Wayne Static and the boys have all taken a brazen nosedive off of the highest cliff without a parachute with the release of their latest Warner Bros. Records masterpiece, Machine. The disc is packed with nearly 45 minutes of sound in the form of 12 searing tracks that will give your brain and your ears an entirely new perspective on what heavy music should sound like. This, my friends, is the real deal!
Opening the passageways with a novel, cultural approach is a short, introductory track called “Bien Venidos“, and then things immediately get loud and crazy. Drummer Ken Jay bashes his way through “Get To The Gone” with such head-spinning skill that you have to wonder how he survived the recording process at all! This track is a stand-out that perfectly defines the overall vibe of Machine. “Get To The Gone” absolutely slays!
Following close behind is another mysterious, metallic, mind-trip called “Otsego Undead“. The origins and the story behind many of Static-X‘s songs make for interesting discoveries. Surely this will be another one of them, so break out your investigation equipment. The electronic effects on the track are maniacal, futuristic, and completely slamming. Koichi certainly left his mark on the world, and on this blistering song, by giving it to us with force before his departure from Static-X. Tony also works very hard on this track. Newest addition to the Static-X camp, Tripp proves his worth in a major way when performing “Otsego” and other Static-X classics in a live setting. He’s a rock star, and the interaction of the new and improved “fearsome foursome” truly shines through on this record.
What has always been my biggest personal attraction to the music of Static-X is the way the band can create music that makes people move, and whether you thrash or sway, you’re still “feeling” the music. The darker, slower, moodier songs have the type of affect that add a wicked, sexual glint to the metal. Chicks dig that, and I would venture to say that the boys like it, too! “Cold” is one of those songs. This track makes you think evil thoughts. Evil is good. Especially when it’s EVIL DISCO!
The fun doesn’t stop there. “Structural Defect“, with it’s crunching guitar grooves and almost Hitler-esque marching drums, drags you by the hair and forces itself right into you. If you don’t play this song at ridiculous decibel levels in your car or at least loud enough to piss off your parents, then you’re not doing it right! In fact, just slide the CD into your player, crank it up, and leave it on constant rotation for a while. That should get rid of that pesky door-to-door Bible salesman.
The title track, “Machine” gets my vote for most innovative track. This is the quintessential new Static-X song that brings everyone’s talents into the spotlight and adds a bit of steam to the mix. The beats, the sampling, the guitars, the drum and bass maneuvers, the varied vocal tracks – everything comes together on this track and as a whole; creating a huge, perfect, grinding monster.
Listening to Machine is like hearing the background music for a scene by an out of control, menacing, industrial robot. Check out the final track, “A Dios Alma Perdida” to hear what one of these villains would sound like! I’m just waiting for this band to be tapped for a movie score. Machine It’s like molten metal fusing itself to the eardrums. It’s like hearing a thousand orgasmic sounds from the neighbors next door. It’s fast and furious and freaky.
We LOVE this CD! Get it! Get it! Get it!
Lesa Pence
– lesa@unearthed.com
