Wayne Static – Pighammer (2011)

Might be unbelievable, but there are 12 years since the release of Static-X’s killer debut album “Wisconsin Death Trip”. God! how old I am?! Still, it seems – and feels – like yesterday. Last time, in 2009, Static-X delivered the Ministry versus White Zombie resonating “Cult of Static” and the band seems to keep up with their one album at two years precisely tempo. Meanwhile bass player Tony Campos left Static-X and joined Soulfly replacing Bobby Burns, while guitarist Koichi Fukuda since 2010 became a member of the industrial metal/ambient band Drugstore Fanatics. Wayne said: “It’s doubtful I will do anything with Static-X for the next couple years”, so “Pighammer” is the closest thing to Static-X, and officially the band went on hiatus.
But fans definitively will be satisfied by “Pighammer”, this is another crushing industrial release and Wayne delivered his best. Evil disco? This time, eventually, a facelift for the Devil. 👿

Full on-line streaming of the album released yesterday, October 4th, 2011, HERE(Soundcloud) and HERE(Facebook) .
Originally Wayne had planned to name his solo project Pighammer, but it seems he had a change of heart and finally he used his own name for this release and “Pighammer” become the album’s title. Commercially and as for the marketing, probably the smartest move. Although, this project actually was on hold since 2007. Definitively worth it to wait for this 12 tracks.

Tracklist:

01. Pighammer
02. Around The Turn
03. Assassins Of Youth
04. Thunder Invader
05. Static Killer
06. She
07. Get It Together
08. Chrome Nation
09. Shifter
10. Slave
11. The Creatures Are Everywhere
12. Behind The Sky

No “Otsego songs”. 😀 But after the title-track – which actually it’s an intro, perhaps featuring Wayne’s wife, the infamous Tera Wray – “Around The Turn” starts directly with a cutting edge guitar riff and the Ministry/Rob Zombie spirit filtered through Wayne’s own industrial blender seems to be the perfect formula of simple and effective industrial metal. “Assassins Of Youth” bring to the surface some kind of Die Krupps taste, but the outfit it’s more layered and sounds up to date. “Thunder Invader” have that White/Rob Zombie aroma, but it fits great on Wayne and the melodies and aggression are mixed into one hell of a song perfectly. “Static Killer” begun with female’s moans and some cheesy, Devo like synths only to become a Skinny Puppy/Stabbing Westward spiced pulsing industrial metal anthem with easily memorable and singable chorus where the riff and the synth make a nice pair. “She” turns more to the nu metal marked area, the chorus is so-Korny as it can gets and it’s actually sounds singed by Jonathan Davis. Jonathan Davis makes at least one uncredited appearance. It’s definitively his voice in “Shifter”, but I still have the feeling it’s not the only one. “Get It Together” grinding slower, have again that Rob Zombie taste, but it’s hard not to love it how it’s pulsing around and the guitar cutting you slowly to pieces while the chorus sticks to your ears. “Chrome Nation” bring back the classy “Wisconsin Death Trip” tempo and attitude, Wayne spitting the words right in your face, but in has a quite airy bridge with smooth synth and sampler layers. “Shifter” is a mid-tempo industrial construction colored by Jonathan Davis vocal contribution and the round, bombastic sound. It’s gloomy and minimal, but once again, extremely efficient. “Slave” relays on some strong guitar riffings, it’s more groove metal than industrial, but the subtle synth layer still works perfectly in the background of the arrangement while Wayne deliver another straight, simple and effective chorus. “The Creatures Are Everywhere” combine something of the dark spirit of Jonathan Davis (and Korn) with scary electronic layers. I could swear Jonathan Davis contributed to this one as well, it’s almost like singing “dead bodies everywhere” in slow motion.
And the closure with “Behind The Sky” push out to the experimental limits of the industrial music, very layered, this is a gloomy, instrumental trip, colored only by some female moans and a pitched male voice almost accidentally.
“Pighammer” kind of try to reach out for many different things, but still, it’s not chaotic and Wayne moving quite comfortable in all those directions. Seems to be the logical follow up of “Cult of Static” and with or without the “X”, Static rules.

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