Static-X, GWAR, Dope, A Killer’s Confession

The Criterion, Oklahoma City, OK

June 18, 2025

Review and Gallery by Ally Arens

Industrial metal act Static-X continues to honor their late frontman Wayne Static by bringing their live shows to cities all across the world, allowing old and new fans alike to come together and celebrate the band’s legacy – most recently on the just-concluded Machines Vs. Monsters tour across the United States. The tour, which saw Static-X be accompanied by GWAR, Dope, and A Killer’s Confession, was a theatrical event to behold for all in attendance. The Encore Nights had the privilege of attending the final date of the tour at The Criterion in Oklahoma City, OK, and what ensued was certainly a night to remember.

First to take the stage were A Killer’s Confession, fronted by former Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis. The band kicked off the evening with a melodic, yet heavy, set that included tracks such as “Greed”, “Filth”, newest single “Hollow”, and even a performance of the Mushroomhead classic “Qwerty” to set the tone for the raucousness to come.

Next to take the stage was fellow industrial metal/hard rock act Dope, who came out firing on all cylinders as they launched into “Blood Money” followed by “Bring it On” and “Bitch”. Dope is a band that will always have a special place in my heart because my dad introduced me to their music, and their live sets are always excellently filled with rage, especially during the ever-so-angsty “Die MF Die”, and they put on what I would argue to be one of the best sets of the night, despite its brevity.

The final support act was none other than GWAR, and while many in the audience were extremely stoked for what was coming, even purposely wearing light-colored clothing to be intentionally stained by the carnage that would ensue, I was admittedly a bit nervous for what was to come – having heard horror stories of photographers getting hit with the, er, “GWAR goo”, so to speak. I shielded myself and my gear the best that I could and headed into the pit as the theatrics began. 

As my father so eloquently put it on the car ride home from the show, “For those who have seen GWAR, no explanation is needed; for those who have not, no explanation is possible.” There really is not an easy way to describe a GWAR set, which included loud, thrashy music in the form of tracks such as “Fuck This Place”, “El Presidente”, “Womb With a View”, and “Lot Lizard” while visual highlights included a decapitated figure in a “DOGE” t-shirt, a Donald Trump caricature being dismembered, and a giant lizard figure roaming around the stage, all while the crowd is constantly being doused in fake blood from…various sources. It is a live show that I do not envision myself going out of my way to see again, but I’m glad that I can say that I did it once, as I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the theatricality involved, even if I still don’t completely “get” it.

Finally, around 9:30 p.m., it was time for Static-X to take the stage, and not only did they take it – they completely commanded it. Founding members Ken Jay, Koichi Fukuda and Tony Campos kicked things off instrumentally while new frontman Xero emerged on a platform towering over the stage as the band launched into “I Want to Fucking Break It”, followed by “Cannibal” and more recent release “Terminator Oscillator”. The overall setlist skews heavily toward tracks from their Wisconsin Death Trip album, understandably so given it’s their most popular, but there are definitely a few tracks from other eras sprinkled in as well.

While I did not have the fortune of being able to see the band with Wayne, this was my second time seeing a Static-X set, and the current iteration does an amazing job of honoring his legacy while also keeping things fresh for a new audience – the Xero ensemble looks absolutely badass, and the band has an energy and a camaraderie that can only come from performing with a bunch of old friends, translating to a live set with amazing energy that is very fun to watch.

Though the Machines Vs. Monsters tour may have come to a close, there will be many more opportunities to catch Static-X live this year, as they are set to spend the remainder of the summer performing throughout Europe before returning to the U.S. this fall with Mudvayne. Tickets and dates for all upcoming shows are available on the band’s website.