Empire Extreme got to talk to Static X drummer Ken Jay about the Project Regeneration Vol 1 album among many other things. 

EE: You guys just released Project Regeneration Vol 1 album and listening to the album I think it’s just as good as Wisconsin Death Trip. 

Ken: wow, thank you so much. It really means a lot. It was really hard to listen to from being friends with Wayne over 30 years. Hearing the demos was even hard, though Wayne makes simple demos. Back when we were doing demos for Wisconsin Death Trip me and Wayne lived together. Me and Wayne would pull out a drum machine and he have his guitar and I would write down a bunch of lyrics because I like to talk a lot (laughs) he would edit it. 

EE: The brutalness of the album you can hear it. At times it sounds like you’re just beating the shit out of those drums. 

Ken: Yeah, As I’ve gotten older I am more efficient on the drums. I taught drums for 15 years while I was out. The more relaxed you are the drums are more brutal. And while doing this album integrating it all with Wayne’s vocals and do forget Xero he’s just as much a part of those as well. 

EE: Ya being with the media I was lucky enough to see the tour 3 times, I was at Baltimore, Reading PA and in Virginia. 

Ken: Oh man that Reading show was so hot. Even before the crowd was there, when we did soundcheck and opened up or laptops for the LeD the temperature pre-show was reading a 103. I can’t imagine being in that crowd. 

EE: As soon as the Pre Order came out for the album I jumped on that to get my name in the liner notes and then when the album came out and I seen all the names I was like, holy shit. 

Ken: Yeah the preorder thing was insane I can say that we all Individually signed over 8,000 cds. 

EE: Anything you can talk about for Vol 2?

Ken: For now, no. We don’t even know what’s going on with everything right now. It’s a remains to be seen.  I’m teasing all the interviews maybe Vol 2 isn’t going to come right away maybe another Static X album before Vol 2. Me and Wayne wanted to call our first album Greatest Hits and then Best of and third would be live. 

EE: When I did the Interview with Tony he told me the story of knocking out Wayne’s tooth with his bass. Do you have a funny Wayne story you would like to tell?

Ken: I’ll add to that story. Tony sometimes forgets and I had a really bad temper at the time and I was going to protect my boys. This was my family on stage. So when we finish the song and Wayne and then go backstage and I get on the mic and start laying out the crowd because I thought someone threw something at Wayne and that’s what happened then I go backstage and Tony tells me what happened, so I go back on the stage and apologize to the crowd. For me I first met Wayne in the fall of 1988. Here’s a good story, the first time we came to LA we were in a band in Chicago in 1993. We came out in a van and recorded this album that never came out. We are going back home and I’m driving and he and I get to Oklahoma and we kept seeing these signs that are bright red and say “ don’t drive into smoke” on the toll road it’s 5am we both have coffee driving back back to Chicago and we’re in Oklahoma and it’s snowing and a blizzard and pull Into a rest area and I told him to remind me when we get to the next roll to ask about the sign. We get to the toll and pay it, and I’m such a smart ass at the time and I ask “ Excuse me good sir, what do the red signs mean?” And I don’t even get the whole sentence out and the guy just leans out with a thick Oklahoma accent “fresh fires” and then 10 minutes down the road Wayne starts saying that. 

Project Regeneration Vol 1 is exactly what I expected from a new Static X album and more. The songs are all brutal and yet still so compelling. From the opening intro to the last song it captivates you and sucks you in and never let’s go. Songs like “Hollow” “All these years” and “Dead Souls” featuring Al Jourgensen from Ministry, Just kicks your ass. Hearing Wayne’s vocals is chilling eerie and satisfying all at the same time and vocals by the Mysterious Xero just add into the awesomeness of this album. Like I’ve said before it’s up there with my favorite album Wisconsin Death Trip. 

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Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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