Static-X
Wisconsin Death Trip

THE REVIEW

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.