Industrial music legends STATIC-X have announced a “final” release date of January 26, 2024, for their eighth studio album, titled “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2”
This LP comprises 14 brand-new tracks that showcase the last vocal performances and musical creations of the band’s founding vocalist, Wayne Static. Joining Wayne on this album are the original members from the “Wisconsin Death Trip” era: Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda (guitars), and Ken Jay (drums). The production of the new album was handled by STATIC-X‘s current vocalist and guitarist, Xer0, and it was mixed and mastered by their long-term collaborator Ulrich Wild.
You can check out a YouTube video containing “10 brand new music clips” from “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” below.
Earlier this month, STATIC-X treated fans to a music video for the first original track from this upcoming album. Titled “Stay Alive,” this song represents one of the final compositions Wayne Static was working on before his unfortunate passing in 2014.
The lyrics delve into Wayne‘s state of mind during that challenging period, as he refers to himself as a “professional addict” and passionately belts out the lines: “I just need you to survive – Cut you up to stay alive.” The track features Wayne Static on lead vocals, supported by the original “Wisconsin Death Trip” lineup of Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda, and Ken Jay. The video was directed by Edsel Dope, who is also widely believed to be Xer0, the masked current frontman of STATIC-X, and it was co-directed by Matt Zane. To fully capture Wayne’s intense vision for the song, outtakes from the Wayne Static “Assassins of Youth” video, originally directed by Zane, were incorporated. As stated by the band’s 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 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.”
Following the success of their previous release, “Project Regeneration: Vol. 1,” and a highly successful “Rise Of The Machine” tour that saw multiple sold-out shows across various cities, STATIC-X has revitalized their fan base and brought Evil Disco back to the forefront. The original lineup, alongside frontman Xer0, has proven that STATIC-X is making a triumphant return, stronger than ever before.
The “Rise Of The Machine” tour achieved impressive success, selling out 37 out of 42 dates and featuring STATIC-X‘s most extensive stage production to date. The band has promised that the upcoming “The Machine Killer” tour will be even more spectacular and grandiose.
While continuing to produce new music, STATIC-X unveiled the first single from “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” – a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic “Terrible Lie.”
It’s worth noting that all the music featured on “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” is the result of collaboration between the four founding members and their new vocalist, guitarist, and producer, Xer0. There are no additional guest appearances on the album, and no external contributions were made to the songwriting, musical compositions, or performances on “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2.” Over the course of these two releases, STATIC-X fans worldwide have been treated to more than two dozen fresh tracks, with most of them featuring Wayne Static‘s lead vocals. These releases have come to fruition posthumously, following his untimely passing.
