Customer Reviews

Machine

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

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."

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.

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.

With Static-X's debut album "Wisconsin Death Trip" being such a success, a second album was eagarly anticipated. "Machine" is no doubt a quality release, however in no way lives up to the genius of "Wisconsin Death Trip". Tripp, although displaying many inovative talents on guitar, in my opinion doesn't successfully fill the void that Koichi left (I still can't figure out why he left...). Many songs on the album also leave the listener "hanging", never really developing or excelling into it's full potential, kinda like a joke with no punch-line. Ken's drums hit harder for more bass (plus), however Tripp is not as heavy as Koichi was, and Wayne's vocals don't display as much variety and range as they did in "Wisconsin Death Trip". However "Machine" is still a great, dynamic album, but in no way challenges the greatness of "Wisconsin Death Trip".

Static X really did it with this album, even though they had a dry streak with "shadow zone" and "beneath, between, beyond", this was good enough to hold me over until "start a war" went on sale. This album has some great work by the band. Songs like "get to the gone", "black and white" "this is not" and their most popular song from this album"cold" were evidence of the talent this band actually has. something that makes this cd better than "wisconsin death trip is that their songs have the techno keyboard in the background, but it's more used to enhance the song rather than to be a main instrument like on their previous album. Overall I think is Static X's best album so far.

Drowning Vocals go with Drowning guitars, which match with loud drums and evil disco beats. In two words this album can only be described as Static esque. Although Tripp Eisen Rex didnt record this album, he came after recording was over, and Koichi left, this album was recorded powerful and serious, with a few joking songs. No doubt this cd is better than Wisconsin Death Trip. The hardcore songs like Get to the Gone and Structural Defect are more hardcore and the epic songs like Cold are more epic than December or Love dump. Static-X has done it again.

I must admit, after my listen through this album, I was disappointed and thought that WDT was much better. However, after letting it sit for a couple days, then listening to it again, I could safely say that this album is at least on par with their previous album. Wayne Static continues to write great minimalist heavy metal, only this time he has made it a little more melodic by adding snippits of techno and taking a slower pace at times.

My only criticism is the mix of this record. The drums were played excellent, but I can barely hear them. The guitars are a touch too lound.

Overall, a good album. Better than WDT? It's a close call.

This CD is one of the best CDs Ive ever bought. Static-X doesnt always get the respect it deserves. Radio Stations should play the more often and the people that say they are no good need to keep to themselves and go buy something else.

1.Bien Venidos-6/10
2.Get To The Gone- 11/10
3.Permenance-10/10
4.Black And White-10/10
5.This is not-10/10
6.Otsego Undead-9/10
7.Cold-8/10
8.Structural Defect-10/10
9....In A Bag-10/10
10.Burn To Burn-10/10
11.Machine-10/10
12.A dios Alma Peridida-8/10

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I have to say I was extremely disapointed when I picked up this CD. Ok, it's not a bad CD, in fact, it's pretty good. But what I liked about Static when they first came out was that original sound. It was something I had never really experienced and I liked what I heard. I guess when I picked it up I was expecting that same kind of new feeling, but unfortunately not. I mean, don't get me wrong, Static is an awesome band, but I guess they can't be original twice. I also thought the band was better when Koichi was in it. On this album, Wayne plays all the guitar yet for some reason Tripp gets credit for it. (For those of you who don't know, Tripp plays guitar with Dope) Anyway, If you have a choice, pick up Wisconsin Death Trip.

Machine was my first true Metal CD. All my friends were into Metal at the time, so I had to pick up something with screaming in it. I eventually picked out Static-X due to them being labeled under the Hard Rock category. I had no previous knowledge of who they were at all. Luckily, this CD turned out to be a very solid purchase.

The music on here is full of variety. Most metal bands stick with one style of music and bore your ears as you listen to them. "Cold" is a very slow paced song with minimal screaming. "Machine" is a very fast paced electronic sounding song. The opening on this CD features circus music followed by pure fast pasted metal music. There is something for any Metal fan on here.

At the end of the day, you still need to enjoy Metal music if you expect to enjoy this CD. Anyone else should just shy away from this. The variety kicks this CD up to four stars.