When Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in February, lead singer Wayne Static acted fast.

"I knew immediately that we were going to kick him out of the band," Static says. "We had to do that."

The band, who released their fourth album, Start a War, earlier this month, is on tour through August.

Eisen, born Tod Rex Salvador, was arraigned last Friday and will spend his fortieth birthday tomorrow at the Intake Release Center for Men in Santa Ana, California, where he is being held without bail. He was arrested in Orange County on February 10th on charges of committing a "lewd act on a child," and released after posting $100,000 bail. Two weeks later, he was arrested again after a New Jersey woman called authorities claiming that her fourteen-year-old daughter had sex with Eisen, who was posing as his own impersonator. For that incident, he is facing charges of kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated sexual assault and use of a motor vehicle for criminal purposes. His next court date is September 19th.

At the time of Eisen's arrests, Static-X were recording Start a War, with help from former guitarist Koichi Fukuda, who quit the band after the band's 1999 platinum-selling debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, and was replaced by Eisen. "We invited [Fukuda] back to do some programming on the record," Static says. "Then Tripp got arrested . . . My first thought was let's ask Koichi if he wants to rejoin. I just crossed my fingers and, lucky for us, he said yes."

Eisen's presence is felt on Start a War, as he penned music and lyrics for songs like "The Enemy," "I'm the One," "Pieces" and "Otsego Amigo." But, according to Static, Koichi's return is also a return to the more playful sound of the band's debut. "We wanted to try to recreate the fun spirit of Wisconsin Death Trip," Static says. "Having Koichi back, with his flavor, helped.

"It's not that we didn't have fun writing the last album [2003's Shadow Zone], but you could just tell that we were very serious about the songwriting," Static continues. "This time around, we decided to get drunk and try to not confine ourselves to trying to write great songs. We wanted to get some cool riffs going, start screaming again and have a good time."

Static-X tour dates:

6/28: McAllen, TX, La Villa Real Special Events Center
6/30: El Paso, TX, Corral Nightclub
7/1: Dallas, Lakewood Theatre
7/2: Odessa, TX, Dos Amigos
7/5: Houston, Meridian
7/6: New Orleans, TwiRoPa
7/7: Fort Walton Beach, FL, The Swamp
7/8: Lake Buena Vista, FL, House of Blues
7/9: Fort Lauderdale, Culture Room
7/11: Saint Petersburg, FL, State Theatre
7/12: Atlanta, The Masquerade
7/14: Jacksonville, NC, Planet Rock
7/15: Fayetteville, NC, Jesters Pub
7/16: Johnson City, TN, Sophisticated Otter
7/18: Cleveland, House of Blues
7/19: Milwaukee, WI, The Rave / Eagles Club
7/20: Traverse City, MI, Streeter's
7/21: Flint, MI, Machine Shop
7/23: Minneapolis, First Avenue
7/24: Loves Park, IL, Forest Hill Lodge
7/25: Covington, KY, Madison Theatre
7/26: Chicago, House of Blues
7/27: Indianapolis, The Music Mill
7/29: Allentown, PA, Crocodile Rock Cafe
7/30: Hartford, CT, Webster Theatre/Underground
8/2: New York, Irving Plaza
8/3: Philadelphia, The Trocadero and Balcony Bar
8/4: Atlantic City, NJ, House of Blues
8/5: Baltimore, MD, Sonar
8/7: Fort Wayne, IN, Piere's
8/8: Sauget, IL, Pop's
8/9: Columbia, MO, Blue Note
8/12: Spokane, WA, Big Easy
8/13: Boise, ID, Big Easy
8/14: Seattle, El Corazon
8/15: Portland, Roseland Theater