Fear Factory is back in the studio recording its much anticipated follow-up to 1998's "Obsolete," and the group is shooting for an April 2001 release through Roadrunner Records.

The band's longtime cohort Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy) is flying solo in the producer's seat at a Los Angeles recording facility. In a post on the band's official Web site, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera wrote that the band had considered working with Bob Rock in addition to Fulber, but Rock declined the project. Toby Wright was also approached, but the veteran was busy with a new Ozzy Osbourne record.

Fear Factory began recording in earnest on the first of October. Tentative song titles for the project include "Acres Of Skin," "Byte Block," "Damaged," "Digimortal," "Hurt Conveyor," "Invisible Wounds," "Loop Song," "Lynchpin," "Never End," "No One," "Slide Song," "Strain Vs. Resistance," "Train Wreck," and "What Will Become.

In related news, mysterious

"machete metal" band Brujeria will be releasing its new album, "Brujerizmo," on November 6.

The band's colorfully named lineup of purported (read: fictional) drug lords and hitmen -- including guitarist Asesino, bassist Guero Sin Fe, drummer Fantasma, and vocalist Juan Brujo -- has featured the likes of Fear Factory's Herrera and guitarist Dino Cazares, ex-Faith No More bassist Billy Gould, Napalm Death guitarist Jesse Pintado and bassist Shane Embury, and ex-Cradle Of Filth drummer Nicholas Barker.

Brujerizmo," produced by Gould, will be released by Kool Arrow/Roadrunner. Kool Arrow is the ex-FNM member's record label.