deserves, because he’s on fire tonight. Up next is Archetype opener Slave Labor, followed by the title track itself, which might seem surprising, since the lyrics “The infection has been removed / The soul of this machine has improved” are widely interpreted to be a swipe at Dino. Well, who’s laughing now? Next album to be explored is one of the greats – 2010’s Mechanize – as Industrial Discipline sends the pit into hysterics, and Powershifter is enough to rattle the fillings from your teeth. Obsolete has a strong showing in the set tonight, with Shock and Edgecrusher hitting just as hard as they did on the last tour with MACHINE HEAD. Deep cut Securitron – Police State 2000 goes down a storm, and when it was first written in the late 90s, they had no idea just how true it would become, nor how quickly it would happen. Disruptor is deliriously heavy, and when they segue into Linchpin everyone loses their minds. Milo’s vocals shine on Invisible Wounds and Scumgrief, before Dino announces Demanufacture, and the crowd loses it to one of the finest metal riffs ever written. For a lot of people, the first time they heard FEAR FACTORY was the soundtrack for the Mortal Kombat movie, so as the opening synths swell, the crowd erupts, and amongst the swirling chaos we even get a laugh when they drop a sample of the Mortal Kombat announcer yelling “FATALITY!”
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
The song that made me a metalhead when I was ten years old, Replica drops like a sledgehammer, and I’m wiping a tear from my eye as Milo hits the chorus perfectly, and the Tivoli starts chanting “I DON’T WANT TO LIVE THAT WAY!” Then, a familiar synth swells from the speakers, and there are smiles all round as their amazing cover of Gary Numan’s Cars gets the whole pit dancing and singing Gary’s lines every time the mic is thrust in our direction. Then, it’s time for the final song … Final Exit. Milo takes to the mic. “It’s been an honour to play here. We fucking love Australia … I want to dedicate this song to a FEAR FACTORY fan who sadly passed away right after the Sydney show. His name was Seamus Duignan. Make some fucking noise for Seamus!” The whole Tivoli roars, and the song – the closing track off Mechanize, talking about euthanasia and the importance of facing death with dignity – becomes a celebration of music and life.
Rest in peace, Seamus. We’ll see you soon.
Pictured: FEAR FACTORY
Photos by: Rashid AlKamraikhi, Charlyn Cameron, Tahni Davis
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