•
Rating:
Oh you reader, if you already know what Nu Metal and Industrial are and you know you hate them, then I advise you to immediately close this window, but if you are unaware and have the desire and time to read this review, I'll try to give you an idea, first of the band, and then of their debut album.
I will report here the few bits of information I know (this doesn't mean they are unknown, quite the opposite...) about Static-X, originating from the Chicago area like Disturbed.
Static-X was formed in 1994 from the ashes of former band, Deep Blue Dream, by Wayne Static (his real name is Wayne Richard Wells, he is a very well-known figure in the metal music world, not only for his extreme hairstyle but also for his vocal abilities) and Ken Jay (drummer). Static and Jay began searching for new members in Chicago, but after a fruitless search, they decided to head to Los Angeles, continuing their search for a good guitarist and bassist. There they met bassist Tony Campos and guitarist Koichi Fukuda, completing the original lineup of the group.
At the beginning of 1998, Static-X signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records, and they released their debut album, Wisconsin Death Trip, on March 23, 1999, and soon after, they released their first single "Push It," followed by "I'm With Stupid" and "Bled For Days" in 2000. Static-X went on extensive tours supporting the album and made a breakthrough with a double performance at Ozzfest. The following year, the band released a little-known EP, The Death Trip Continues, and contributed the song "Otsegolation" for Omega Boost, a PlayStation video game, and the song "Push It" for the video game "Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes." In 2001, Wisconsin Death Trip went platinum, and to this day, remains the only Static-X album to achieve such success.
We can define their genre as Nu Metal, but with a strong Industrial influence: they mix a hefty dose of loops, samples, use a wall of deafening squared guitars, and relentless rhythms (some of these components can also be found in other bands like Fear Factory, White Zombie, Prong, NIN, ...).
But now let's analyze the album, in my opinion, it is also the best they have made so far, on par with the melodic Shadow Zone (2003).
Static-X immediately reveal their angry nature typical of Nu Metal, with "Push It," which from the very first seconds conveys a lot of energy and doesn't give the impression of déjà vu, as do the other songs in the rest. Moving on to "I'm with Stupid," also referred to by some as "Loser," it is probably their most well-known song, the industrial component is already very present. We stay on the theme with "Bled For Days," this one too is very energetic. Probably these first three songs are the best on the album. Then we move to the melancholic "Love Dump," and follow with the beautiful "I Am," and finish the first part of the album with the good "Otsegolation." The second part resumes with "Stem," with already much slower rhythms, and gives the impression of being a "filler" song, I don't consider it a real song, but as the album's transition from day to night, in fact, it connects with the particular "Sweat Of The Bud," which consists of only four verses repeated multiple times but is quite overwhelming. After this one, we have the boring "Fix," and then finally the title track "Wisconsin Death Trip," which is satisfying, despite not conveying as much power as the first three tracks. I feel tiredness in the following "The Trance Is The Motion," it's getting very late on the album and this rather weak song wouldn't be a nice conclusion. We conclude with "December," which is much older than it seems, as it was already written by Wayne Static and Ken Jay when Deep Blue Dream still existed, and therefore predates 1994. The six-minute song starts with a progressively advancing sound, very slow, it really conveys, besides sadness and sweetness, the chill of early winter, initially I didn't like this song because it was rather slow, but then I learned to appreciate it, meanwhile, the noise grows louder and louder...and suddenly silence...
Static-X doesn't stand out from other bands in the genre for their lyrics, but for their pronounced industrial and technological streak with a futuristic vision of metal music. This is modern metal. Some might likely think that it's music for angry youngsters, and I can't argue with that, because I am one, and this is the music that us angry kids (and not just us) enjoy and somehow releases our tension; let's enjoy it while we can!
I conclude by saying that I would give 5 stars for the first part of the album, and 4 for the other.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Push It (02:35)
Go!
Corrosive tainted by my sin
I'm spilling blood and I can hardly contain it
Corrosive hallowing the hand
Stiffened i eat away
Eat, eat into the surface
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
Explosive more violent, more violent
All consuming throbbing straight to the circle
Explosive move on reaction
I slow it down, I slow it
Down, down, down, down, down
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
I see it, I need it
My mind is corrosive
I trip on corrosive
I freak see through me
My eyes are explosive
I feed on it
Black out crucify me
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
Yeah, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
You, you push it
03 Bled for Days (03:45)
meaningless
it's meaningless
it's meaningless
it's meaningless
i take the hold
i take the hold
i take the hold
take the hold
mindlessness
it's mindlessness
it's mindlessness
it's mindlessness
i bled for days
i bled for days
i bled for days
i bled for days
get to the rage
(hate)
the healing of it with it
conceal the scabs (hate) you don't want to show
into the hate
(no)
i channel all the negative and
i bled for days now i take the hold
(break)
i don't believe it
fuck me, read me, get me
(bled for days)
smile on my rage i'm scarred by age, i bled
(bled for days)
uselessness
it's uselessness
it's uselessness
it's uselessness
i make my weapons
make my weapons
make my weapons
take the hold
04 Love Dump (04:20)
hand me a line
really hand me a line
really hand me a line
hand me a line
really hand it to me
i always loved you
love dumpling
your shit's like chocolate cake
and your ass smells like a rose
i really hate you
love dumpling
i really hate you
love dumpling
now my bowel's aching
drop down me the line
really hand me a line, really hand me a line
hand me a line, really hand it to me
hand me a line
really hand me a line, really hand me a line
drop down me the line
really hand me a line, really hand me a line
hand me a line, really hand it to me
05 I Am (02:47)
i've been taking abuse and it's senseless
fist into the wall and it's painless
i've been living the lie that i made me
live it
screaming into the mic and i like it
put it all over the air in thick slices
soak it all up in your head with the anger
like it
older
elder
i am
grind on it
deeper
bleaker
i am
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
brush the surface off and grind on it
older
elder
i am
grind on it
deeper
bleaker
i am
i've been taking abuse and it's senseless
fist into the wall and it's painless
i've been living the lie that i made me
live it
screaming into the mic and i like it
put it all over the air in thick slices
soak it all up in your head with the anger
like it
older
elder
i am
grind on it
deeper
bleaker
i am
put a gun in my mouth
and threaten to shoot
put a gun in my mouth
and threaten to shoot
put a gun in my mouth
and threaten to shoot
put a gun in my mouth
and threaten to shoot
justice died here
06 Otsegolation (03:32)
if we gain by severance
we gain most of all
annihilate your kindness
twisting those involved
scene of revolution
scenes of your destruction
we are desolation
we are isolation
feel it coming again
feel don't care at all
feel it coming again
feel
isolation
07 Stem (02:55)
STEM!
Anything that I want you to know (yeah)
Anything that I want you to see
See the reason to which way to be (yeah)
Anything that I want you to be
Damn good thing it isn't a crime I've got a
a dirty, dirty gun up against my head
Cleanse and purge the ill from the inside
A burning conscience severs the stem
Anything that I want you to know (yeah)
Anything that I want you to see
See the reason to which way to be (yeah)
Anything that I want you to be
STEM!
Damn good thing it isn't a crime I've got a
a dirty, dirty gun up against my head
Cleanse and purge the ill from the inside
A burning conscience severs the stem
08 Sweat of the Bud (03:30)
go
go!(2x)
not enough to sweat of the bud
in a search of means to the end
giving up all in need of none
and I'm looking in from the out (2x)
go!(2x)
not enough to sweat of the bud
in a search of means to the end
giving up all in need of none
and I'm looking in from the out (4x)
go! (4x)
09 Fix (02:49)
Fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
fix
fix
fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
fix
fix
fix
i'm in you, you're in me, please give me a
fix
fix
fix
i'm in you, you're in me, please give me a
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
tune it in, chill out
fix
fix
fix
i'm in you, you're in me, please give me a
fix
fix
fix
i'm in you, you're in me, please give me a fix
just one more
just one more fix
i'm all yours
fix
fix
fix
fix
fix
fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead i need a fix
tune it in, chill out, drop dead
10 Wisconsin Death Trip (03:09)
What's wrong
don't you sing dong ding dong
push it on the phoney
hook it up and ride away
motion
can't you feel the motion
you can see right through me
we connect
you're part of me
take this
break the vibe and make this
get up on it
oh yeah
close your eyes and fly away
motion
can't you feel the motion
you can see right through me
we connect you're part of me
Chorus:
Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip
Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip
Get on it
Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip
Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip
what's wrong
don't you sing dong ding dong
push it on the phoney
hook it up and ride away
motion
can't you feel the motion
you can see right through me
we connect you're part of me
Chorus Repeat twice
take me
clear your mind and make me
feel me inside oh yeah
you can have me anyway
motion
can't you feel the motion
you can see right through me
we connect
you're part of me
11 The Trance Is the Motion (04:50)
The Trance is the Motion
speed toward hell
shed no tears
you don't know me
take my life
steal my tongue
to defeat your taste
could never criticize
no better
no better than you
it's easier to lie
than to tell the truth
you've become the waste that i despise
speed toward hell
shed no tears
you don't know me
take my life
steal my tongue
to defeat your taste
could never criticize
no better
no better than you
it's easier to lie
than to tell the truth
you've become the waste that i despise
this is the motion of the new revolution
this is the motion of the new revolution
this is the motion of the new revolution
this is the motion of the new revolution
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
the trance is the motion
this is the motion of the new revolution
this is the motion of the new revolution
12 December (06:18)
I still feel the cold
of long past days
I knew my worth
put in my place
it's no surprise
I realized some time before
december
sun shines through haze
I put my thoughts
toward future days
it's no surprise
I close my eyes
and close the door
feeling so old
years pass like days
fastly changing
so many ways
my eyes perceive
yes I believe in nothing more
Loading comments slowly
