Static-X reunited in 2018 with the lineup of original members bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuda, and drummer Ken Jay alongside new vocalist Xer0. Xer0 is widely believed to be Dope vocalist Edsel Dope, who has spoken at length about his position in the band.
In a new interview with Audio Ink Radio, Edsel Dope said he believes the Xer0 character offers his some privacy and that his moniker in the band should be respected. Dope also mentions that having Xer0 as the frontman for Static-X, and not Edsel Dope or whoever else, allows the band to have a future beyond the iconic Wayne Static.
"Really and truthfully, it's not so much about it being private as it is about respecting the brand of Static-X and retaining the respect when writing or discussing it. And a good example I can use for that is Ghost. Everybody knows that there's a dude called Tobias that's behind the paint, but when people write about Ghost, they don't call him Tobias; they respect the entity and they call him Papa whatever the fuck he is. And that's because they respect the creative, they respect the artistic integrity of it enough to honor that."
Brief interjection – writing about Ghost's lore and writing about the business and creative side of Ghost are two different things. Lore stories refer to the character, while interviews are always done with Tobias Forge the person. It's the same thing with Static-X. Nobody's out here changing Xer0's name to Edsel Dope in stories about tours or any quotes about upcoming bands. But Edsel Dope is certainly talking about Static-X as Edsel Dope, and is referred to as such.
"With Static-X, we knew very early on that we were not going to have the overwhelming support of the media and the community. And in the world that we live in, most people's goal is not to be supportive; it's to try and tear things down. It's to try and be the one to uncover and let you know that there is no Santa Claus or whatever it is. So, for me, it was more about making sure that Static-X was properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of Static-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of Static-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of Static-X.
"There's one living, breathing singer of Static-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow Static-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to Static-X and fits the branding of what Static-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."
I don't think there's any campaign on trying to "tear down" Static-X either. We've covered everything they've done since the reunion, and frankly I liked the first Project Regeneration record. I thought it was well done and the songs were great, and I hope the second volume coming up this year is as well.
I also think that if you put any musician out there in a mask, everyone's first question is "who is it?" Look at Sleep Token. How many editorials have you seen out there trying to figure out who they are? The same happened with Ghost for years. It's not about tearing an artist down. it's just that natural curiosity to want to know who's behind the music you like.
Dope continued, saying that if Static-X had hired just a regular old non-costume-wearing vocalist, there would've been a shitstorm. And he's probably right – Wayne Static was the face of Static-X, and trying to put someone new in his place would've been a bad call. The reaction to the costume for Xer0 was originally mixed, but it seems like everyone's cool with it now and having fun.
"You have to understand that if we didn't make that an absolute mission of ours that people would shit all over it and they would have done everything they could to discredit it. And if it were Edsel Dope singing for Static-X, it would be, 'Oh, it's Static Dope.' Or if it was Burton from Fear Factory, it would be, like, 'Oh, Static Factory.' It's, like, 'Go fuck yourself.' You can't give people the ability to control your narratives or else they're gonna control it in the worst fucking way possible, because, for whatever reason, that's the culture that we currently exist in.
"If it was 25 years ago, we wouldn't have any of this mess because we'd call the editor of fucking Rolling Stone magazine and go, 'Hey, dude, we're gonna let you in on what's happening,' and they would go, 'Oh, this is great,' and they would get behind it and they would properly help you tell your story to the world. But in the world that we currently live in, that's not the goal. The goal is, as I said, to be the naysayer and to be the one who lets you in on the fact that there is no Santa Claus and ruins the parade for everybody because they're just dicks."
You can catch Static-X with Fear Factory and Dope at one of the dates below.
Fear Factory, Static-X & Dope
2/25 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore [Tickets]
2/27 – Portland, OR – Roseland [Tickets]
2/28 – Seattle, WA – Showbox [Tickets]
3/1 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater [Tickets]
3/2 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory [Tickets]
3/3 – Boise, ID – Revolution Concert Hall [Tickets]
3/4 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse [Tickets]
3/5 – Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades [Tickets]
Fear Factory, Static-X, Dope & Mushroomhead
3/7 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren [Tickets]
3/8 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theater [Tickets]
3/9 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom [Tickets]
3/10 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues [Tickets]
3/11 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater [Tickets]
3/12 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues [Tickets]
3/14 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater [Tickets]
3/15 – Orlando, FL – Plaza Live [Tickets]
3/16 – Charlotte, NC – Underground [Tickets]
3/17 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage [Tickets]
3/18 – Philadelphia, PA – T.L.A. [Tickets]
3/19 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza [Tickets]
3/21 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live [Tickets]
3/22 – New Haven, CT – Toad's [Tickets]
3/23 – Montreal, QC – Corona [Tickets]
3/24 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix [Tickets]
3/25 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall [Tickets]
Fear Factory, Static-X, Dope & Twizted
3/26 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues [Tickets]
3/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian [Tickets]
3/29 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts [Tickets]
3/30 – Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs [Tickets]
Fear Factory, Static-X, Dope & Mushroomhead
3/31 – Ft. Wayne, IN – The Clyde [Tickets]
4/1 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave [Tickets]
4/2 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Event Center [Tickets]
4/4 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection [Tickets]
Fear Factory, Static-X, Dope & Twizted
4/5 – St. Louis, MO – Del 3/Hall [Tickets]
4/6 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue [Tickets]
4/7 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues [Tickets]
4/8 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore [Tickets]
4/9 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theater [Tickets]
4/11 – Denver, CO – The Summit [Tickets]
4/13 – Las Vegas, NH – House Of Blues [Tickets]
4/14 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues [Tickets]
4/15 – Los Angeles, Ca – Belasco Theater [Tickets]
