Christian Olde Wolbers of FEAR FACTORY

Artist and producer Christian Olde Wolbers remains an undeniable presence in both heavy metal and hip hop. Playing guitar/Bass and upright bass in metal juggernaut Fear Factory and laying down tracks and live performances for hip hop heavyweights and Metal/rock acts like Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Soulfly, Devin Townsend,Swollen Members, Chingy, West Side Connection, D12, Kuniva, Bizare, Ludacris, Roni Size, Ozzy Osbourne, Biohazard, Non Phixion, Mellow man Ace, Son Doobie, DJ Fredwreck, Evidence, Dilated Peoples, RR Allstars, Everlast, Pshycho Realm, Lil Jay, Proof(rip),etc... Christian’s creativity has no boundaries. With numerous world tours since the early 90’s as well as six gold and three platinum records, Christian’s work speaks for itself. However, he pushes musical boundaries even further as a producer. With his help in the studio, Threat Signal, Mnemic and Bleed the Sky achieved their respective visions on standout albums. With a distinct production style, Christian interacts directly with the bands and brings them to the next level while recording. Currently he is producing Manntis and End Of The Rope, and in June of 2008, he will be starting the vocal production for the long awaited God Forbid album.During Fear Factory’s hiatus in 2001, Christian delved into the hip hop world. He wrote “Trouble” and “Catastrophe” for Cypress Hill’s Stoned Raiders. After touring with Cypress Hill, Christian dropped bass tracks on “Paper’d Up” and “Bo$$playa” for Snoop Dogg’s Paid tha Cost to Be Da Boss. However, Christian’s first taste of full record production came while working on Fear Factory’s Archetype in 2004. “When Fear Factory re-formed, we did the record on our own. I produced all of the demos and worked closely with Burt on the vocals. We worked well together and made a great album.” A brutal and bludgeoning record, Archetype resurrected the band. During that time Christian was asked to replace Jason Newsted in OZZY Osbourne’s band, but he had to decline due to his commitment to Fear Factory. Plus in 2006, Christian filled in as co-guitarist for KoRn’s See You On the Other Side Tour. Christian was then asked to produce Threat Signal’s Nuclear Blast debut Under Reprisal in 2006. He accepted the gig and crafted one of the tightest and most ferocious debuts of that year.Christian’s production style truly separates him from other producers. Working with him, bands complete drum tracks at a professional studio in the first few days of recording. Guitars are then cut at the Fear Factory space, leaving ample time to focus on vocals. “From doing all of this hip hop stuff, I’ve learned so much about cutting vocals. I had a really good connection with Jon from Threat Signal because I worked directly with him. I don’t sit behind glass like most producers do. The singer is sitting right next to me looking at ProTools.” Due to this personal interaction, Christian channels honest and powerful performances from vocalists, especially evident on Mnemic’s 2007 Passenger. “My method involves making sure pre-production is really tight. I like for the singer to come in with most of his lyrics written. So I can concentrate on the melodies, hooks and performance rather than what he’s going to sing. I like to vibe with the singer in the studio, because ultimately the singer is what’s going to sell a record.” Unlike most typical producers, Christian has been on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. In addition, his vast songwriting experience helps bands in the creative process as well. “Everybody takes a different approach on producing a song. Most producers are primarily engineers. I can actually write songs with the bands even.”Also creating beats for the likes of D-12 and Soul Assassins, Christian even bridges the genre gap between his diverse musical endeavors. He comments, “For the hip hop stuff, ever since ’98, I’ve been going by ‘Edgecrusher’ because it was linked to Fear Factory. I wanted to have a connection there. The name also fits my personality because I’ve got a lot of fire, and I’m very driven.” This drive will no doubt lead to even more success. “I never had it in my mind that I was going to be producing metal bands, but it makes sense. I wouldn’t mind leaving a bigger mark on metal than just Fear Factory. I want to be like Rick Rubin, grow a beard to the floor and produce hip hop and metal.”Since Christian's producing has been unfolding he still has a new Band in the making. A dangerous new machine has come to life. Combine one of metal's hungriest young singers, Jon Howard from Threat Signal, with gold-selling Fear Factory architects, guitarist/bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and drummer Raymond Herrera, and you get ARKAEA, a new band that’s volatile, violent and vicious. ..s like the bludgeoning “My Redemption” and “Awakening,” mechanized thrash riffs and pummeling percussion forge a musical foundation for all-out metallic brutality. Wolbers’ guitars snake through a haze of feedback, while Herrera engages in drum warfare. The grooves hit hard with a piercing precision, and the vocals remain infectious, as each song proves a battle-cry for these musicians. “Gone Too Far” builds with a polyrhythmic, math metal strike, while “Blackened Sky” is a thrashy icepick of a track. Ultimately, this is more than a new machine; it’s a metal revolution.Howard describes ARKAEA’s familiar, yet innovative sound: “Chris and Ray have been writing together for many years, so the music does have a lot of Fear Factory elements. However, we’ve been open to trying different things. It basically fuses what I have been doing vocally in Threat Signal with driving Fear Factory rhythms, along with some of our own experimentation. The idea behind the project is to be heavy, but maintain melody at the same time. We have crazy riffs, but some grooving choruses as well. It’s a great mix.” Tracks like “Break the Silence” will no doubt captivate metal fans everywhere, with hard-hitting guitars and huge arena-ready choruses.The band’s experimentation also proves extremely refreshing. “Gone Tomorrow” is a slow, brooding song that shows ARKAEA’s range and diversity by combining ethereal melodies and hypnotic vocals. Wolbers continues, “These songs were designed like the Fear Factory songs that Raymond and I always wrote. However, we’ve been able to push the boundaries and go out of that context, while remaining heavy.”Howard has been a part of the Fear Factory family ever since Wolbers served as producer for Threat Signal’s debut, Under Reprisal. Given that connection, the chemistry was there the instant the band started jamming. Howard has managed to push himself as a singer with the help of the veteran musicians. “I always try to do new things and experiment with my voice, and this project has been challenging,” says Howard. “It always takes a little time to get comfortable working with new people and a new style of music, but I got over that really fast with Christian and Raymond, and I feel very comfortable where we’re going right now.” That chemistry is instantly undeniable upon first listen, and it is only going to evolve and improve.In the end, what matters for these musicians is creating metal that will last. Wolbers concludes, “You have to write a lot of songs in life to stumble on those couple that are like ‘Walk.’ Every day, music pours out of us, and we aim to capture it.” Howard concurs, “My goal is to create an album I’m completely proud of, that will last for years and years without getting old: something like a Pantera record, or an early Metallica record.” Let ARKAEA’s new machine roll toward the top.– Rick Florino