What Happened To Wayne Static And Static-X

Static-X began their journey in metal music in 1994. The band was established by vocalist and guitarist Wayne Static and drummer Ken Jay. Their initial taste of fame came from the release of their debut album ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ in 1999. What set them apart from all the other bands at the time was their distinct use of heavy industrial metal sounds. This album was their first album to go platinum in the US.

The group maintained its momentum and released five more studio albums within ten years. Like many bands in history, the lineup has changed many times over the years. Alongside their success, they were also linked to certain controversies, including the band’s former guitarist Tod Salvador’s jail time for kidnapping and sexual assault.

Behind The Scenes Of Wayne Static’s Death

Wayne Static, also known as Wayne Richard Wells, was the founder and lead singer of Static-X. His physical appearance was unique to him. Not only did he have a distinctive chintail beard he also had an unusual hairstyle as his hair was held upright.

After the band reached its peak and released several albums, Static decided to work on his solo project. He released his solo album ‘Pighammer’ in 2011. During this time, Static-X was on hiatus; however, after his solo project, the band reconciled and worked together until 2013 before officially disbanding. Static linked the breakup to a dispute with Campos over the rights of the band, claiming that Wayne paid Campos to use the name during the tour until it was canceled. However, it was later revealed that the main reason the tour was canceled was a drug bust.

A year after the band broke up, Wayne Static was found dead by his wife in their home at the age of 48. Although initially, his wife claimed that his death was natural and not linked to drug use, it was later revealed otherwise. According to later reports, his wife stated that Static took an oxycodone pill before going to bed. Oxycodone was initially prescribed to Static’s wife. He also drank a lot of alcohol. It was revealed that he took oxycodone, Xanax, and alcohol to relieve his panic attacks. 

Static-X Reunion and Future Projects

The original members of Static-X, Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda, and Ken Jay, have announced their plans to team up once again to release a new album in 2018. The new album ‘Project Regeneration’ was released in 2019. In addition to the vocals of Wayne Static on the tracks that have not yet been released, various guest vocalists such as David Draiman, Ivan Moody, Dez Fafara, and Edsel Dope also took part in the album.

They also set out to tour in 2019 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ and Wayne Static. His new lead singer was revealed as ‘Xer0,’ and his identity was hidden under a face mask. However, it was seen as a look-alike, which led some critics to claim it is spooky. The band confirmed that Static’s family had given their approval.

In 2020, the band renamed the album ‘Project: Regeneration Vol. 1’ and named it ‘Hollow (Project Renovation).’ They also announced to fans that ‘Project Regeneration’ will be split into two volumes. It was later revealed that all vocals would be by Wayne Static. The release of the album was postponed to June 2022 due to Covid. Currently, the group is said to be working on volume 2.