Static-X released the 1999 album Wisconsin Death Trip, the American band's debut studio record. Warner Bros. Records issued it on March 23, 1999, introducing Static-X's blend of industrial metal, nu metal, electronic programming, and aggressively repetitive grooves.
The band formed after vocalist and guitarist Wayne Static and drummer Ken Jay met in Chicago. They later moved toward California, where bassist Tony Campos and guitarist Koichi Fukuda joined the lineup. Producer Ulrich Wild helped shape the album's mechanical sound, including the band's unusual approach to drums: they wanted a machine-like impact but used live playing enhanced with triggering, samples, and studio programming rather than relying entirely on a drum machine.
Wisconsin Death Trip produced recognizable songs such as "Push It," "I'm with Stupid," and "Bled for Days." It reached number 107 on the Billboard 200, topped the Heatseekers chart, and was certified platinum in 2001. The title came from Michael Lesy's 1973 book about the grim history of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, not from a fictional metal storyline. Ministry, Fear Factory, and Godflesh are related industrial-metal names, but none released this album.