STATIC-X / GWAR / DOPE / A KILLER’S CONFESSION – LIVE
The Machines Versus Monsters tour descended upon the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach to wake up the sleepy beach town from its winter slumber for a night of mayhem, crunchy guitars, and alien blood. The tour features A Killer’s Confession, Dope, GWAR, and Static-X. Think horror meets aliens meets monsters and robots. It’s a combination that fits seamlessly together to create an experience any fan of these bands would appreciate.
We rolled in just after 6 p.m. to a crowd made up of fans dressed in their darkest of dark colors and others decked out head to toe in white, ready to take on the blood spatter that would eventually fly through the air during GWAR’s set.
The first band up was A Killer’s Confession, and they wasted no time kicking the night into gear. Fronted by Waylon Reavis, former vocalist of Mushroomhead, the band brings that same dark theatricality and raw aggression, but with a sharper, more personal edge. Reavis came out with fire in his eyes and a message to deliver, throwing himself into every lyric like it might be his last.
They opened with “Purpose” and “Sun,” setting the tone with heavy grooves and emotional weight. The band’s energy was immediate and real. You could feel the connection building between the stage and the crowd with every beat. “Greed,” “Hollow,” and “Filth” followed, each one pushing deeper into that aggressive, nu-metal-rooted sound they’ve carved out. Waylon’s vocals went from guttural growls to haunting melodies with ease, showing just how much control he has over that chaotic energy.
“Facts” and “Kill or Be Killed” hit especially hard. They were tight, vicious, and built to stir up the pit. But the highlight for longtime fans came when they dropped “Qwerty,” a Mushroomhead cover that brought an audible roar from the crowd. It was a perfect nod to Reavis’s past, and he delivered it with pure venom. It was gritty, unhinged, and exactly what the fans wanted.
A Killer’s Confession may have been the first band on the bill, but they came out like they were headlining. Their set was heavy, emotional, and locked in from start to finish. Even if you walked in not knowing their name, there’s a good chance you left looking them up on the drive home.
Next up was Dope, and they came out swinging. They’ve been a staple in the industrial metal world since the late 90s, and their set was a straight-up sonic gut punch. They kicked things off with “Blood Money,” immediately grabbing the room by the throat, and followed it up with “Bring It On” and “Bitch.” These tracks hit hard and didn’t let up.
Edsel Dope commanded the stage with his signature snarl, feeding off the crowd’s energy and throwing it right back at them. The pit opened fast and stayed active as they ripped into fan favorites like “Debonaire” and “Die MF Die.” These songs were built for live chaos, and the crowd delivered. They also threw in pieces of “I’m Back,” “Sick,” and “Burn.” Not full versions, but enough to light a fire under the crowd and keep the momentum rolling. It was a smart move. Tight pacing. No filler. Just all-out intensity.
And just when you thought their set couldn’t get any more fun, they closed with a gritty, high-octane cover of “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive. Somehow, they made it work. Twisting that classic into something dark, heavy, and perfect for the night. It was a wild, unexpected end to their set that left the room buzzing. Dope brought the raw, the industrial, and the sleaze, all wrapped in a layer of pure adrenaline. They were the perfect bridge between the grit of A Killer’s Confession and the chaos of GWAR.
GWAR was up next with their signature explosive entrance. The Scumdogs of the Universe stormed the stage in full force. Towering, snarling, and dripping with theatrical absurdity. Every square inch of the Casino Ballroom was instantly claimed by their chaotic presence. If you’ve seen GWAR before, you know exactly what’s coming. But even then, nothing quite prepares you for it. After more than 40 years, they’re still creating an experience that is part metal show, part intergalactic bloodbath, and fully unforgettable.
They opened with “Fuck This Place,” and within seconds, heads were flying. Elon Musk was the first to meet Sawborg Destructo’s chainsaw. A full-on beheading of a man in a DOGE shirt launched GWAR’s signature red spray all over the crowd. Anyone in a white shirt up front earned their badge of honor early. From there, it was a full-speed sprint into “Metal Metal Land,” “El Presidente,” and “Womb With a View.” The crowd surfing started the moment the riffs hit. People launched over the barricade like they were fired from cannons. Security scrambled to catch bodies and keep the barricade from toppling forward under the weight of a fired-up New England crowd.
Then came “The Salaminizer” and “Slap U Around,” and the pit fully erupted. There’s just something about Northern New England and metal. We’ve got that bottled-up winter rage, and when shows like this roll through, we don’t hold back. GWAR tapped into that perfectly.
As expected, more victims met their fate. “El Presidente” returned for another brutal takedown, following up last year’s Biden beheading. And yes, they took down Taylor Swift too, proving that no one, not even America’s pop princess, is safe from the Scumdogs’ wrath. “Immortal Corrupter” and “Lot Lizard” brought more blood, guts, and laughter. But then they truly leveled up the chaos.
They brought out Gor-Gor.
Yes, Gor-Gor came onto the stage in all his monstrous glory, and the Ballroom absolutely lost it. The giant dinosaur beast lumbered across the platform, roaring and thrashing as GWAR ripped into his namesake track. It’s one thing to hear “Gor-Gor.” It’s a whole other experience to have him towering over you, shredding bodies and spewing carnage in real time. It was peak GWAR. Gross, hilarious, heavy, and completely unhinged.
They wrapped their set with “Sick of You,” one last cathartic blast of sarcasm and sludge. By the end, the venue looked like a war zone. Blood-soaked fans. Torn-up barricades. Exhausted security. Huge grins on every face. GWAR didn’t just perform. They invaded, conquered, and made Hampton Beach their own twisted playground for the night. And the fans? We wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Static-X closed out the night with a full-blown industrial assault. They opened with the “Project Regeneration Intro” before slamming into “I Want to Fucking Break It,” and from there it was just straight chaos in the best way. They pulled from across their entire catalog. “Cannibal,” “Terminator Oscillator,” “Love Dump,” “Sweat of the Bud,” “Wisconsin Death Trip,” and more. Every track landed like a punch to the chest, and the crowd was all in from start to finish.
You could feel the Ballroom floor flexing during “Bled for Days” and “Black and White.” When they dropped “Get to the Gone” and “I Am,” it felt like every single person in the room was screaming along. The mix of newer tracks like “Z0mbie” and “Destroy All” proved this lineup isn’t just living in nostalgia. They’re pushing things forward while still honoring what made Static-X so iconic.
And speaking of “Z0mbie,” they didn’t just play it. They brought it to life. A massive zombie figure took over the stage, towering behind the band in full animatronic glory. Its glowing eyes and jerky movements added this insane visual element that completely transformed the moment. It was wild, over-the-top, and exactly what you’d expect from a band that has always had one foot in horror and one foot in heavy.
They came back out for the encore with “Cold,” and it hit like a punch to the chest. As soon as Wayne Static’s face appeared on the big screen behind them, the crowd erupted in cheers. It wasn’t rowdy. It was emotional. Loud, but full of love.
Xer0 stood still at center stage. The red lights in his mask had shifted to blue, almost like a quiet nod to what was coming. Blue lights washed across the room, and a snow-like substance began falling from the ceiling, swirling through the fog. It felt like time slowed down. Wayne was there. Not just on a screen, but in the room. In the sound. In the crowd. It was heavy in the best way. A tribute that hit every single person in that room straight in the heart.
But it didn’t stay still for long. “I’m With Stupid” slammed in, and the pit instantly reignited. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more unhinged, GWAR came back out for “Push It.” The crowd completely lost it. Blood flying. Bodies crowd surfing. Security hanging on for dear life. It was pure metal madness. Static-X closed it all out with “Machine,” and it was the perfect exclamation point to an already wild night.
The Machines Versus Monsters tour wasn’t just loud and chaotic. It had soul. It had heart. There was everything you ever wanted from a night like this. Hampton Beach will go back to its sleepy beach town ways soon enough. But for one night, it belonged to the monsters.
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Great job Kerri! We were denied blood spray at the CT show (womp womp).