Los Angeles’ Industrial Metal sweethearts, Static-X first rose to fame with their 1999 debut release Wisconsin Death Trip. They won over swarms of metal fans with their unique blend of nu metal and industrial often referred to by the band themselves as “Evil Disco.” The band released six full length albums before the untimely death of lead singer, Wayne Static, in 2014. Wayne had long been the face of the band with his almost cartoonish look and colorful onstage antics. With his death, died the hope of many metal fans that they’d ever get to hear new music from one of the most impactful bands of the early 00s. When news first broke that the remaining members of Static-X were planning to record new music, it was met with equal parts skepticism and eager anticipation by the metal community. Fast forward to July of 2020 and that concept has now come to fruition.
The band released the new album, Project Regeneration Vol. 1, on July 10, 2020. The album consists of twelve tracks with most of them containing previously recorded vocals from Wayne Static. The remaining vocal tracks were performed by the band’s current acting vocalist who goes by the name of Xero (credited on the album as Edsel Dope).
The original recordings from this album were from different periods in the band’s career. They range from 2004 all the way to 2014 making this album a particularly interesting experience for the listener. After a short intro track, the band get into the first track and lead single from the album, “Hollow.” The song is as true to original Static-X as one could wish for and packs a hard punch right out of the gate with its fast and aggressive structure. You can almost picture Wayne performing the song in his typical, animated fashion. As we saw with much of the band’s newer work, the song does feature some clean vocals as well. This track would fit nicely on the band’s 2005 effort Start a War.
The next track “Worth Dyin For” showcases a slightly different side of the band’s talent. It’s much more electronically oriented with a slow, heavy, guitar riff. Wayne’s signature growling can be heard throughout the song along with a beautifully delivered melodic chorus. From here, we get into the song “Terminator Oscillator.” The band pulls out one of their best tricks on this song by inserted breaks form the heaviness and giving us just a short reprieve filled in with electronic breaks. This adds an extra layer of depth to the track. It’s clear from this point in the album that you’ve been successfully transported back in time to a period when Wayne Static was alive and well and igniting stages all over the world.
Throughout the album, we are reminded of the tremendous talent that he possessed. Tracks like “All These Years” and “My Destruction” really put his talents on display as he effortlessly transitions from visceral growls to melodic, heartfelt vocals. The most powerful track on the album may be the closing track “Dead Souls.” This track is another slow burner which really works perfectly for an audience that’s not ready to say goodbye just yet. The song includes some of most guitar work in the band’s catalog. The lyrics, while up for interpretation, certainly seem to be coming from a dark place. Pair that with the raw emotion in Wayne’s voice, and you have the perfect ending to a much anticipated album.
Overall, the flow of the album is a bit choppy considering the different time periods that the songs originated from. There are also a few tracks on the album that, although reworked, still come across as bonus material and not so much album worthy. That’s really just knit-picking, however, as the album is overall a great success. The band had a lot of eyes on them proceeding with new material without Wayne and, overall, they delivered a solid tribute album and have given fans something that they had long given up hope on ever receiving.
I’m Music Magazine Writer Jason Jarvis
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