Ex-STATIC-X Bassist TONY CAMPOS On WAYNE STATIC: 'The Path He Went On Ended Up Costing Him His Life'

Jo Schüftan of Horns Up Rocks! recently conducted an interview with bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, MINISTRY, PRONG, FEAR FACTORY). You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static's passing in November 2014 after mixing a cocktail of Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, Tony said: "It's unfortunate. I mean, we weren't friends the last five years of his life. And he just… He went down a path that none of the other guys in the band wanted to go down. You can't help somebody that doesn't wanna be helped. And he didn't wanna hear it from anybody, least of all me. When somebody doesn't want the help, there's nothing you can do; you've just gotta let them do what they're gonna do. Unfortunately, the path he went on ended up costing him his life."

Tony also talked about his decision to leave SOULFLY and join FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for Matt DeVries. He said: "It's always to say goodbye to something. Especially SOULFLY… Max and Gloria Cavalera [Max's wife and SOULFLY's manager] have been phenomenally great to me, and I'm really grateful for the opportunity they gave me to not only continue my career, but get to play with one of my heroes. So it wasn't a decision I made lightly."

He continued: "When I found out about the FEAR FACTORY opportunity… FEAR FACTORY was the gig I wanted when STATIC-X was falling apart. And by the time I figured out what was happening to [STATIC-X], FEAR FACTORY had already hired Byron [Stroud], so it was too late for me to get another gig. So it's a gig I've been wanting to do for a long time now. And I was in Australia with MINISTRY, and FEAR FACTORY was on the same festival we were doing — Sonisphere, or Soundwave, or whatever the fuck it's called — and I was talking to [FEAR FACTORY's] bass player, Matt DeVries, who's a friend of mine, and he was telling me that he was done; after this tour, he was gonna quit the band to spend time with his kids. So I started talking to Dino [Cazares, FEAR FACTORY guitarist] about it. And both FEAR FACTORY and SOULFLY are between records, so it just seemed like the best time to do it. And Max is still out doing KILLER BE KILLED and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, so it just felt like the right time to make the transition."

Statements from both Static's widow, former porn star Tera Wray, and a publicist back in November dismissed rumors that his passing was drug related or the result of a drug overdose. Wray said at the time: "Wayne was not taking drugs. If anything, he was a drinker, and did not OD." She added: "We all know that both Wayne and I had abused narcotics with alcohol in the past, which I am sure took a toll on his body, heart and soul."

STATIC-X became one of the most popular acts in the so-called "nu metal" movement, selling more than one million copies of its 1999 debut, "Wisconsin Death Trip". The disc included the rock radio hit "Push It".

STATIC-X released five more studio albums, with the last being "Cult Of Static" in 2009. The band broke up shortly after that, reformed again with a new lineup in 2012, then disbanded permanently in June 2013.