Yesterday, horrible news was confirmed that Static-X frontman Wayne Richard Wells, aka Wayne Static, had passed away at age 48, just a few days shy of his 49th birthday. For many, the passing of the wild-haired musician was a sharply felt loss, one that resonated due to the fact that they’ve been around for many, many years, allowing themselves entry into chapters in our lives.
Personally speaking, I’ve been listening to them since the release of their debut album Wisconsin Death Trip, meaning that they’ve been a part of half of my life. While I didn’t own all of their albums, every one I did own was one I enjoyed thoroughly. Static’s ability to create incredibly groovy industrial metal was often emulated but never matched.
For many horror fans, this loss also has another level behind it as the band was deeply ingrained in our genre. Let’s look at the list of soundtracks they appeared on over the years: in 2000 they appeared on Scream 3 (“So Real”), The Crow: Salvation (“Burning Inside”), and Dracula 2000 (“Ostego Undead”). In 2002 their song “Anything But This” was on the Resident Evil soundtrack followed by “Deliver Me” in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003. Then, in 2006, they were featured on Saw III with their song “No Submission”.
Also, their video for “So” was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed several entries in the Saw franchise as well as Repo! The Genetic Opera. Their video for “Black And White” was shot by Underworld director Len Wiseman. Both of these videos can be seen below. And this doesn’t include their vampire-fueled video for “Cold”.
The band’s music, which they dubbed “Evil Disco”, was the perfect fit for certain subgenres of horror. They were aggressive, sinister, fun, and exciting. The films they appeared on all shared those qualities, almost as though they were created just for Static-X.
We’ve lost several horror icons in the past several months. While Wayne Static may not have been a star or director in the horror world, his music played an integral role in creating a mood, an atmosphere.
Wayne Richard Wells, November 4, 1965 – November 1, 2014. Rest in peace, sir.