Progressive industrial metal. Progressive meaning, although similarities can be drawn, Static-X are their own. Industrial meaning they employ a heavy dose of sampler to give that dark mechanical feel. Metal meaning they are loud as hell! Big big big meaty guitar riffs. Very simplistic (usually only two or three note type progressions), but pounded with rhythmic ferocity that is hard to match.

On top of all this crushing percussive attack is singer Wayne Static's gravel-laced growl that is often delivered with the same rhythmic flow that the guitars accomplish. There is a certain "sameness" to the approach, but it works so well and defines itself as a beast of Static-X's own creation, so it's completely forgivable to mine the same few songs repeatedly. Attention is paid to structure and dynamic so songs can pummel, drift, drag or crush accordingly and keeps interest up. Static-X are from LA so they are lumped into that neo-new jack metal scene (y'know - Fear Factory, Korn, Deftones, Snot, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down), but are a little more dry and straightforward and avoid the whole "rap-core" influence. Song after song of riff-laden hook sink their motives into your consciousness until surrendering is the only option.

Many a song are noteworthy. "Bled for Days" was the first track released off of this album and found it's way onto the Bride of Chucky soundtrack long before the album was actually released. Featuring some gritty backing vocals and brain infecting repetition of vocal lines made this song an unsuspecting single as radio stations continue to pick up the song for regular radio play. The "official" first single is a whiny chugging piece called "Push It" (with nice opposing "yeah" (you push it) in normal voice followed by a death metal growl of "yeah" (you push it).

The video for this song will be directed by the same guy that directed the Tool videos so I'm sure you MTV kids will get a peek soon enough. The lyrics all speak of the obsessions that drive a band like Static-X. One of my favs is from the skipping record feel of a guitar run on "Love Dump" which finds singer Wayne Static proclaiming "Your shit's like chocolate cake and your ass smells like a rose". The tightest jackhammer riffage is on "Sweat of the Bud" which holds only four lines of lyrics repeated in just the right places throughout the song. It's the little touches that separates Static-X from it's influences.

The slight evil electronic vibe, or Wayne's manic delivery of lyrics, or bassplayer's Tony's perfectly placed backing howls all give that added spark of originality. "Fix" has this wicked bounce that is paralleled by Wayne's stuttering repetition of vocal line before crashing into the howling line of "FIIIIIXXXXX!" And the disk just keeps going. The title track stuck way toward the end is one of the strongest offerings with the typical straight riffing until the chorus line caves in with "Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip" screamed with a vengeance. The title, by the way, is from a book Wayne Static read that detailed the lives of some early Wisconsin settlers that met with some ugly realities (murder, starvation, sickness, etc.) and fits the vibe of this album entirely. Truly large.

Solid release with only weak spot being the self-indulgent keyboard / percussion closer that takes more than a couple of minutes to get into and seems like a song the band wrote in the studio and will never perform live. Static-X has managed to meld almost danceable hard core beats, with raging intense metal riffage, on top of a manic growl (but mostly understandable) and intelligently delivered lyrics wrapped in a shiny electronic gloss to create an entity worthy of any metal jockey's music collection. Get up on this Wisconsin Death Trip!