Static-X - Cult Of Static Review

Posted by Marshall Slayton on 03.17.2009

Bringing the sexyback to evil disco....


1. Lunatic
2. Z28
3. Terminal
4. Hypure
5. Tera-Fied
6. Stingwray
7. You Am I
8. Isolaytore
9. Nocturnally
10. Skinned
11. Grind 2 Halt

The “evil disco” boys are back with their sixth release in ten years, Cult of Static. And not surprisingly, they seem to be repeating the same trend they established ten years ago. If Cannibal was a return to basics to rediscover the Wisconsin Death Trip sound, then Cult of Static is more in line with that album’s successor, Machine.

With each Static-X album, there’s a new trick or two to keep us on our toes, and this one is no exception. If you’ve already heard “Lunatic” on The Punisher: War Zone, wait until you hear Dave Mustaine’s new solo. (It’s brief, but great.)

Not surprisingly, it seems even guitarist Koichi Fukuda has studied the Megadeth book of secrets. There aren’t many fast-paced solos to be found here. Instead, these are long, drawn-out guitar solos that wail instead of scream, and they truly feel more epic.

The three best songs on Cult of Static have been conveniently placed, much like a story’s three-act structure: in the beginning, middle, and end. The best songs are “Lunatic,” “Tera-Fied,” and “Grind 2 Halt.”( According to my recent interview with Wayne, even he knew this was true. He declared these songs to be his favorites.) They are the most experimental Static-X songs to date, and they rank with the best work of their prolific career. This is Wayne’s biggest trick for the new album: longer, slower Static-X songs.

“Lunatic” opens like a punch to the teeth, starting with the traditional drum loop before splurging out the ear-bleeding guitars. This is the Static-X that fans know and love. It was created for moshing violently and nothing more. Even better, the chorus is simple, easy to remember, and incredibly effective.

“Tera-Fied,” on the other hand, takes its time to kick your ass. An entire minute passes before the full-out assault; allowing for a simple guitar chord, mellow electronics, and female vocals to slowly unfold the song to a rousing, heavy climax.

With the album closer, “Grind 2 Halt,” the slow, unfolding pace is revived once again. Only this time, it opens with a nice, long scream… compliments of Wayne. The song maintains a great balance between metal and danceable disco from the get-go, and sticks out as one of the most carefully built and constructed Static-X tracks. It’s almost like a ballad. Koichi Fukuda contributes a guitar solo here so beautiful, it will bring tears to your eyes.

The rest of the album isn’t bad. Songs like “Stingwray,” and “You Am I” have great heavy, repetitive riffs, while “Z28” has a tasty solo on its shoulders. Then there’s the usual Static-X fluff with “Isolaytore” and “Skinned,” which shows the band doing what it does best – fast evil disco. None of this is filler, but most of these songs pale in comparison to the three best tracks. The album plays as though eight good songs were built around three great ones.

What’s most disappointing is that when Static-X decides to go out on a limb, they are quite exceptional. But most of the time, they prefer to stick to their guns and do what’s most comfortable. But that’s okay. It’s what the cult wants. And since this is a love letter to them, Static-X may as well give them what they pay for.

The 411: During my interview with Wayne, he said he had made a few really great songs on the new album. But then, he added, he couldn’t do an entire album of long, dirgy, epic songs. Later on, I wondered: why not? Instead of making an album with really great songs, Static-X should try to make one really great album. If they pull that off, I promise you… the cult will evolve. For now, though, we’ll just have settle for a decent album rather than an extraordinary one.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]