[This interview was originally aired live on-air on WXLV Radio on 07.19.2019]
Celebrating 25 years since their debut release of ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ and set as a memorial to their late charismatic frontman Wayne Static, Static-X is back on the road playing SOLD OUT shows all over the country. Utilizing Wayne’s final vocal recordings, the surviving founding members have been hard at work crafting a new album titled ‘Project Regeneration.’ Performing live vocal duties on the tour is a masked frontman who goes by XER0.
Old images of the band filled the large LED screens behind them as new animations, lyrics, messages of tributes to Wayne Static punctuated the background. In fact, the screens led us through a protracted opening before the band came out and started with “December” before going right into “Bled For Days”. The first 9 songs were all from ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ before they launched into samplings of some of their bigger songs from most of the other albums. “Get To The Gone,” “This Is Not,” and “Start A War” were personal highlights. Of course things ended with “Push It” as a show of this magnitude without it would be woefully incomplete.
Before all of that, I was lucky enough to speak to Static-X bass player, and really, the guy who had the biggest part in putting all of this together, Tony Campos. We talked a bit about the tour, the album, the old days, an interesting celebrity encounter and more!
It’s hard to turn down a chance to see a band you grew up with when they reform after a decade. Even rarer considering the loss of the most recognizable figure, in this case, Wayne Static of Static-X. The original line-up has reformed for a round of touring (celebrating 25 years since their debut and best-known album ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’) and work on a new album to utilize Wayne’s final vocal recordings. The fact that they are performing with a masked frontman who goes by XER0 only added to the morbid curiosity.
Things truly got started inside with theatrical band, Raven Black. You want makeup, masks and carnival elements? Check! How about a hula hoop, a giant teddy bear and the sense that Tim Burton films are on regular rotation in the tour bus? Double check! In all seriousness, they are an energetic newer band with a charismatic frontwoman that can certainly continue to grow and reach wider audiences.
Raven Black – Photo by Henry Chung
Raven Black – Photo by Henry Chung
Raven Black – Photo by Henry Chung
Raven Black – Photo by Henry Chung
Raven Black – Photo by Henry Chung
Wednesday 13 was next and to those who haven’t kept up, the stage show and look has evolved. He was covered in paint with loads of neon and a mask on the back of his head. The pictures really say it all.
Wednesday 13 – Photo by Henry Chung
Dope was a big opener that I had some familiarity with from back in the day. The set wasn’t overly long but the hits I was familiar with were present “Die M.F. Die” and “You Spin Me Right Round.” This tour was also a 20 year celebration of Dope’s debut release ‘Felons and Revolutionaries.’ But being a memorial for the late Wayne Static, it was downplayed save for a few mentions from frontman Edsel Dope during in-between song banter.
DOPE – Photo by Henry Chung
By this point in the evening, show was starting to really fill in. With more people meant more heat which became a theme.
DevilDriver was next and they ran through a solid hour with a wide variety of material from all aspects of their lengthy career. There were even a few Coal Chamber classics thrown in toward the end (“Loco” and “Fiend”). As was slightly the case earlier in the evening and especially for the first 2/3 of Devildriver’s set, the mix was…..not great. The vocals and guitars were a bit too low in the mix which prompted Dez to demand that things be turned up. This went a large way toward fixing the issue. Still, it was probably something that should have been picked up on much earlier.
DevilDriver – Photo by Henry Chung
The venue was clearly at full capacity partway through Devildrier and the heat inside was sweltering. Musicians were even commenting on it throughout the night. Normally a few drinks are spilled throughout the evening but the venue floor was coated and slick with sweat. A brief sojourn outside to the now abandoned outdoor stage was the only respite from this. Fortunately, a light rain and a Mountain Dew went a long way.
Static-X – Photo by Henry Chung
Large screens were utilized by the last 3 bands of the evening, especially heavily by our headliners Static-X. Old images of the band, new animations, lyrics, messages of tribute to Wayne Static all punctuated the background. In fact, the screens led us through a protracted opening before the band came out and started with “December” before going right into “Bled For Days”. The first 9 songs were all from ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ before they launched into samplings of some of their bigger songs from most of the other albums. “Get To The Gone,” “This Is Not,” and “Start A War” were personal highlights. Of course things ended with “Push It” as a show of this magnitude without it would be woefully incomplete.
Static-X – Photo by Henry Chung
Before all of that, I was lucky enough to speak to Static-X bass player, and really, the guy who had the biggest part in putting all of this together, Tony Campos. We talked a bit about the tour, the album, the old days, an interesting celebrity encounter and more!
Whether this is truly the live farewell or if Static-X will tour on ‘Project Regeneration’ in some capacity remains to be seen. It was my first chance in over a decade to hear a lot of these songs live again, and while a little different, it still evoked a lot of the spirit of the band that I recalled. That’s all I could ever ask. I’ll always have the old memories but this is a cool new one to file along with them.
Go to www.static-x.org to preorder your copy of ‘Project Regeneration’
With several shows on the upcoming Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary Tour already sold-out, STATIC-X has announced additional dates for this fall. The tour will feature the same lineup of co-headliners DevilDriver and support acts Dope, Wednesday 13 and Raven Black.
WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES: 6/18 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater 6/19 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater (Sold Out) 6/21 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live 6/22 – Houston, TX @ The Warehouse 6/23 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater 6/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Sold Out) 6/26 – Greenville, SC @ The Firmament (Sold Out) 6/28 – Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage (Sold Out) 6/29 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom 6/30 – Scranton, PA @ Levels (Cancelled) 7/2 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House (Sold Out) 7/3 – London, ON @ London Music Hall 7/4 – Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey 7/5 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s (Sold Out) 7/6 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 7/7 – Reading, PA @ Reverb (Sold Out) 7/9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s (Sold Out) 7/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater 7/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Citadel 7/12 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre 7/13 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s 7/14 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall 7/16 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection 7/18 – Cadott, WI @ Cadott Rockfest 7/19 – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino (Sold Out) 7/20 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge (Sold Out) 7/21 – Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater (Sold Out) 7/23 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater (Sold Out) 7/25 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory 7/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Catch One (Sold Out) 7/27 – Los Vagas, NV @ House of Blues NEWLY ADDED WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES: 11/12 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater 11/13 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues 11/15 – Ft. Lauderdale @ Revolution 11/16 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum 11/17 – Destin, FL @ Club LA 12/2 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 12/6 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s 12/7 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater 12/8 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios Live 12/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Royal Bar 12/11 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory 12/12 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory 12/13 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre 12/14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon 12/15 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre + More dates TBA!
This morning, at 7:03am, the empty remnants of Martin Tower was imploded. The defunct build was the headquarters for the executives of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The 21-storey structure located in Bethlehem PA first opened in 1972, but has sat vacant since the company filed for bankrupcy in 2003.
Bethlehem Steel was a major supplier of ships and armaments to the U.S. military during World War II, and its steel is found in the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge as well as many other landmarks. What was once a proud symbol of steel’s building power in American cityscapes turned into a reminder of mismanagement and corporate excess (it’s cruciform building shape was designed to maximize the number of corner offices.)
4/18/19 – Children of Bodom / Swallow The Sun / Wolfheart – Reverb Reading, PA.
After a hearty dinner at the nearby Pike Cafe and Bar, we made our way into the venue to catch the tail end of Summoner’s Circle‘s set. Robes, makeup and doom. Check. Check. Check.
Next was Wolfheart. Hot off of last year’s ‘Constellations of the Black Light’ the band came out with an energetic set, featuring a drummer who may or may not be the Energizer bunny. This is the latest project (yet still rather long-running) of Tuomas Saukkonen. The bass player frequently engaged the crowd and this was the point in the evening where the audience was beginning to congregate around the stage.
Wolfheart – Photo by Henry Chung
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Swallow the Sun brought a more meditative and somber set. The lights were mostly low and the more melancholy, less doomy material on their latest album, ‘When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light’ was an appropriate pairing for the set. First single “Firelight” was featured along with “Under The Water” and “Stone Wings” the latter of which especially seemed like a crowd favorite. To be honest, a lot of the crowd didn’t seem to know what to make of the set for the first few songs. The evening’s consistently low vocal mic didn’t do anyone any favors though it improved slightly as the show progressed. At a certain point, everyone seemed to wake up a bit and respond to the music with most people seeming to be on board by the end. While half of the set was new, they ended with their traditional closer “Swallow (The Horror Pt. 1”).
Swallow the Sun – Photo by Henry Chung
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Our headliners, Children of Bodom came out and so did the red and especially purple lights which was appropriate for their latest album ‘Hexed.’ “Are You Dead Yet?” was a pounding way to begin the show
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Interestingly, the band had recently toured on their very earliest material, so a fair amount of that was in the set along with a lot from mid-period favorites ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ and ‘Hate Crew Deathroll.’ Of course there were the new songs, the perfect first single “Over Grass and Clover,” along with “The Road,” “Platitudes and Barren Words” and “Hecate’s Nightmare.” These tracks reflect a lot of the best aspects of ‘Hexed’ which many are considering a bit of a return to form for the band, embracing some of their neoclassical roots while having some catchier tracks than the last few albums.
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
Relatively new guitar player Daniel Freyberg proved himself to be a worthy additional as he held up his end of the deal with the songs. Of course, everyone else in the band are longtime constants so no questions there. Seeing keyboardist, Janne Wirman, in action was especially a treat as his tremendous dexterity and manipulation of the keys is truly the X-factor that helps to set the band apart. All of this was done on his backup keyboard which, itself, had some faulty switches, as he explained at one point in the set.
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
One of my personal favorites “Bodom Beach Terror” was played early and the rarely heard “If You Want Peace…Prepare For War” lent a bit of extra speed and heaviness to the show. Really, the selection was very good to appease fans new and old. Of course, with ten albums out, there are always going to be few songs that don’t make the cut for this go-round but, all things considered, everyone in attendance should have been, and seemed very thrilled. We even had some late-show crowd surfing.
The encore started with another of my favorites “Hate Me!” and ended with “Downfall.”
Children of Bodom – Photo by Henry Chung
This package was a really rare treat as to have three wildly different bands from Finland playing in a little B-market (maybe C-Market?) like Reading in a tremendous convergence of unlikely factors. More than that, it was a great time.
Before the evening began, I had the pleasure of speaking with Janne from Children of Bodom. Of course, we talked about ‘Hexed’ but we also dove into their studios, some glaring omissions from the album, barbecuing, their beer and quite a bit more.
Interview with Janne Wirman, keyboardist from Children of Bodom
Right after that, I tracked down Mikko Kotamaki, vocalist from Swallow The Sun. The interview was conducted right outside the venue which of course, featured a passing train, passing fans, and angry yellow jackets. Distractions aside, we spoke about his vocal evolution, other projects, Nick Cave, Paradise Lost, and quite a bit more.
Interview with Mikko Kotamaki, vocalist from Swallow The Sun
Pick up Swallow the Sun’s ‘When A Shadown is Forced Into The Light’HERE
The 2018 edition of the Metal Alliance Tour which began on Halloween came to a close on November 30th in Easton, Pennsylvania at One Center Square.
For reasons to be explained later, I was unable to see any of the local openers and much of Gozu’s set.
For that reason, let’s resume with The Great American Ghost which brought intensity to the stage and brought their energetic stage show to a crowd that was, admittedly, still filling in.
The Great American Ghost – Photo by Henry Chung
Georgia’s Black Tusk was next up and by this point, the room was filling up. Their rough and tumble brand of rock, most recently heard on their album ‘TCBT’ brought a different vibe to the show, highlighting the lineup’s variety. Being a fan for some time, I knew a lot of the music but didn’t particularly have a clear picture of the band, especially in light of lineup changes. Seeing all four of the band members contributing vocals was very cool and showed a wrinkle that many of their contemporaries can’t boast.
Black Tusk – Photo by Henry Chung
Next was The Casualties, a very distinct punk act that dates all the way back to the 90s. Their newest album ‘Written In Blood’ is certainly up to their usual high standard but I wasn’t aware that they had acquired a new frontman, David Rodriguez. He contributed a ton of energy and, to be perfectly honest, they might have stolen the whole show. The crowd was clearly pumped to see them, judging by the Casualties patches and punk attire in the crowd and the fact that the pit exploded during their set. The set ended with Rodriguez somehow getting up to the second story of the venue and jumping down into the crowd where the audience (thankfully) caught him.
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
The Casualties – Photo by Henry Chung
Finally, things got heavy and dark with the mighty Goatwhore headlining the show. The set could be best described as unrelenting. There were selections from newest album ‘Vengeful Ascension’ plus older favorites. The songs varied from fast and pummeling to occasionally heavy and doomy. This created the needed ebbs and flows for a dynamic set. The rhythm section was tight but everything was led by the tasty riffs of Sammy Duet and the rasps and energetic stage presence of Ben Falgoust. It was to be said, Falgoust spent a huge percentage of the set right up in the crowd’s face, slapping high-fives and fist bumps, really keeping the front row (at least) engaged.
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
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Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
Goatwhore – Photo by Henry Chung
As many would, presumably, hope, they ended the set with “FBS’. There was no need for an encore as I think I can speak for many others, we were all spent.
Before the evening began, I was able to sit down with Ben to talk about all things Goatwhore. It was also one of the relatively rare times I get to talk to someone on the last night of the tour and be able to get a true view of the tour with it being in hindsight. We got into how to survive being the road demons that they are, the fact that this tour came on the heels of the previous tour being canceled, hot sauce, Queen and so much more.
Much respect to Ben for being such a cool guy to talk to and for the band existing and thriving for the last 20 years.
A violently rainy Friday night couldn’t stop truly devoted metal fans from a show.
Eyes of the Living
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch any of Eyes of the Living’s set, as I was….occupied by an interview. They could be heard slightly from up in the green room and an excited concertgoer shared his enthusiasm about them as I stood in line for the bathroom. So…that’s something.
Secret Face
They were certainly energetic and the singer had a capable yell, but the detail that dominated was the drummer who provided nearly constant double bass thudding. I’m a fan of Kataklysm, but even they mix it up once in a while.
ExmortusExmortus – Photo by Mark Morton
Oh man. Exmortus (Facebook, Instagram) was the band I truly came for and they did not disappoint. Judging by the rapidly increasingly crowded, pit, it’s probably a fair assumption that many others felt the same way. Since they were promoting their latest album ‘The Sound of Steel‘ they leaned on that release, heavily. So much so, they started the set with the first three songs on the album. From there, they mixed it up a little with some older tracks and did a rendition of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” before ending with “Metal Is King.”
This was all the more impressive considering their regular co-guitarist, Chase Becker of Warbringer, had other commitments and couldn’t make the first half of this east coast tour. He was replaced by Richie Brown from Mindscar with only one rehearsal. Considering the neoclassical guitar pyrotechnics on display and the number of jaws that were on the floor, Exmortus made at least a few new fans this night.
Obituary
This marked only my second time seeing Obituary. The first time was in a dingy VFW hall in Wind Gap a few years ago. It was cramped, no-frills and just seemed like the perfect environment to see the band. This was a more traditionally produced show with bright lights, smoke and a stage that was more than 12” off of the ground. Of course, Obituary still puts on a great show under these circumstances, most bands would, but it seems a little counter to their aesthetic.
Their latest addition and secret weapon, guitarist Kenny Andrews, has added a lot to the last few albums with his leads and this extends to the live show. That said, he stayed tucked away in a corner of the stage and dutifully shredded away. The sampling of new material “Visions In My Head,” “A Lesson In Vengeance,” and “Sentence Day” played to this. The set was varied and touched on all eras of the band.
The encore included “Chopped in Half” (which audience clamored for all night), “Turned Inside Out” and “Slowly We Rot”.
The headliner’s set seemed a bit short (about 45-50 minutes of the main set and maybe 15 with the encore for about an hour’s work) with a protracted introduction replete with southern rock and copious moments when the band seemed to check in with each other and joke around. It was still a quality show, though. I guess it’s always better the leave them wanting more, right?
Before all of this happened, as alluded to before, I conducted an interview with Exmortus main man, Conan. There was a lot of ground and we covered every inch of it. There was the new album ‘The Sound of Steel,’ Conan keeping the band going despite being the last original member, Youtube, changing things up, keeping things the same, art, food, being underrated, movies, giving lessons (hit him up on the band’s socials!) and more.
This was a fantastic talk. Exmortus is a band that continues to grow, evolve and perseveres even though their first album came out a decade ago.
The next time they come to your town, check out Exmortus, that is if you’re ready for the shreddy.
Over the last decade, there have been a number of bands that have come to define the Warped Tour for a generation. The ever-present Silverstein has certainly done their part to carry the flag.
Silverstein – Photo by Henry Chung
In fact, they’ve done so much, they even came back for a stretch on this final run after doing it just last year.
I spoke to Paul-Marc and Josh (the guitarists) about last year’s release ‘Dead Reflection‘, getting more extreme in all aspects of their sound, field recordings, and some sports, actually.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be torn apart by a velociraptor?
I certainly hope not, that would be an odd and unpleasant thing to dwell on, wouldn’t it?
Perhaps the musical equivalent to this, though, would be experiencing Baltimore’s favorite co-ed hardcore band Sharptooth.
I spoke to their fiery frontwoman Lauren Kashan and we dove right into their full-length ‘Clever Girl’, Magic: the Gathering, dinosaurs, cruises and much more.
With the overwhelming number of bands at Warped Tour and the limited time, it’s usually easiest to try to just stick with the handful that you’ve known for years. While that can be fine, it can also be rewarding to branch out a little bit and get a glimpse at the next generation.
Speaking to Sydney Dolezal from Doll Skin was a joy. Though they may be young, the Arizona band are all excellent musicians (thanks School of Rock!) and magnetic stage performers. Their set was the only one I was able to catch beginning to end with no interruptions (thanks busy and strangely spaced-out interview schedule!) but it was memorable.
We talk about their full-length ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’, having their faces in unexpected places, slam poetry and character tropes, hiding bodies, the perfect doll-themed music festival and their ties to eastern Pennsylvania.
The last we heard from Unearth, they had put out ‘Watchers of Rule’ in 2014 and had done some touring. That seems par for the course but the landscape around them had shifted.
Most of their New England brethren had undergone some transitions: Killswitch Engage had reunited with their original singer and was starting to build back momentum, dusk fell on Shadows Fall and All That Remains charted a melodic-radio ready course that challenged their entire fanbase.
Unearth – Photo by Henry Chung
Unearth did some touring but really went silent in 2017. This was not a cause for concern, though, they just recharged their batteries and were quietly working on new material. This will see the light of day in fall of 2018 on Century Media Records in the form of a full-length called ‘Extinctions.’
I spoke to guitar wizard Buz McGrath about this, collaborating, challenging themselves, bowling, the legend of Jimmy Phipps and more. Interestingly enough, the band had an extremely small sampling of Warped Tour in the early 2000’s but had wanted to get back on for a full run ever since.
This was all the more impressive considering their regular co-guitarist, Chase Becker of Warbringer, had other commitments and couldn’t make the first half of this east coast tour. He was replaced by Richie Brown from Mindscar with only one rehearsal. Considering the neoclassical guitar pyrotechnics on display and the number of jaws that were on the floor, Exmortus made at least a few new fans this night.
