On the heels of the excitement about the recent announcement of the upcoming Fall co- headline tour, industrial music icons Static-X have shared 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 Static’s state of mind during the tragic time while he professes himself to be a “professional addict” and screams the words: “I just need you to survive – Cut you up to stay alive.” Also the tune features Wayne Static on lead vocals, along with the original Wisconsin Death Trip lineup of Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay.
The video music was directed by Static-X producer, creative director and longtime friend Edsel Dope and co-directed by Matt Zane. Outtakes from the Static “Assassins of Youth” video was originally directed by Zane where the footage was dded to help fully portray Static’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.”
In the press release Tony Campos shares his thoughts about the latest song.
We knew that if we were going to release this song, we wouldn’t be able to tip toe around this tragic subject. 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.”
Aimee Pittman adds: “We always want to remember Wayne as the intelligent, funny, Star Trek loving, rock star. 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 the band has ever put together.
Photo Credit: Vivianne Navarette