Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: April 2007

Brian Rademacher: How ya doin' Tony?

Tony Campos: Hey, brother what's up?

Brian Rademacher: When did you first start playing bass?

Tony Campos: Yes, I messed around with drums a little bit in my first band. The drummer in the band moved away and left his drum kit at my place for six months. I can hold down a beat, but don't ask me to do any fills.

Brian Rademacher: What kind of kid were you in high school?

Tony Campos: Kind of a loner, when I was a freshman I went to housing for AP kids. I really didn t go to high school until my sophomore year and when I got there I met all the metalhead that were in their teen years. But the time I was a senior all my friends graduated.

Brian Rademacher: Do you remember the first concert you attended?

Tony Campos: The first big concert was IRON MAIDEN and VINNIE VINCENT INVASION at Long Beach Arena. That was a little weird bill but I didn't care, my friend and I were about thirteen. He had weed but we didn't have any papers, so in his genius he decided to get some paper towel and roll a joint, here we are some stupid teens trying to smoke weed with paper towel. That was when VINNIE VINCENT was on.

Brian Rademacher: Do you remember the first record you bought?

Tony Campos: It was a cassette and it was the 'Ultimate Sin' by OZZY OSBOURNE. The first vinyl I bought was 'Hell Awaits' by SLAYER.

Brian Rademacher: STATIC X started in 1994; do you feel the music of STATIC X has changed with the new CD 'Cannibal'?

Tony Campos: Oh yeah, back then we were just trying to figure out what we wanted to do, we went through a grunge phase and a punk rock phase, we were doing CIRCLE JERKS covers. We were doing some doom metal for a little bit, we were trying just a lot of different stuff, then we finally settled on the STATIC X style that we have now. Since the first record, we ve experimented more with melodies and try to write hookier songs. Now we ve gone back to that first record's writing and doing the heavy cool shit like we did in the past, so what, if it doesn't have a nice melody.

Brian Rademacher: How did you go about getting the song 'No Submission' on the Saw III soundtrack?

Tony Campos: The director he actually directed a video for us three years ago, so he was a fan and when the movie came out and got in touch with us and asked if we had a song that we would like on the soundtrack. We got to go to the premier and played the after party in Las Vegas.

Brian Rademacher: Was it good getting back in the studio with Koichi?

Tony Campos: Yeah definitely, like the old vibe and him doing a couple solos was great, we wanted him to do that on our second record but he quit. The guy we hired after him wasn't really a lead player, so we couldn't do some of the leads. But now he's back in the band and we move forward with the leads and the stuff he did was killer.

Brian Rademacher: So what changed his mind about coming back?

Tony Campos: I don't know, I think part of the reason he quit was that during the first two years the band was constantly touring, I would say during those years of touring we spent a total of five days at home. I think he just got burned out. I guess after a couple years he got the itch again.

Brian Rademacher: How much different was it working with producer John Travis compared to Ulrich Wild?

Tony Campos: John was really cool. A lot of different ideas, he is more of a rock guy, he worked with KID ROCK and did more commercial type stuff. After all of the ideas we used half-and-half we didn't (laughing). It takes stuff like that to stir the ideas and keep creative.

Brian Rademacher: I saw a short video clip of the rehearsals and behind the scenes at The Total Assault website, how much did you film and will any of that be released in the future?

Tony Campos: Yeah we had the camera there, anytime we are talking about some stupid subject we had the camera going...nothing too crazy just getting drunk and talking shit (laughing).

Brian Rademacher: Tell us about the STATIC X video game for 'Cannibal'?

Tony Campos: Yeah the people at the label put that together, I had a little hand in helping to create it. I am a big fan of video games and when they total me they were thinking of doing a video game for 'Cannibal'. I said let me in and contribute some ideas and it s pretty cool and simple.

Brian Rademacher: How long will you be on tour?

Tony Campos: We are actually on tour until June 14th. After this headline tour we will probably hit the festivals in Europe for a month.

Brian Rademacher: Is there a chance of a live DVD coming out from this tour?

Tony Campos: We're always filming stuff. We might put something out later.

Brian Rademacher: You have two side projects will they continue ASESINO and BRUJERIA?

Tony Campos: Yeah, ASESINO is on the back burner because I am working with STATIC X, Dino is in the studio recording with his new band tracking his new record. I got to play a couple tracks on it; it's kind of fast like FEAR FACTORY with a lot of cool melodies.

Brian Rademacher: What are your feelings about YouTube playing bootleg videos of STATIC X and your other bands?

Tony Campos: I think it's cool. People can make their own shows so the world can see. Like the stuff with ASESINO was meant to be underground anyway and it don't bother me, I'm not getting rich off ASESINO anyway (laughing).

Brian Rademacher: Have you had any recent endorsements?

Tony Campos: Actually I just went down to Coffin Cases and they are hooking us up with cases for the tour. We just started using Dunlop strings, we use their picks already.

Brian Rademacher: So what's the future plans and hopes for this record?

Tony Campos: Keep touring, go to Australia and Japan and hopefully get us to South America. I was down there with ASESINO and got asked in every town when is STATIC X coming to town, I said I don't know, so maybe this year. We have a lot of fans down there; we just have to convince the label for us to go there.

Brian Rademacher: So what are some of the things STATIC X ask for on there rider?

Tony Campos: Not a whole lot, but we do ask for some joke items on there to see if we get them. Like Depends, those diapers and we get them. Enjoy the new record, we'll be on tour so come and see us and support the band. Check out our new video for  Destroyer . Were cutting a video for 'Cannibal', we have lots of stuff coming out. So keep an eye out because were coming to your town kicking your ass. Right on!!!