Ex-FEAR FACTORY and current DIVINE HERESY guitarist Dino Cazares has shot down rumors of a possible reunion with his former bandmates after he was photographed hanging out with FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell at Sunday night's (April 6) MINISTRY concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California.

In a statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Cazares said, "[Sunday] was the first time I talked to [Burton] since 2002, but it felt like we never stopped talking. He seemed really happy. It just seemed like we just continued where we left off as good friends… like none of this drama ever happened.

"[I'd] never run into him [before] but I've seen FF perform at the House of Blues when they played with LAMB OF GOD. [However] we've never crossed paths [until now]."

He continued, "People may think that FEAR FACTORY will reunite but those were not our intentions. We did not speak about that — we were just happy to be talking to each other. I know he's extremely happy to be touring with MINISTRY — it's a dream come true for him to share the stage with Al [Jourgensen, MINISTRY mainman] and I'm very happy with the success of my band DIVINE HERESY.

"We [DIVINE HERESY] just shot a video in Burbank, California with director Joe Hendrick for the song 'Bleed The Fifth' and we will be touring 'till the end of the year and doing a new CD early 2009. We are also touring with SWORN ENEMY for a two-week run leading us into the Tyranny and Bloodshred tour with ARCH ENEMY, DARK TRANQUILLITY and FIREWIND."

Cazares' tenure with FEAR FACTORY ended in March 2002 after Bell announced his departure from the group, allegedly telling his bandmates at the time, "Look, guys, I'm not into it anymore, I don't wanna play in the band anymore, I don't wanna play with you guys, and I especially don't wanna play with you, Dino."

FEAR FACTORY eventually reformed without Dino and released two more studio albums, 2004's "Archetype" and 2005's "Transgression".

In a September 2007 interview with MTV.com, Cazares stated about his former group, "In the long run, I believe I came out the winner, and I feel that they have bastardized the name, and it's a completely different band, different style. I definitely carried the passion in that band, and my riffs, my style, they were very distinctive. I don't regret anything I created in FEAR FACTORY whatsoever. It will be part of my memory for the rest of my life. I believe I am continuing the legacy and keeping this metal torch alive and bringing it back with DIVINE HERESY. You can feel the hunger and passion in DIVINE HERESY, which I believe FEAR FACTORY has been missing, and is still missing to this day."

Classic FEAR FACTORY lineup performing "Scumgrief" at UK's Castle Donington in 1996: