Search - Static-X :: Beneath Between Beyond

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA
Reviewed on 12/4/2007...

Static-X are one of the most original bands coming out of the nu-metal era. They came off like a White Zombie/Fear Factory hybrid with a nu-metal foundation; a striking contrast to the more standard nu-metal bands. Furthering that contrast was the powerful vocals -- and ridiculously high hairdo -- of vocalist Wayne Static. Originally simply called Static, they released two self-titled demos that lead them to a record deal. With a new name, their major label debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, was released in 1999 and quickly garnered them a large fan base. They've maintained that fan base, despite the decline of nu-metal's popularity, over the course of three albums, and this, Beneath...Between...Beyond, a collection of unreleased tracks, covers, remixes, and rare demos.

Like with most albums of this nature, it's a mixed bag. The album is split up in sections, which makes it a smoother listen. The first eight tracks are the meat and potatoes of this album; featuring unreleased studio tracks that span the bands career it gets the album off to a great start. Two remixes follow; both are forgettable, if not simply pointless. The cover tracks come next in the shape of the old Ministry classic "Burning Inside," this one featuring Burton C. Bell from Fear Factory. Then there's a cover of Black Sabbath's "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" (originally featured on the Nativity In Black II tribute album) and the oft-covered "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" by The Ramones. The album is rounded out with five demo tracks.

This album is worth it simply for the eleven unreleased studio tracks and the covers. The two remixes will do nothing for you, and the demos are cool, but offer little in replay value because the studio versions are far superior. Beneath...Between...Beyond (great title for this type of album) is a solid odds-n-ends collection, but not without a few unnecessary dingleberries.

Website: http://www.static-x.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/staticx

Good B-side collection

Rubin Carver | Gilbert, AZ USA | 06/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am a fan of B-side collections. They neatly arrange all the B-sides into an easy to find and relatively inexpensive album, as opposed to hunting down all the singles and soundtracks (which is not only a pain in the rear, but costs a lot more more money.)



However, it still only gets 3 stars. Why? Because it's not really anything amazing. The B-sides are good for B-sides, but they're obviously B-sides for a reason. The completely original songs, eight total, are a bit varied, and sort of fit into four two-song sections. The first two tracks, "Breathe" and "Deliver Me" are mediocre suncooked metal tracks that remind me a bit of the Pantera side-project Down. "Anything But This" and "S.O.M." are two of Static-X's heaviest songs and are actually probably my favorites on this album. "Head" and "Down" most resemble Static-X's album tracks and could have fit on Wisconsin Death Trip or Machine, although I'm kind of glad they didn't. Last, "So Real" and "Crash" are largely electronic, harking back to the band's days as an unsigned band when they were more techno than metal.



This part could have made a good little EP by itself, but to satisfy the completionists, they included cover songs, remixes, and a few demos as well. The covers are decent, except the Ramones cover which I don't like because I don't like the Ramones at all.



The remixes aren't very good... all they do is bury the songs under a load of extra electronic noise. I like remixes that completey warp the song and make into an almost entirely new song. These remixes don't accomplish that exactly, and could have been left off without any complaint from me.



The demos are also pretty much worthless. They're just low budget recordings of basically the same songs you hear on the albums. This would have interested me more if it was recordings of their old songs from their formative techno days, but the songs are 100% recognizable. The biggest change is the feel of the drums in "No Pain" (a bit slower) and some parts that are missing (including the death metal intro) in "Get to the Gone."



I would be just as happy with this album if they had dropped the demos and remixes, and even the covers wouldn't be a big loss. If you're not already a fan of the band, this is probably not the place to start. However, I feel it is worth it for the 8 real B-sides in the first half of the CD. Just don't expect anything that compares to the albums."