Project Regeneration, Vol. 2

by Static-X

Overview

Arriving four years after Static-X's big 2020 comeback, Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 is another satisfying assault of frantic "evil disco" -- really just hopped-up industrial metal -- from the surviving members of the band and the mysterious masked vocalist Xer0 (whose identity most fans have figured out already). Purported to be comprised of late frontman Wayne Static's final vocals and compositions left in the vault, the set was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by Ulrich Wild. While Vol. 1 played on the nostalgia for the one-two punch of their most well-received albums, 1999's Wisconsin Death Trip and 2001's Machine, Vol. 2 digs into more muscular fare, echoing the band's more brutish aughts output like Shadow Zone and Start a War. For fans of the debut, the jagged "Stay Alive" stabs and pogo-bounces like "Push It," right down to Static's shouts and the unnerving film dialogue samples, and "Z0mbie" churns with jackhammer riffs and head-spinning distortion on one of the record's standout moments. "Jic Boi" injects some trance into the mix, while "Black Star" goes full nu-metal with sludgy, down-tuned guitars and growling vocals that Jonathan Davis would appreciate. On other genre callbacks, the catchy chaos of "Take Control" echoes early Marilyn Manson, while "Terrible Lie" takes the most direct route to hero worship with a faithful cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic. The band even reference themselves on the mashup "Disco Otsego," which diehards should appreciate. The de facto album closer "From Heaven" ends this set (and Wayne Static's presence on Static-X's output?) in bittersweet fashion, with a full minute of static (get it?) for their late leader. Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 is a fitting tribute that never feels forced or unnecessary, and just like Vol. 1, it's a very decent installment to the group's discography that stands tall alongside some of their strongest releases. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	01/26/2024
Label:	Otsego Entertainment Group
UPC:	0850047667021
Rank:	14940

Tracks

1. Stay Alive
2. Z0mbie
3. Jic-boi
4. Black Star
5. Kamikaze
6. No Hope
7. Take Control
8. Tone
9. Run For Your Life
10. Dark Place
11. Disco Otsego
12. From Heaven
13. Terrible Lie
14. Grover Yoda Data 14

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Static-X   Primary Artist