Tripp Eisen
Encyclopedia
Tripp EisenTripp Eisen (born Tod Rex Salvador June 29, 1965, also known "Tripp Rex Eisen" or "Rex Eisen", is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the industrial metal band Static-X
. He is a former member of Dope
, Murderdolls
, Ace Frehley
tribute band Fractured Mirror, Roughhouse (formerly Teeze), and local east coast bands such as The Right, Ego, and Lovesick
In 2005 Eisen was arrested for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. He pled guilty to charges of statutory rape
and was sentenced to one year in jail.
and Simon Dope. Eisen brought in friend Preston Nash to play drums, and the band worked the NYC club circuit. In 1998, Dope was signed to Flip/Sony records, and Eisen moved from bass guitar to lead guitar, bringing in Acey Slade
--who had first referred Eisen to Dope a few years earlier—to play bass. After the release of the album “Felons and Revolutionaries
” (1999) the band toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada with acts such as: Sevendust
, Kid Rock
, Static-X
, Slipknot
, Disturbed, Chevelle
, Fear Factory
, Staind
, and Alice Cooper
. During this time, Eisen met Wayne Static
and Joey Jordison
, with whom he would later work. Eisen appeared in the Dope videos for “Sick” and “Everything Sucks”, and gained much notoriety from his wild antics and stage persona.
. He split with the band in late 2000 due to personal and creative differences.
The debut album sold in excess of 250,000 copies.
of Slipknot
and Tripp Eisen of Dope
/ Static-X
. Circa 1999-2002.
The seeds of this project were sown years ago, in the mind and garage of Joey Jordison
, under the name The Rejects. This was long before Slipknot
and nu-metal's all-conquering domination of the rock scene. The Rejects would eventually morph into Murderdolls
, and to Joey, this is no mere side-project.
Murderdolls
began to become more than just a figment of Joey's imagination (in 1999) when Slipknot toured with New Yorker's Dope, who had Eisen in their line-up at the time. The two bonded over a mutual love of such bands as Manowar, The Ramones and The Plasmatics.
"I had spent my whole life being kind of a glam guy, but also digging the heavy, heavy music," says Tripp, a soft-spoken man with dreadlocks that spout from his head like drooping asparagus. "It's rare to find someone who can relate to both, and that's what drew me to Joey. He's into Slayer and Twisted Sister with equal intensity, and there's not many people like that."
To Tripp, there's not all that much difference between the two. Both metal and glam are escapist and theatrical in nature, and he points out Mötley Crüe
and Slayer
both used pentagrams on their albums.
Together, during the off time from their respective bands, Joey and Tripp dug up some of Joey's old Rejects songs and dusted them off.
.
In 2000, they played several shows in Iowa, with original vocalist Dizzy, and also featuring a friend of Tripp’s, drummer Racci Shay
(who went on to play in the band Dope, and is in the current lineup of Murderdolls
). In 2001 the band continued to evolve, and added another acquaintance of Tripp’s, Wednesday 13
on bass guitar (whom Tripp befriended while on tour with Dope
). A few more live shows followed, and the name was changed to Murderdolls
. Soon after, the decision was made to move Wednesday into the frontman position. The recording of the album was moved into high gear.
Wednesday brought several of his own songs with him. Then, after the album was finished, the line-up was completed by Griffin and Graves.
Tripp Eisen was still very much a part of Static-X
, who were wrappin up their touring scenario for 2002 and imminently began writing their third album. Singer Wednesday 13
, recruited to replace original Rejects singer Dizzy. The two newest members are Ben and Erik, friends of Tripp's from LA. They do not play on the record, and both were struggling musicians who felt left out by the onslaught of post-grunge blandness and down-tuned rap-rock. They were working in shops on trendy Melrose Avenue when Tripp gave them a call.
Murderdolls released their debut album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls
, on August 19, 2002 via Roadrunner. The album featured Tripp’s lead guitar work, and he appeared in the band’s debut video, “Dead in Hollywood
”.
Eisen ultimately parted ways with the band due to Static-X’s recording schedule so he could fully contribute to the band’s third album, Shadow Zone
.
charge in Orange County, California
for having sexual intercourse
with an underage girl. He was released on bail
after only a few hours in custody. Just two weeks later, on February 24, 2005, Eisen was arrested again in California
by New Jersey
detectives for the alleged kidnapping
and sexual assault
of a 15-year-old girl from Sayreville, New Jersey
. New Jersey State Police alleged that Eisen posed as a Static-X fan on the Internet and lured the girl starting in October 2004 and culminating with sexual intercourse on January 7, 2005.
Upon hearing of the arrests, Static-X
fired Eisen and replaced him with the original guitarist Koichi Fukuda
(whom Eisen had replaced after Fukuda left the band in 2001). When Wayne Static
was asked about Eisen's firing he said: "I knew immediately that we were going to kick him out of the band. We had to do that."
On June 24, 2005, Eisen pled guilty to the California charges of statutory rape
and was sentenced to a year in state prison. After spending late February to late September 2005 in California prison, Eisen was released and due for an October 7, 2005 arraignment
in New Jersey on the February 24 charges.
Eisen was back in jail on December 10, 2008 following a parole violation. He was released on October 19, 2009.
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
. He is a former member of Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
, Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
, Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
tribute band Fractured Mirror, Roughhouse (formerly Teeze), and local east coast bands such as The Right, Ego, and Lovesick
In 2005 Eisen was arrested for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. He pled guilty to charges of statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
and was sentenced to one year in jail.
Dope
Dope was formed in 1997, when Eisen met with brothers Edsel DopeEdsel Dope
Edsel Dope is the lead singer and main songwriter for nu metal/industrial metal band, Dope, originally from New York City. Dope was founded on December 10, 1997 by Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope .Edsel co-produced all of Dope's albums...
and Simon Dope. Eisen brought in friend Preston Nash to play drums, and the band worked the NYC club circuit. In 1998, Dope was signed to Flip/Sony records, and Eisen moved from bass guitar to lead guitar, bringing in Acey Slade
Acey Slade
Acey Slade, , is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Acey Slade & The Dark Party. Previous to this he was the lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk rock band Trashlight Vision, which broke up September 12, 2007...
--who had first referred Eisen to Dope a few years earlier—to play bass. After the release of the album “Felons and Revolutionaries
Felons and revolutionaries
Felons and Revolutionaries is the debut album by American band, Dope. The album was released in 1999 on Epic Records and has sold over 236,000 copies in the United States; it was re-released on July 18, 2000, with the single "You Spin Me Round " as a bonus track...
” (1999) the band toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada with acts such as: Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Disturbed, Chevelle
Chevelle
Chevelle is an American alternative metal trio that formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band was originally composed of two brothers and a local friend: Pete Loeffler , Sam Loeffler , and Matt Scott . Matt was later replaced by brother Joe Loeffler...
, Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, Staind
Staind
Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...
, and Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. During this time, Eisen met Wayne Static
Wayne Static
Wayne Static is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and programmer for the industrial metal band Static-X. He released his first solo studio album Pighammer on October 4, 2011.- Early life :Static grew up in Shelby, Michigan before moving to Chicago and eventually...
and Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
, with whom he would later work. Eisen appeared in the Dope videos for “Sick” and “Everything Sucks”, and gained much notoriety from his wild antics and stage persona.
. He split with the band in late 2000 due to personal and creative differences.
The debut album sold in excess of 250,000 copies.
Murderdolls & Static-X
A side project formed by Joey JordisonJoey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and Tripp Eisen of Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
/ Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
. Circa 1999-2002.
The seeds of this project were sown years ago, in the mind and garage of Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
, under the name The Rejects. This was long before Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and nu-metal's all-conquering domination of the rock scene. The Rejects would eventually morph into Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
, and to Joey, this is no mere side-project.
Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
began to become more than just a figment of Joey's imagination (in 1999) when Slipknot toured with New Yorker's Dope, who had Eisen in their line-up at the time. The two bonded over a mutual love of such bands as Manowar, The Ramones and The Plasmatics.
"I had spent my whole life being kind of a glam guy, but also digging the heavy, heavy music," says Tripp, a soft-spoken man with dreadlocks that spout from his head like drooping asparagus. "It's rare to find someone who can relate to both, and that's what drew me to Joey. He's into Slayer and Twisted Sister with equal intensity, and there's not many people like that."
To Tripp, there's not all that much difference between the two. Both metal and glam are escapist and theatrical in nature, and he points out Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
both used pentagrams on their albums.
Together, during the off time from their respective bands, Joey and Tripp dug up some of Joey's old Rejects songs and dusted them off.
.
In 2000, they played several shows in Iowa, with original vocalist Dizzy, and also featuring a friend of Tripp’s, drummer Racci Shay
Racci Shay
Racci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
(who went on to play in the band Dope, and is in the current lineup of Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
). In 2001 the band continued to evolve, and added another acquaintance of Tripp’s, Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
on bass guitar (whom Tripp befriended while on tour with Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
). A few more live shows followed, and the name was changed to Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
. Soon after, the decision was made to move Wednesday into the frontman position. The recording of the album was moved into high gear.
Wednesday brought several of his own songs with him. Then, after the album was finished, the line-up was completed by Griffin and Graves.
Tripp Eisen was still very much a part of Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, who were wrappin up their touring scenario for 2002 and imminently began writing their third album. Singer Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
, recruited to replace original Rejects singer Dizzy. The two newest members are Ben and Erik, friends of Tripp's from LA. They do not play on the record, and both were struggling musicians who felt left out by the onslaught of post-grunge blandness and down-tuned rap-rock. They were working in shops on trendy Melrose Avenue when Tripp gave them a call.
Murderdolls released their debut album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls
Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls
Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls is the debut album of horror punk band Murderdolls. It was released in 2002 by Roadrunner Records. The album reached #40 on the UK Albums Chart, and sold 100,000 copies in the U.S....
, on August 19, 2002 via Roadrunner. The album featured Tripp’s lead guitar work, and he appeared in the band’s debut video, “Dead in Hollywood
Dead in Hollywood
"Dead in Hollywood" is a song by horror punk band Murderdolls from their debut album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls. The song is mainly a tribute to horror movies and their villains.-Origins:...
”.
Eisen ultimately parted ways with the band due to Static-X’s recording schedule so he could fully contribute to the band’s third album, Shadow Zone
Shadow Zone
Shadow Zone is the third album by the band Static-X, released on October 7, 2003. It is the first Static-X album that guitarist Tripp Eisen helped write and record. Nick Oshiro joined after the recording process. However, "Shadow Zone" is Static-X's only album without the use of profane language...
.
Sexual assault charges
While a member of Static-X, Eisen was arrested on February 10, 2005 on a felonyFelony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
charge in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
for having sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with an underage girl. He was released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
after only a few hours in custody. Just two weeks later, on February 24, 2005, Eisen was arrested again in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
detectives for the alleged kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
of a 15-year-old girl from Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 42,704....
. New Jersey State Police alleged that Eisen posed as a Static-X fan on the Internet and lured the girl starting in October 2004 and culminating with sexual intercourse on January 7, 2005.
Upon hearing of the arrests, Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
fired Eisen and replaced him with the original guitarist Koichi Fukuda
Koichi Fukuda
Koichi Fukuda is a Japanese American musician, and the lead guitarist, programmer, and keyboardist for the industrial metal band Static-X and Drugstore Fanatics -Biography:...
(whom Eisen had replaced after Fukuda left the band in 2001). When Wayne Static
Wayne Static
Wayne Static is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and programmer for the industrial metal band Static-X. He released his first solo studio album Pighammer on October 4, 2011.- Early life :Static grew up in Shelby, Michigan before moving to Chicago and eventually...
was asked about Eisen's firing he said: "I knew immediately that we were going to kick him out of the band. We had to do that."
On June 24, 2005, Eisen pled guilty to the California charges of statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
and was sentenced to a year in state prison. After spending late February to late September 2005 in California prison, Eisen was released and due for an October 7, 2005 arraignment
Arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
in New Jersey on the February 24 charges.
Eisen was back in jail on December 10, 2008 following a parole violation. He was released on October 19, 2009.