On February 8th, 2024 Static-X and Sevendust brought the second leg of their Machine Killer tour through Charlotte, NC at The Fillmore. This venue was a nice upgrade from when Static-X played last year at The Underground. Again, Dope was on the bill to open up alongside up-and-comers Lines of Loyalty who put an electric set.
Lines Of Loyalty, Kenosha, WI trio—Glenn “Nubz” Morrison (vocals, guitar), Redo Ianni (bass, vocals, keys), and Brayden Pike (drums, percussion) have a refreshing sound amidst today’s music scene. Bringing a blend of melodic rock coupled with the raw, unapologetic vocals of Nubz, Lines of Loyalty is making some waves with their debut album Hurts To Be Human (released Oct. 2023 via C3&B Entertainment). During the show, I felt the crowd was unreceptive at first, but by the halfway point of their set the entire crowd had finally opened up and the mosh pits began. The band showed up and exceeded the expectations the crowd had when the show first began. I hope to see these guys on the touring circuit more further into 2024. They put on a great set and I recommend checking them out.
Dope is a Nu-Metal band from New York City that has been making waves since its inception in 1977. The band has had their fair share of lineup changes over the years, but one thing was always consistent, Edsel Dope. Currently, the band consists of Edsel Dope (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, programming, keyboards), Acey Slade (lead guitar), Daniel Fox (bass), and Chris Warner (drums). Dope has always been known for their tongue-in-cheek songs featuring obscene, aggressive vocals and that’s exactly what Charlotte, NC was ready for. They kicked tonight’s set off with their title track from the 2016 album Blood Money Part One before following it up with fan favorites like Die, Boom, Bang, Burn, F*ck which is a live medley of some of their most popular tracks. This was my 2nd time seeing Dope and it was amazing to see them in a larger venue this year. If you haven’t heard of these guys before, you’re late but that’s okay because they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down yet.
I was ecstatic to see co-headliners, Sevendust, live again for the first time since their appearance at Carolina Rebellion in 2018 and I’m happy to say they did not disappoint. Sevendust is an Alternative Metal band from Atlanta, GA formed in 1994 before dropping their first self-titled album in 1997. Things weren’t easy for the band at first, their album didn’t sell well but that didn’t stop them. Since their inception, they have had success with three back-to-back RIAA gold-certified albums, a Grammy nomination, and millions of record sales worldwide. The band consists of Lajon Witherspoon (lead vocals), Vince Hornsby (backing vocals, bass), Morgan Rose (drums, backing vocals), John Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), and Clint Lowry (guitar, backing vocals). Across the 14 tracks in their setlist, they played pieces from 8 different albums, so there is plenty of diversity for fans both new and old. Sevendust didn’t hold back even for a second, truly solidifying their relationship with the crowd. If you’re looking for a show, these guys put one on every single time. I recommend checking out their latest album Truth Killer (released July 28, 2023, via Napalm Records).
Static-X is an Industrial Metal band from Los Angeles, CA formed in 1994 with a lineup that fluctuated over the years but held strong with Wayne Static (founder, frontman, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist) until he passed away tragically in 2014. The band had been on a hiatus from 2010-2017 until October 23rd, 2018 when original members Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda, and Ken Jay revealed plans for a new Static-X album in 2019 titled Project Regeneration. This would also be the first time the world was introduced to their new frontman, an unidentified vocalist known as Xer0 with an uncanny resemblance to a cyborg version of Wayne Static. They faced a bit of backlash from journalists at first but the band insists all of this was done with the blessing of Wayne’s family.
Just like Dope, this was my second time seeing Static-X live. Each time I have seen a performance from them I regret not having discovered them sooner in my life. These guys put on one of the most theatric and engaging shows from any metal band I have seen live. Between the “snow” that falls from the sky during their intros and the cast of odd characters that grace the stage (like the pumpkin king, disco-ball giant, and steampunk clockmen) Static-X is sure to keep you on your feet. Xer0’s glowing red eyes and wirey hair sell the effect that you’re watching a cyborg up on stage and it is quite the experience. They played a range of songs from a healthy mix of albums but predominately featured 7 tracks from their largest success, Wisconsin Death Trip, which fans always love.
It’s still early on leg two of this tour so make sure to grab some tickets at the date closest to you!
