Interview with Wayne Static

There have been very few voices and guitar riffs that have been as noticeable as Wayne Static’s signature metal howl and “evil disco” sound in the past few decades. He has mashed and molded a unique combination of hardcore metal with industrial sounds dashed with a side of disco to form a brand that has sold thousands worldwide. Now that Static-X is on an indefinite hiatus, Wayne is back at it, doing it solo but still bringing the signature sound to rape and pillage your ear drums. Hard Rock Reviews' Aaron Manogue sat down with Wayne Static to talk about his new solo album Pighammer, his favorite music he listens to and his pyshco dog Brutus that would protect his wife and himself, in case of a zombie apocalypse.


Aaron Manogue: Talk to me a little bit about where the name Pighammer came from for your latest solo album?

Wayne Static: It’s kind of just a word that popped in my head years ago and I’ve wanted to use for something for a long time. I finally figured out we’d call the solo record Pighammer and me and my wife had a good time thinking of what Pighammer means. At first, we were going to say it was a sexual position, but we thought that might be too much for the kids. So we came up with this whole story about the mad plastic surgeon with this big hammer tool that he uses to change women into pigs. That kind of went along with the whole lyrical theme of the record too, which is transformation.

Manogue: Tell me about the album itself in your own words.
Static: For me it means the freedom to do whatever the hell I wanted to do without having to compromise with any other band members or listen to what the record label said about this or that. I spent a year living in the studio, writing and recording. This is the first album I’ve ever written and recorded at the same time. In the past I would write everything and then give demos to the band and then we would rehearse it. I’d spend months in the studio before I actually recorded it so I was sick of the songs already. My goal was to come at it at a whole different perspective and make it really fresh and exciting not only for me but for the listener as well. I did this on twenty-four tracks. No pro tools. No editing. All the vocals are first or second take. It really has a lot of excitement to it. I think you can really feel the excitement in all the lyrics and all the songs.