Machine (Static-X album)

Machine is the second studio album from the American industrial metal band Static-X, released on May 22, 2001, and recorded at Studio 508 (Los Angeles, California). When compared to the band's other albums, Machine features more electronics and industrial effects, and more screamed vocals from Wayne Static. It was also the final Static-X album for eighteen years to feature drummer Ken Jay, and the last for four years to feature lead guitarist Koichi Fukuda, who, despite having already left Static-X, is credited as a keyboardist on the album.

Machine
Studio album by
Static-X
ReleasedMay 22, 2001
RecordedOctober 2000 - January 2001
Genre
Length42:55
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Static-X chronology
Wisconsin Death Trip
(1999)		 Machine
(2001)		 Shadow Zone
(2003)
Singles from Machine
  1. "Black and White"
    Released: 2001
  2. "This Is Not"
    Released: 2001
  3. "Cold"
    Released: April 29, 2002[1]

Background

While the band toured Wisconsin Death Trip, Wayne Static wrote the entirety of this record by himself on the band's tour bus while the rest of the band partied. Because of this isolated effort, when the band went in to record the record, Static insisted that royalties for the album's sales would not be split an even four ways. This created tension in the band, leading to Fukuda's departure before recording began and his eventual replacement with Tripp Eisen, and Jay's departure just before recording for Shadow Zone began. Static played all the guitars on the album and Eisen was only involved with the album's photoshoot.[2][3]

Promotion

The song "This Is Not" provided the album's first single and music video, and later a second single would be found in "Black and White". The song "Cold" also had a video made for it, and tied in with the film Queen of the Damned. It was featured on the film's soundtrack album, as was the exclusive "Not Meant for Me", performed by Wayne Static who replaced Jonathan Davis who sings it in the movie. The song "Anything but This", a bonus track from the Japanese version, is also found on the Resident Evil soundtrack.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Blabbermouth.net6/10[5]
Drowned in Sound8/10[6]
Exclaim!mixed[7]
NME7/10[8]
PopMattersmixed[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Spin6/10[11]

Critical reaction to the album was mixed, the most positive reviews came from Rolling Stone, NME and Drowned in Sound. Terry Bezer of Drowned in Sound stated in his review that "It is impossible to put into words just how much Static X have progressed since their last effort. True enough, it’s not the most original of sounds (think Ministry crossed with Slipknot) but it does have all the enthusiasm of a bull charging for El Matador’s red cloth and twice the power."[6]

Fan reaction was mostly positive as well. Despite the mixed reviews, Machine sold around 500,000 copies in the USA, making it the band's second most successful album (after Wisconsin Death Trip) and was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 10, 2003, a month after the release of Shadow Zone.

Commercial Performance

Machine debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, and spent 14 weeks on the chart. While not as successful as the last album, Machine has sold around 500,000 copies in the USA, making it the band's second most successful album (after Wisconsin Death Trip) and was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 10, 2003, a month after the release of Shadow Zone.[12]

Production

In the unreleased Static-X DVD Where the Hell Are We and What Day Is It... This Is Static-X, it was commented that the songs for this album would have guitar solos; however, this was not the case.

The opening sample of the track "A Dios Alma Perdida", a synthetic arrangement with a filtered voice speaking in what sounds at times like English (notably closing with an eerie "It's me!"), is from the 1978 film Laserblast. This sample is an abbreviated version of a conversation between the aliens in that movie.

Comic book

A comic book series was created by Chaos! Comics entitled "Static-X Machine." Only one volume was printed as Chaos! declared bankruptcy shortly after its release. The comic was packaged with a CD containing one track, "This Is Not (Live)," as well as multimedia content featuring back stage interviews with the band and a live music video of "This Is Not" from the 2002 Machine tour.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Wayne Static, Tony Campos and Ken Jay.

All versions
No.TitleLength
1."Bien Venidos"0:21
2."Get to the Gone"2:49
3."Permanence"4:01
4."Black and White"3:50
5."This Is Not"2:57
6."Otsego Undead"3:29
7."Cold"3:40
8."Structural Defect"3:39
9."...In a Bag"4:21
10."Burn to Burn"4:17
11."Machine"3:27
12."A Dios Alma Perdida"5:58
Total length:42:55
Japanese Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Anything but This"4:03
14."Sweat of the Bud" (Live)3:24

Chart positions

Personnel

References
  1. "Static-X Cold (Single)". Spirit of Metal. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  2. https://www.furious.com/perfect/staticx.html
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20141103212940/http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/wayne_static_im_much_of_like_a_james_hetfield_kind_of_guy.html
  4. Gallucci, Michael. "Machine - Static-X". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  5. Kaye, Don (2001). "CD Reviews - Machine - Static-X". Blabbermouth.net.
  6. Bezer, Terry (2001-06-26). "Static-X - Machine". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  7. Pratt, Greg (August 2001). "Static-X - Machine". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  8. Haider, Arwa (2001-06-12). "Album Reviews - Static-X : Machine". NME. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  9. Tranquilla, Ryan. "Static-X: Machine". PopMatters. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  10. Blashill, Pat (2001-05-14). "Static-X: Machine : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  11. "Static-X - Machine CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  12. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  13. "Chart Log UK (1994–2006) DJ S – The System Of Life". Zobbel.
  14. "Machine - Static-X". Billboard.
  15. "Cannibal > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation.
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