Kristofer Shadows 
October 7th, 2023, marked the second stop of the Machine Killer tour featuring Dope, Sevendust, and Static-X. Tonight, their traveling road show stops at The Factory in historic Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas. This is the second time in 2023 that these three legendary bands have graced our humble little state. Less than two months ago, Sevendust was just a drive down I-35 at the Tech Port Center in San Antonio while Dope and Static-X (along with Mushroomhead and Fear Factory) made a stop on their Rise of the Machine Tour back in March. I was able to catch their show at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio where they lit up the stage and brought the crowd to a quivering frenzy… literally. During Static’s set, a concertgoer suffered from a mild seizure which stopped the show mid-song at Xer0’s insistence so first responders could tend to the patron. A class act, which isn’t surprising considering the lengths Edsel Dope goes to during his shows to express his sincere appreciation to the fans and supporters who attend. It’s amazing when you think about it: all these bands – Dope… Sevendust… Static-X – draw tremendous attendance numbers and still pull in new fans, even though many who attend weren’t even alive when these troupes were founded, proving that great music has no age boundaries.
Speaking of “no age” boundaries, it’s very much worth noting that a fourth band on this tour is Kenosha, Wisconsin-based power trio Lines of Loyalty, who hit the stage early – around 6:15pm – to the still sparse crowd. Frankly, I have never heard of this band and did NOTHING to research who they were or what they sounded like. It’s a little game I play with myself called “Christmas Coal.” Whenever there’s a band on the bill listed in very small print, I want to treat them like a gift under the tree that I didn’t ask for; it could be coal, or it could be a diamond.
Eric Clapton once said that the perfect size for a band is three. Cream, Rush, Green Day, ZZ Top, The Police… they all have their seat in Cleveland’s Hall of Fame. I don’t know if Lines of Loyalty will ever reach that level of “Nirvana” (see what I did there?), but after watching this band perform, they’re off to a great start. Their music reminds me of another great trio, Chevelle, with a small hint of digital. I was able to chat these guys up at after their set and found them to be as engaging as they were polite. Frontman and guitarist Glenn Nubz Morrison (who is also an award-winning tattoo artist) looks like he could be in Korn, complete with full body art and dreads. He’s a striking presence on stage and even more so face-to-face, yet incredibly chill to speak with. He said the band has been in existence for nine years, but until 2020 they went under the name Mixed Company. When I asked bassist Redo Ianni what the music scene was like in Kenosha, he proudly stated that there’s a budding punk movement there and the quality of musicianship is really high.
After seeing these three rock out and after listening to their debut album Hurts to Be Human for the third time, I’m a believer. The third and newest member of this band is drummer Brayden Pike. At only 20 years old, he still looks like a fresh-faced high schooler (albeit tatted up) with a positive enthusiasm that rarely comes from someone that age; nothing surly about this kid. But put this “kid” behind a drum set, and he is a grown-ass man with bad intentions, with an attacking style and chops that rival the best stickmen out there. I asked him what it was like touring with legendary drummer Morgan Rose of Sevendust, and he said that Morgan has been a major influence for him, which is SO obvious! I see it, but more importantly, I hear it. My Christmas coal turned into a diamond with Lines of Loyalty. Get to the show early and check them out.. they are so choice.
Up next was Dope led by founding member Edsel Dope, who just might be one of the hardest-working musicians in metal. This guy seems to always be on a stage and delivers in a massive way. As the lights went down and the band took the stage, they rolled right into “Blood Money” and “Bring It On,” and the growing audience sang along to every word. At one point, Edsel asked the crowd, “You guys know we’re going to hell tonight, don’t you Dallas?” I mean… you talk about setting a mood, right?
Many times, you go to a show and the band acts like it’s a privilege for the crowd to be in their presence, but not so with Edsel Dope. Besides chatting up the crowd on how much he loves coming to Dallas, (he even brought up the Cowboys, specifically Dak Prescott… wow) he made it a point to express his appreciation for the effort it takes for someone to actually make it to a show, recognizing the hard-earned money spent for tickets and merchandise, and other difficulties surrounding just planning a life around going to a concert. He is also very clear that his job tonight is to “warm up the crowd” for Sevendust and Static-X. Think about that for a moment: Dope has been around for over a quarter of a century, has a massive fan base, and is comprised of a band of musicians who are among the very best in the industry – bassist (and world-class drummer/percussionist) Daniel “Lil” Dan” Fox, drummer Chrissy Warner, and guitarist Andrew Karkos (aka Virus). Dope could headline their own tour, yet Edsel puts his ego aside and brings an enthusiastic energy to his performance as if this was his first tour.
Their set continued with “Die Mother Fucker Die,” “I’m Back,” “Sick,” and “Burn,” before ending with what Edsel claimed was “the stupidest fucking song ever recorded” – a rendition of Dead or Alive’s disco classic “You Spin Me Round.”
Formed in 1994, Sevendust is considered by many as one of the early pioneers of NuMetal, a sub-genre that offers more melody but still has a very heavy edge. Furthermore, Sevendust has paved the way for bands like Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, and even Static-X. But besides their music, they were also an example for racial diversity in a Caucasian-dominated genre. In a recent interview I did with Hyro the Hero, he gave Sevendust a heartfelt thanks for opening the door for black artists to venture into the metal world.
I have a deep, personal attachment to Sevendust. My first exposure to them was during their 1999 Woodstock performance. Back then, there was no Spotify or Pandora or even YouTube. The internet was in its infancy so finding bands who weren’t on MTV or on the radio was not the easiest thing to do. My memory of their Woodstock performance is still very clear in my mind: the band, made up of bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose, rhythm guitarist John Connolly, lead guitarist Clint Lowery, and lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, were very aware back then that not many knew who they were, but that was all about to change.
I remember how the band members came out all in black, while Lajon came out in a red tracksuit; the contrast, whether intentional or not, was striking. I remember a shirtless Morgan Rose with a full head of braided hair and a viciousness to his drumming that’s become his signature style. I remember Lajon stage diving and sharing what appeared to be a blunt with the crowd. Yup… that happened. But mostly, I remember the music along with the intensity of its delivery. That was 24 years and 14 studio albums ago and they’re still at it, sounding as strong as ever in their latest offering, Truth Killer.
As the lights went down and the same five guys who put this band together almost 30 years ago hit the stage, I could literally feel my heart beat in my chest. They opened with “I Might Let the Devil Win” and “Truth Killer,” both from their latest album, followed by classics “Splinter,” “Alpha,” and “Til Death.” Lajon, who was wearing a Sevendust t-shirt, asked the crowd, “Do You Know Who We Are? We are Sevendust!”, then immediately tore into “Hero,” followed by one of their very first hits “Denial,” which still stands out as one of their best songs. The remainder of their strong set included “Fences,” “Strong Arm Broken,” “Enemy,” “Trust,” “Everything,” “Pieces”, and “Bitch,” before ending with “Face To Face.”
I want to be clear that I love this band, I love their music, and I love all that they represent to the music industry – performance quality, racial equality, musicianship, and longevity. That said, I was kind of taken aback by the overall sound mix. I appreciate bass as much as anyone, but the levels were to the point that I really struggled to hear Lajon’s incredible vocals. At first, I thought it might be where I was standing, so I moved around to other parts of the venue yet still had the same experience. Another point of frustration came from the lighting on the stage. Unless you were right up in the first three or four rows of people, it was very difficult to see the other band members especially Morgan Rose who is a show unto himself. MusicFiends.com editor and photographer M’Lou Elkins, who was in the photography pit, captured some incredible shots of Lajon but was unable to capture any decent pictures of Morgan, which was frankly disappointing and completely out of her control. The band’s energy was incredible, but their set was hampered by these issues.
No… there was no stage diving or passing a blunt, but the passion and intensity are still very much there. After all these years, it is more than obvious they still love it, are still chasing it, and deserve the respect and recognition they have so richly earned.
As any concertgoer knows, there’s always going to be a fair amount of downtime as stage technicians transition from one band’s setup to another. During this transition, a playlist of songs is often blaring from the house speakers, usually in the same genre as the performing bands. I rarely pay attention due to conversing with friends and other show attendees, but I happened to notice a few songs during the change. The first was the playing of Neil Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline” which the packed crowd were all singing along to – kind of an amusing scene all things considered. Watch a clip we shot of this from the photo pit below…
Another song was by Dallas’s own Pantera – the classic “Walk” – which totally got the crowd stirred up. And lastly, was Rocky Horror’s “Time Warp.”
Then the room goes dark, and it’s ShowTime!
When coming to a Static-X show, here’s what you can expect:
Xer0
Lots of images
Bubbles
Smoke
A “Terminator Oscillator” shooting smoke
15-foot-high mechanical puppet with a giant pumpkin head
More bubbles
Frankenstitch
Smoke Cannons
Giant balloons
The Vincent Price voiceover from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is echoed through the venue as Static-X makes their way to the stage. All is dark except for the red lights of Xer0’s eyes in the mask worn by, allegedly, Edsel Dope. For those who have never been to a Static-X show, it is speculated that Edsel dons a full-headed black-and-white mask resembling Wayne Static who was laid to rest in 2014. He has stated repeatedly, though, that there is zero interest in being the Static-X frontman thus the name “Xer0” came to be. When I mentioned earlier that Edsel Dope might be one of the hardest-working musicians in metal, this is what I’m talking about: a 40-minute all-out set with Dope, then a hard-driving 1-hour set in a full-headed mask sounds like hard work to me.
The stage lights come up to reveal Zer0 standing on an elevated platform, guitar in hand. Then out comes a 15-foot mechanical puppet with a giant grey pumpkin head operated by Kurt Kryszac. Prior to the show, I got a glimpse backstage of what this puppet looks like up close, thanks to my dear friend and drum tech extraordinaire Gavin Thomas. The band opened with “Hollow (Project Regeneration)” followed by “Terminator Oscillator,” which included another character in costume – this time with a sci-fi-looking smoke gun. Static-X concerts are definitely not short on visual stimulation.
It’s hard to describe the energy and intensity Static-X brings to a performance. It’s relentless with rarely a break between songs, and it just comes at you in waves. “Love Dump,” “Sweat of the Bud,” “Wisconsin Death Trio,” “Fix”… we are hit with one after another, heavy and hard, like a sledgehammer to the chest. The sound was thick with bass tones and heavy with distortion, but the vocals were crystal clear.
In all, we were treated to 16 songs. The third to the last was “Cold,” which memorialized Wayne Static. As Xer0 sang the lyrics, a perfectly synced video played in the background of Wayne singing in a studio setting. For anyone who’s had a love affair with this band throughout its nearly three decades and mourned the tragedy of Wayne’s passing, this is meaningful and was a sincere tribute from the band and a gift to us… the fans.
The evening ended with “I’m With Stupid” and “Push It.” Another highly satisfying, multi-sensory experience to be cherished for a lifetime. Static-X never disappoints; a mark of a band that adores its flock as much as we adore them.
Check out our photo gallery of Static-X below:
Check out our photo gallery of Sevendust below:
Check out our photo gallery of Dope below:
