Static X-Wisconsin Death Trip

Rating:

Sometimes you buy a CD, stick it in the player, and say "Damn, I just got screwed out of twelve bucks." But then you bring it home, listen to it a few more times, get into the mood, and say, "Hey this shit ain't too bad". Or if you're a religious nerd you say "This is groovy." And then pick your nose.

Anyway, this is what happened to me. After picking up the new Static X CD at Best Buy, I rushed out to my car to break it's cherry. Unfortunately, I drove home, and had listened to half the CD and was really disappointed. I loved the song Bled for Days, but felt everything else was a little lacking. It kinda reminded me of my Godsmack CD, which I felt was a huge waste of money. One good song on the whole CD. And it goes platinum m. Where's the justice man? Anyway, after my initial listen I happened to find myself magically transported to Ozzfest where Static X just happened to find themselves first on the main stage. Having a pretty terrible view of the album, had they not been playing immediately before one of my favorites, System of a Down, I probably would have headed over to the second stage to check out one of those acts. But I decided to stay, and am now very glad I did. They rocked. Really great live band. That made me decide to check out the album again. It really grew on me. A cross between Fear Factory and some more industrial bands like Ministry, Prong, or Rob Zombie's new stuff, I began to really get into the album. Much like a Meshuggah album, although vastly inferior, this album centers on rhythm. Mostly started by the guitars (of which there are two, Wayne Static and Koichi Fukuda) and followed by an almost identical bass line and a drum beat that, like most industrial acts, pounds home the beat wit h few fills and very little nonsense. Just straight forward rhythm. That, in a nutshell is Static X.

The album itself, in my humble opinion, revolves around the killer Bled for Days. This song got a few minutes of radio airplay before Ozzfest on some of the Cities stations, but never seemed to really take off (cause in order to take off you have to be unoriginal or simply copy people (80's rock, Metallica's Die My Darling or anything else off their so-called "new" album, and Fear Factory's pathetic new song, (Cars?)). This song is killer material. Huge. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to that song. But some other highlights for me include the album's namesake, Wisconsin Death Trip. This song is also pretty solid, not quite on the level of Bled for Days, but I like it. All the other songs are pretty much in the same category, average. Although I did find myself grooving to the album's fifth track, I Am, a little, while also enjoying the staccato of the album's eighth song, Sweat of the Bud.

Vocally, Wayne Static has grown on me. His staccato style accentuates the rhythm-based music really well, and he can show some range when he wants to. Although he does go into the heavy metal growl a little, it's not as brutal as some death metal acts can be. Overall a solid vocalist, although I do get a little turned off by some of his lyrics. Nothing earth shattering here, basically about the same six words repeated in every song. But I guess it's about the rhythm not the substance. And his hair definitely rules, making up almost a quarter of a star in my rating system.

Anyway, overall I wouldn't call this album a total disappointment. It really has grown quite a bit on me, so much so that it is now featured in my car rotation every now and then (of course, only after I have listened to Slipknot 12 times). Overall I'd give it a three star rating, which, compared to the one and a half I would have given it on my first listen, is pretty damn kick ass if you ask me.

Additional Ratings

Wayne Static's hair- I see where he got the name..Marge Simpson and Bob Marley's love child perhaps?

Live Show- Ozzfest '99 made me a believer. Sounded way better than the CD if you ask me.

Insert Design- The overall design seems a little clichéd to me, with the computerized design and such (parts of it reminded me of Sabbath's Never Say Die album with the pilots on it...go figure) but the insert photos with the guys tied up and chairs and such were pretty cool.

Essential Information

Static X is:Wayne Static-Vocals, Guitars, Programming; Ken Jay-Drums; Tony Campos-Bass, Backing Vocals; Keichi Fukuda-Guitars, Keyboards, Programming.

Released: 1999

Fan Club Info: www.teamstatic-x.com

Web Sites: www.static-x.com and www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/underground/6791/static.htm