It may not be a coincidence that heavy music has reached the mainstream in recent years.
When Wayne Static, frontman for the industro-metal group Static-X and drummer Ken Jay moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1994, the city was a hotbed for what would become a group of bands now at the forefront of the metal scene.
"At that time, I don't think there was anybody doing what we do," Static said. "System of a Down, Coal Chamber - neither were signed when we started playing club shows."
All three were eventually signed to major labels - Static-X to Warner Brothers - based on their live performances in and around L.A., and Static said he remembered one night in particular when the three bands shared the stage before they had hit the big time.
"There was a show at The Roxy, it was Coal Chamber, System of a Down, ourselves, Snot and Human Waste Project for a free show," Static said. "I run into people all the time that tell me they've been to that show. And I say, `sure you were.'"
Static-X's freshman effort, Wisconsin Death Trip, burst on the scene in 1999, and based on the single "Push It," the band quickly saw dollar signs and earned the admiration of many a young, impressionable headbanger.
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By the time the band completed its stint on the main stage of Ozzfest '99, Static said he had most of the material for the band's May 2001 release, Machine, ready to be recorded. However, the band was set back by the departure of guitarist/keyboardist Koichi Fukuda, which Static said did not surprise him.
"Most of the year 2000 he was non-existent; he really didn't participate in interviews or other social things," Static said. "He really withdrew, and I think he knew long before he left that he was going to quit."
With the material written and ready to record, but with the other members of Static-X waiting on word from Fukuda - who said he was in his homeland of Japan, the band attempted to move forward.
"Finally (drummer) Tony (Campos) and I stormed his house," Static said. "He was home all the time. We were just like `fuck it, we'll make the record anyway.' The songs were probably 80 to 90 percent done."
On Machine, Static-X seems to have left the tongue-in-cheek behind in favor of a darker, heavier landscape.
Static's trademark screams and the down-tuned aggression have been upped in their frequency, as have the spacey digital effects that help to create a mechanical mix of metal scraping metal. Its recording also left Static drained of inventiveness.
"We used everything we recorded, except for one song, which turned out perhaps a little too heavy," Static said. "You put so much creativity into the first batch of songs and then you're done and you realize that you don't have anything left."
However, its success in terms of sales also meant that Static-X reached a higher status, especially with Wisconsin Death Trip already having sold more than a million copies.
"We're at a point right now where we can tour comfortably and that makes all the difference in the world," Static said. "Recently, we moved to two buses, where everyone has room to spread out. The first year of touring was grueling, but now it's at a point where I love what I do on stage and really get into it."
After a handful of dates in the Western United States, which includes tonight's stop at Albuquerque's Sunshine Theater, the band will go to Europe for the Tattoo the Planet tour with Slayer, Pantera, Cradle of Filth and others. Then Static-X returns to the states for the Family Values tour, which will feature Staind, Stone Temple Pilots and Linkin Park.
Static said gaining a spot on the highly coveted tour came as a surprise.
"I didn't think we were going to get it," Static said. "I guess it's because we've had some strong record sales the past couple of months."
He also said that he hoped the resurgence of other metal music acts would contribute to Static-X's longevity.
"Right now I just want to sell records," Static said. "We're always thinking about what we can do right now, to get involved with next best tour and things like that. I'm amazed by how many records Slipknot sells. They're ridiculous and yet they're accepted by the masses."
Static-X will be joined tonight by three up-and-coming groups, Apex Theory, Crossbreed and Deadsy.
Attendees of this summer's Edgefest may remember Crossbreed as the industrial-based metal band that opened up the marathon show dressed in full length black leather while performing in the blistering July heat.
Deadsy, a goth-rock band popular among the celebrity set in L.A., features front man/guitarist Elijah Blue, who is the son of Cher and Greg Allman, of Allman Brothers Band fame.
Tickets to tonight's show at the Sunshine Theater cost $18 and are available at Ticketmaster, which can be reached at 883-7800 or at ticketmaster.com.
It is an all-ages show.
