Ah, yes, Valentine’s Day. That wonderful time of year when people come together to celebrate with chocolate and flowers, love, romance, and, for a sizable Long Island crowd, Sevendust and Static-X. One day removed from being hit with the first real snowfall of the year, fans flocked to The Paramount in Huntington for a date night like no other. The bands seemed to have found their significant others in each other, with this being the second leg announced for the Machine Killer tour, with a third leg already planned. The tour takes its name in part from a release of each band, Machine (Static-X) and Truth Killer (Sevendust). The first leg kicked off last fall and saw Sevendust and Static-X hitting the stage together for the first time since 1999. The twenty-four years since then were remarkably different for both acts.

The near quarter-century treated Sevendust about as good as a band could hope for. The band defined themselves as workhorses throughout the years, consistently pumping out quality albums while touring the world. The road warriors saw only one change in the lineup during that time when a returning Clint Lowery replaced Sonny Mayo. While the band has taken some breaks to pursue side projects, the members of Sevendust never strayed too far from the winning formula they have found in each other. Now celebrating their fourteenth album, Truth Killer, lead singer Lajon Witherspoon said it best when he said “We’ve still got a lot of gas” when talking about the band’s current tour.

For Static-X, sadly, the road traveled was far more bumpy. The early 2000’s were marred with disputes between frontman Wayne Static and bandmates Koichi Fukuda (Guitar), Tony Campos (Bass), and Ken Jay (Drums). The bad times only worsened until the untimely passing of Wayne Static in 2014. Still, Fukuda, Campos and Jay rightfully wanted to continue the band’s legacy that they had worked so hard to build. In 2018, they announced plans to reunite and release previously unreleased content with the appropriately titled album Project Regeneration. The album featured vocals from the late Wayne Static alongside guest vocals by, among others, Dope’s Edsel Dope. The next year the band returned to the stage with a new masked singer on stage that would later be revealed to be Dope. 

While the roads traveled were vastly different, the bands both arrived at the Paramount with hundreds of fans ready to celebrate their love for metal. Opening act Lines of Loyalty took the stage for those arriving as the doors opened. The trio consisting of Glenn Nubz Morrison (Vocals), Redo Ianni (Bass), and Brayden Pike (Drums) wowed the intimate early crowd with seven tracks, including “Hurts To Be Human.” The track is also the name of the band’s first album, which was released the day after the Long Island stop. “My Addiction” and “Winless War” gave fans more melodic rock tracks that show the band has what it takes to provide some real rock anthems before the group closed with “I’m Not The One.” Lines of Loyalty are a welcome addition to the Machine Killer tour and its highly encouraged fans arrive early to catch their set.

Lines of Loyalty

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero

Next up was New York City’s Dope. The band followed up their 2016 album Blood Money Part 1 with the tounge-in-cheek follow up Blood Money Part ZerO a year ago. Fans continued to fill out the venue as the band burst into “Blood Money” to kick off their set. Joined by Acey Slade (Lead Guitar), Daniel Fox (Bass), and Chris Warmer), Edsel Dope was non-stop action, jumping off of amps and headbanging to each track they delivered. Several LED screens came to life and added another layer to the set. The tracks came rapid-fire with “Deponaire” and “Die MF Die,” having longtime fans singing along. The closing cut was never in doubt, and after thanking fans and hyping the headliners, Dope led fans in a singalong of their cover of Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” While the five-track set was inarguably short, it was effective. Luckily for fans, Edsel’s involvement in both acts suggests Dope will forever be entwined with Static-X’s future.

Dope

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero

While the crowd had been slowly growing throughout the night, the floodgates opened in time for Sevendust’s time on stage. The venue was now jam-packed with fans eager to see the two headlining acts. Sevendust hit the stage with a purpose, opening with “I Might Let The Devil Win.” Their no-frills, no-nonsense approach to metal put the music at the forefront as the band continued with “Truth Killer and Alpha.” Throughout the performance, the musicians took opportunities to throw guitar picks and an occasional drumstick into the crowd for a lucky fan to catch. 

Seven songs in “Denial” would mark the midpoint of the performance. The pit soon opened up for the most energetic fans. Perhaps too energetic as Witherspoon soon had to take to the mic and say, “That’s right..Get the riffraff out of there,” referring to a group of security guards removing a fan that had injured a fellow attendee. After the track, Witherspoon reminded fans that he wants them to have fun and to see the mosh pits going strong but to keep each other safe in the process. The small hiccup out of the way, the band charged right into “Black”.

The latter half of the set also included “Enemy” and “Bitch” before the band capped off their night with “Face to Face.” Given how long it’s been since the men that form Sevendust have performed together, it should come as no surprise that the group works amazingly in sync with one another night in and night out. Sevendust have rightfully earned their spot as a staple in the metal world. Their live set is consistently impressive. Their catalog ensures that no two nights ever need to be the same. 

After Sevendust gave their farewell for the night, there was a forty minute wait for the headlining act. Fans took the time to catch up with friends, grab a drink, and sing along with the music blaring over the loudspeakers as the stage crew set up for Static-X. Microphone stands emblazoned with the group’s logo, and a large platform was brought to the stage. Soon, Richard O’Brien’s “Time Warp” began playing, and even a few security guards couldn’t help but take a jump to the left and then a step to the right.

Sevendust

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero

The lights soon came down, and, to the surprise of many, it began to snow inside the venue. The snow was soon followed with a towering monster sporting a Disco-Ball jack-o-lantern for a head. At first, it seemed nearly whimsical, the grotesque monster swaying in the snow much like Edward Scissorhands, but Static-X often refer to their genre as Evil Disco, and soon the monster’s head lit up red in anger as the band made their way to the stage, opening up with “Hollow.” Xer0 commanded the crowd from the high platform while his bandmates took the assault to the frontlines, all while the snow continued to come down from the stage. The next track, “Terminator Oscillator,” added fog-filled bubbles to the mix, along with a figure featuring an oversized Static-X head and fog gun.

Kicking off with two newer tracks set the tone. Evil Disco is here to stay. The glowing eyes and wire hair that adorn Xer0’s on stage are really a sight to behold live. Despite selling shifts with the clever “Xer0 Fucks Given” slogan on the back, it’s very clear that a ton of intricate thought went into the cyborg-like styling of Xer0’s stage persona. Of course, the rest of the band held up their end of the bargain, delivering a stellar set list featuring old favorites, including “Wisconsin Death Trip” and “I’m With Stupid,” while also showcasing one of their newest in “Z0mbie”.

While most of the tracks blended seamlessly from one to the other, the group took a pause before their final song to introduce each other to the crowd, gaining a well-earned applause in return. The four then closed out the night with “Push It,” and fans used the last opportunity to mosh it up. From top to bottom, Static-X put on an unbelievable live show filled with larger-than-life characters. Xer0’s Static-X walks the delicate tightrope between paying homage to the band’s past and paving the way for its future. 

Essentially now halfway through the three legs of their planned tour, Sevendust and Static-X’s “Machine Killer” tour will continue to slay it through the United States and Canada, with the last currently planned show taking play on May 18th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the bands taking a breather at the end of February through April. This is a show that needs to be experienced live. Their Valentine’s Day stop might not have been filled with cheesy cards or overpriced teddy bears, but it was a non-stop love fest between four great bands and their fans.

Static-X

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero