STATIC-X Tap Into Wayne Static's Demons With Music Video For The Track “Stay Alive”
By Lekberg Enterprises
On the heels of the excitement about the recent announcement of the upcoming Fall co-headline tour, industrial music icons Static-X are releasing a music video for the first original track from the upcoming album Project Regeneration: Vol. 2. The song “Stay Alive” is one of the last original compositions Wayne Static was working on before his passing in 2014. The song’s lyrics echo Wayne’s state of mind during this tragic time, as he professes himself to be a “professional addict” and screams the words: “I just need you to survive - Cut you up to stay alive.” The track features Wayne Static on lead vocals, along with the original Wisconsin Death Trip lineup of Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay. The video was directed by Static-X producer/creative director/longtime friend Edsel Dope and co-directed by Matt Zane. Outtakes from the Wayne Static “Assassins of Youth” video - originally directed by Matt Zane - were added to help fully portray Wayne’s disturbing vision for the song. According to the bands former sound engineer Eddie Ortel: “Wayne was working on this track the night that he passed away.”
“We knew that if we were going to release this song, we wouldn’t be able to tip toe around this tragic subject,” says Tony Campos. “The first draft of the video was really hard for all of us to watch, so we ended up removing many of the more graphic scenes. As dark as this piece of art may be, it is also a very honest representation of where Wayne was at during this controversial time. My hope is that when people see this, that they understand the cautionary tale that Wayne's life ultimately became and can avoid some of those pitfalls.”
“We always want to remember Wayne as the intelligent, funny, Star Trek loving, rock star,” adds Aimee Pittman - Wayne’s younger sister. “It makes his family sad and angry to see Wayne depicting himself in a way that we understand to be a realistic portrayal of his life and the choices that ultimately ended it. If one person watching this video can benefit or make better choices related to drugs and alcohol, then we are grateful for the reminder”
With the success of their last release Project Regeneration: Vol 1 and on the heels of their recent multiple city sold-out Rise Of The Machine tour, Static-X have reinvigorated their fan base and brought Evil Disco back to the masses. The original lineup of Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay backed by frontman Xer0 have proven that Static-X is back and better than ever. The Rise Of The Machine tour sold out 37 of its 42 dates, while showcasing the largest stage production that Static-X has ever put together. The band promises that the production on The Machine Killer Tour is going to be even bigger and more impressive this time around. Continuing to create new music, Static-X announced Project Regeneration: Vol 2 will be released on November 3rd and unveiled the first single from that album – a cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic “Terrible Lie.” The upcoming album is produced by the band’s current vocalist/guitarist Xer0 and mixed/mastered by long-time collaborator Ulrich Wild. The new album is now available for pre-order in various configurations including limited color vinyl, limited shirts, hoodies and more. The pre-order for Project Regeneration: Vol. 2 can be found here.
A tour reunion that is over two decades in the making will return this Fall. In 1999, metal legends Sevendust, Static-X, & DOPE were each exploding onto the scene, while pairing up to create one of the most memorable tours of the year. Fast forward to 2023 and this incredible tour package is primed to deliver a super-charged evening of unforgettable music for newfound and lifelong fans of this resurging genre. The Machine Killer Tour co-headlined by Static-X & Sevendust is named after the GOLD certified sophomore album Machine by Static-X and their recently acclaimed Rise Of The Machine tour, along with the upcoming fourteenth studio album from Sevendust, Truth Killer. The 21-city tour will kick off on October 6th in Houston, TX. Along the way, the tour will make stops in the Sevendust hometown of Atlanta, GA (October 10), Detroit, MI (October 17), Kansas City, MO (October 23) and others before wrapping up in the Static-X hometown of Los Angeles, CA (November 1). Rockers DOPE (who also participated in the 1999 tour) and newcomers Lines of Loyalty will act as support for The Machine Killer Tour. Get tickets here and VIP packages here.
