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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Machine- In My Opinion, Static's Best, June 11, 2005
This is Static-X's second full-length CD. It was released in 2001.
Now, I have all of Static-X's CDs (not counting Beneath, Between, Beyond) and I must say they're all good. For the most part, I don't see what most people have against "Machine", Static-X's sophomore effort. I think "Machine" is better than "Wisconsin Death Trip" and "Shadow Zone." Not by much, but it is. The album starts out with Bien Venidos, an intro that sounds a little Mexican for some reason and has nothing to do with the rest of the CD.
"Machine" has a little bit of everything for all metal lovers. There's the hard, loud screaming,(Get to the Gone) the instrumental (A Dios Alma Perdida) and the sweet techno metal (This is Not, ...In a Bag).
Wayne Static's vocals are probably the loudest in his career on this CD. The song Get to the Gone is practically screaming and yelling and This is Not is loud. Also, Koichi Fukuda (guitars, keyboards, programming) is replaced with Tripp Rex Elsen, their new guitarist. Tripp stays around until Static's third offering, "Shadow Zone", but he was then accused of child molestation, so he won't be in "Start A War."
Wayne Static still has his signature HUGE spiked hair and the band still has their talent. One by one, I'll go through the tracks and tell you what I think of them. My rating system goes from a 1 to a 10.
1= horrible song, it needs to be burned
10= Awesome!
1. Bien Venidos- All "Venidos" is is 23 seconds of cheering and cheerful elevator-type music. It deserves no rating, because it's 23 seconds long. So, anyway, just when you think "Bien Venidos" is starting, it gets interrupted by screaming and then...
2. Get to the Gone- Possibly the LOUDEST song Static-X has produced, I'd have to say this is one of the high points of the disc. The chorus is basically just Wayne screaming and then about 2 lines. Great song.
Rating: 11/10 Time: 2:49
3. Permanence- "Permanence", although not as loud as "Get to the Gone", still is a great song. This song actually has a chorus and the chorus is probably the best part of the song. The guitars, the drums and everything else are just plain great and nothing is really wrong with the song.
Rating: 10/10 Time: 4:01
4. Black and White- I guess you could sort of relate "Black & White" to "Permanence" in a way. Although I would say "Permanence" is better and it's more techno, "Black & White" is still enjoyable. Could have been better because the lyrics don't make much sense, but, hey, who cares?
Rating: 9/10 Time: 3:50
5. This is Not- I'd say the most popular and the most commercial song on the album is "This is Not". I'm guessing the majority of metal fans have heard this song and this song might have gained some new fans of Static-X. Probably the best on the album.
Rating: 11/10 Time: 2:57
6. Otsego Undead- Yeah...the second one of the "Otsego" songs by Static. I'd say that this is one of the worst songs on the album, because the only real lyrics are "Otsego otsego otsego otsego go otsego otsego otsego otsego go." Then there's a verse of mumbling that you can't understand. So, in summary, meh, it's okay.
Rating: 7/10 Time: 3:29
7. Cold- Following up the okay "Otsego Undead" is "Cold". As it said in the Amazon description, this could be on a horror soundtrack. And, it actually is! You can find this song on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. But anyway, this song is good and a much better follow-up to "Otsego".
Rating: 9/10 Time: 3:40
8. Structural Defect- The first time I heard this song, I thought "Hmmm...It's okay, I guess." Since then, I've grown to like this song more and more. The music is better than most of the music on the whole CD, but I still think the lyrics are just OK at best. Better than "Undead", but still basically filler.
Rating: 7/10 Time: 3:39
9. ...In A Bag- Although this is one of the better songs on the CD, the lyrics are just wrong. They're talking about s*** and how he's drowning in it or something. That's kinda unnecessary, but hey, the song's good.
Rating: 9/10 Time:4:21
10. Burn to Burn- Well, about this song, I don't exactly like it. It sounds like Wayne's voice changed or something and that's not a good thing. It's alright, but the worst song on the CD.
Rating: 6/10 Time: 4:17
11. Machine- This used to be my favorite song on the CD, but now it's my 3rd favorite. The title track is equally as enjoyable as many other songs and the song never really gets old. The chorus is the high point.
Rating: 10/10 Time: 3:27
12. A Dios Alma Perdida- This song is an instrumental. I usually like instrumentals but I've never really gotten into this one. It's the longest track on the CD. (Not surprising, since most of their songs are between 2 and 3 minutes long.) It's okay, but I never really liked it.
Rating: 7/10 Time: 5:58
All in all, Machine is a good CD and probably Static's best offering. Although there are a few songs I'm not terribly fond of, I'd give this a 9 1/2 out of 10. Here's my ratings for everything.
Vocals: A
Drumming/Guitars: A
Lyrics: B
Production: A-
If you're a Static-X fan, you probably already have this. If you've never heard Static, it would be good starting off here because it's their best album, followed closely by Wisconsin Death Trip. Tune in soon for my review for Static-X's 3rd album, "Shadow Zone."
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A perfect follow-up, June 7, 2001
First I must say, I was very disappointed when I heard Koichi left the band. I think Tripp will be a decent replacement, but still not quite as good as the latter. I also need to stress that Tripp did none of the recordings for Machine, Static did the lead guitar (if you don't believe me, go to mtv.com, go to Static-X's page and there is an interview about the release).Now, let me say this has alot of emphasis on base and techno, the guitars are still strong, but not as up front as on Wisconsin Death Trip. I like the change of pace alot, as it shows that this isn't just a carbon copy as some bands have done. On to the songs. As far as the best tracks on the album (in my opinion) they are: Machine, This is Not, Permanence, Get to the Gone, Structural Defect, Otsego Undead (which sounds alot better than on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack), Black and White, Burn to Burn, ... in a Bag, and Cold (I'm not much one for slow songs). Now, all in all, this is an excellent follow-up. A slight change of pace, a little bit more techno, a little less guitar-heavy. Honestly, it hasn't left my CD Player since I got it the weekend after release. Its just the stuff to get me up for work.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Static-X's New Release, May 23, 2001
Having not purchased the "Wisconsin Death Trip" CD, Static-X's first release, I cannot judge their new CD, "Machine" by those standards. However, I believe this CD is still great. Others have questioned the placement of the first track, "Bien Vendos", but I find it amusing. It is composed of happy music, clapping, and the sounds of laughing individuals, obviously having a great time. Then, without warning, it cuts to the loud scream of the start of "Get to the Gone," the second best track on the album. The transition is just funny. "Permanence" and "Black and White" seem to register the same with me, as both have their own unique sounds, but neither really hits it with me as "This is Not" and "Get to the Gone." As far as "This is Not" is concerned, it is simply the best song on the album. If you did not download the song from Static-X.com, I suggest you do so. If you hate the song, this album is definately not for you. Anyway, the remainder of the tracks have their own unique sound and are fantastic. "Cold" and "Olsego Undead", despite their lack of heavy lyrics, are pretty great songs. If you are a fan of slower music, these songs are great to listen to. Sort of an intermission, so to speak. But then, with "Burn to Burn", "Structural Defect", and "Machine" following, the heavy riffs continue. I think "Burn to Burn" and "Machine" rank in the top songs on this album, only falling short to "This is Not" and "Get to the Gone." Finally, the outro, "A Dios Alma Perdida", serves as another intermission of sorts. It is an interesting song to listen to after having listened to the entire CD's heavy riffs. Great CD.
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