I know this is probably blasphemous but some aspects of Pighammer, the debut solo album from Static-X front man Wayne Static,  greatly remind me of Godflesh. Now, I’m not saying that Wayne Static is by any means in the same ballpark as Justin Broadrick, but you can’t deny that the minimalist approach to his solo album, especially the static (no pun intended) guitar drones and the lo-fi production, are very much in the Godflesh vein. If you think I’m crazy, listen to opener “Around The Turn”.

Somewhere between Wisconsin Death Trip and White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto…, Pighammer was birthed. Sonically at least. It’s heavy with electronics and samples and a great (re)start for Static especially after Static-X’s last album (2009’s Cult of Static) which, to me, felt forced. Another great thing about Pighammer is that the gruff Static is back. That voice I fell in love with during WDT and Machine but faded over time in favor of more melodic singing has returned in fine form, ready to peel the paint from your walls.

The best thing about Pighammer is it reminded me so much why I liked Static-X to begin with. It’s an album that’s so in tune with ’99-’01 era of that band especially on nu school evil disco tracks “Thunder Invader” and “Chrome Nation”. Elsewhere, standouts like single “Assassins of Youth” and “Static Killer” use the electronics to elevate the songs to another realm. The former is just catchy as hell as Static spits “Artillery/Charge/Dirt/Assassins of Youth” during the chorus while the latter is a distant cousin to WDT’s “The Trance Is The Motion”.

If you’re not a fan of Static-X to begin with then Pighammer is not going to make a case for you to join the “Cult of Static” anytime soon. For anyone else, it’s a great step forward for Wayne Static and a good indication on what the future will bring.

Pighammer is out now!

Grade: B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKuh7jfGQf4