STATIC - X w/ Recoil and Our Last Enemy

Touring in support of their latest record “Cult of Static”, Static – X have returned and proved once again that they are indeed stronger than ever. Over a decade of music, line-up changes and the fall of the nu-metal wave; Static – X has stuck to their original sound without compromise. Playing the Metro Theatre, with the support from Sydney’s Our Last Enemy and Recoil, Static – X put on a tight show, to an insane crowd!

Making my trip to Town Hall, the punters were already in full view. With a myriad of Static – X shirts moving toward the Metro Theatre, I stood in line, and surprisingly was let in without delay. Kicking off their Australian tour the night before in Brisbane, Sydney’s morale was indeed high!

Opening the night was Our Last Enemy. Playing a mix of industrial metal, this quintet delivered. As always, an abundance of energy was present on stage, and those already within the venue loved what Our Last Enemy presented. Harsh vocals, hard hitting riffs and ambient synth; these Metallers definitely created new fans from the crowd. Finishing their set with “10 000 Headless Horses”, Our Last Enemy were, as always, a splendid set to watch, albeit too short.

Next up were a four-piece under the moniker of Recoil. Never having listened to the band before, I was interested to see what was going to happen. As the crowd had greatly increased, it was obvious that a number of their fans were within the mass. Playing material from their upcoming debut album, due to be released early next year, Recoil did a good job in pumping up the crowd in anticipation for the mighty Static – X to hit the stage. Playing what can be described as pure, straightforward metal, with melodic motifs and solos thrown in against harsh guitars, “Suicide Trip” received the loudest reaction from the audience, who were overtly getting into Recoil’s metal offerings.

The quartet enjoyed themselves on stage, with front man Wade engaging the crowd with banter, and proceeding to throw band shirts into the mass, which; let’s face it, is a great idea, as everyone loves free merch. Even though Recoil did not play to my personal musical preferences, they did put on a tight show which indeed sated the audience beneath them.

Another sound check spent Waiting for California’s Static – X, the crowd was increasingly impatient, and anxious. With a “Static – X” chant filling the room, it was amusing to see a roadie coming on with a wave. Seeing Wayne Static with bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuda, and drummer Nick Oshiro coming onto the stage to a wild howl, I was surprised that the gig was actually running ahead of time.

Tearing into “Push It”, the crowd grew maniacal. From the beginnings of a floor that still had room to move, it grew immensely from the opening notes, turning into a wild mass moving in unison to this horror disco. Punters jumping, thrashing, dancing, the crowd surfers didn’t wait long before they were crushing heads. The first song was accompanied by the first circle pit, which indeed was not a rare sight to see from that moment on.

Joining the band onstage was Wayne Static’s wife, Tera Wray; a scantily clad, quite attractive and charismatic woman, bringing forth shots, which were taken down one-by-one with cheers to the audience. Powering through a set list that not only highlighted Static’s new material off this year's “Cult of Static” but which also included an immense amount of older tracks for their old school fans.

Tearing into “Black and White”, “The Only”, “Permanence”, “Stingwray”, “Cold”, “Bled For Days”, “Destroy All”, “Animal” and “Love Dump”, with dedications from Wayne to all the fans who have stuck by the band for over ten years. “I’m With Stupid” off their debut “Wisconsin Death Trip” was definitely well received, as a chorus of "He’s a loser” permeated the theatre on behalf of the crowd, who continued their physical and aural liberation.

Coming upon the stage a number of times, Tera Wray made her final appearance bra-less and certainly to the high admiration and amusement of the predominantly male audience. With more shots, Static – X made a futile attempt to lure the audience into believing that they had concluded for the night – certainly returning onstage for an encore, the crowd below gave it their final all. Heat and sweat surrounded most and those less courteous within the crowd made sure everyone knew of it by pushing all away to get to their point of destination, the core of the pit one presumes.

With a set that lasted over an hour, Wayne took his time to converse with the audience between songs; he did an amazing job of interacting with his fans. Their stage presence was felt, both Tony Campos and Koichi Fukuda using the space, with their crowd screeching each time one would come closer to their side of the stage.

This death trip has certainly underlined that Static – X has not been swept away with the fall of nu-metal; that their music carries on, that it is indeed pertinent and maintains its strength. With a cult of followers, the four-piece will return; notwithstanding it will be a prolonged period for the fans to wait - the band’s Australian shows have been the last for some time, as the quartet will begin a self-imposed hiatus.