It’s time to “put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels and upon the levers” for the Rise of the Machine Tour as Static-X wreaks havoc with Fear Factory and Dope. A marvel to behold, shows have been selling out across North America and some cities are switching to larger venues. Selected dates will also have support from Mushroomhead and Twiztid.
Los Angeles heavy-metal band Static-X was molded in 1994 by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Wayne Static, drummer Ken Jay, bassist Tony Campo, and Koichi Fukuda on axe. This prolific group of gnarly outsiders describe themselves as evil disco metal that fuses electronic house music with the aggressive brutality of hard rock. Their 1999 debut album, “Wisconsin Death Trip,” is packed with unforgettable hits “Push It,” “I’m With Stupid,” and “Bleed for Days.” They topped the Billboard charts which led to the album going platinum. Their sophomore album, “Machines,” was released in 2001 with the catchy tunes “Black & White,” “This is Not,” and “Cold.”
In addition to the tour, Static-X will release “Project Regeneration Vol. 2” on November 3rd, a new album featuring the final singing performances of Wayne Static. The first single is “Terrible Lie,” a Nine Inch Nails cover. In addition, Xero will take on a new look. Transforming the character into a more Skynet persona, the band collaborated with the famous Hollywood costume designer Eddie Yang to create a new wardrobe and mask.
Joining Static-X for the tour is longtime L.A. brothers, Fear Factory. Recognized for blending death groove metal alongside industrial hard rock, this gang of humans sounds more like science fiction robots with their calculated, tight drumming and super-fast mechanical picking. When they released “Demanufacture” in 1995, “Linchpin” and their cover of Gary Numan’s “Cars” pushed Fear Factory into the stratosphere. Guitarist and lone original member, Dino Cazares is joined Milo Silvestro on vocals, Mike Heller on percussions, and Tony Campo is on bass.
Escorting Static-X are their friends for two decades, Dope, an alternative nu metal band from New York City. Created in 1997, Dope is fronted by singer/guitarist Edsel Dope (who may be doing double duty, though we cannot confirm or deny his secret identity as Xero), Virus on guitar, Acey Slade on bass, and Daniel Fox on drums.
In February, Dope delivered their album “Blood Money Part Zer0” which is accompanied by the anthems “Believe” and “Misery.” Dope gave the album to fans online for free as a kind gesture to all the devoted listeners.
Also on the tour is Mushroomhead, the nu metal band from Cleveland that is known for their experimental, vanguard sound, and their crazy theatrical sideshow. Each member performs while wearing a mask, dressed in a cutting-edge wardrobe that personifies a unique character for that individual, and all the percussionists bang away on water drums. Drummer Steve Felton is the remaining original member and Mushroomhead continues to be seen as an evolution in aesthetics and artistic differences over the years.
Last, but not least, is the jaggalo super duo from Detroit, Twiztid. This gothic-clown, hip-hop group consists of rappers Jamie “Madrox” Spaniolo and Paul “Monoxide” Methric. Twiztid’s style is considered horrorcore, creating music using scary movies as a symbolic way to describe the real world. According to Spaniolo, “Think of it as if there was a ‘Halloween’ or ‘Friday the 13th’ on wax and Jason and Michael Myers could actually rap, this is what their vibe would sound like.”
OC Music News will see you at the sold out San Diego House of Blues show on April 14th. If you miss them there, you can run up to the Belsaci in Los Angeles April 15th for more mayhem.
We have to agree with Static-X’s statement: “We can’t wait to celebrate all of the good times that we had with Wayne and to share it live and loud with all of our fans night after night.”
