Artist: Murderdolls Title: “Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls” (Special Edition) Label: Roadrunner Records Release Date: 10/21/2003 Genre: Horror Metal Rating: 4/5
The Murderdolls are a Horror Rock band that was originally formed by Tripp Eisen (Static-X) and Joey Jordison (Slipknot). They added front man Wednesday 13 to the lineup in 2001 and would release “Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls” in 2002 on Roadrunner Records. The album would also feature Ben Graves and Eric Griffin in the lineup and together the Shock was once again put to the Rock. Musically, The Murderdolls had a very Punk-influenced style that blended with Hard Rock and as result their songs were always quick paced hitters that ran either under or just over the three minute length. Every one of the tracks were done in macabre character fashion that they resembled and held a similar tongue in cheek style to them as they sang of robbing graves, sleeping with the dead or zombies and scream queens. If the listener could sit there and take any of this stuff seriously they were most definitely missing the point of what these guys were all about. They were out to make you shudder but it was also quite humorous at times as you find in “Love At First Fright” or “Dead In Hollywood” which references popular fright flick legends of the past. Of course you probably never thought you would find your foot tapping to a song called “Graverobbing U.S.A.” but it is going to happen because this stuff just makes you move. Continue reading “Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls” (Special Edition) by Murderdolls→
Artist: Alice Cooper Venue: Roseland Ballroom (New York, NY) Opener: Wednesday 13 Date: 10/21/2006 Label: New West Records
When I look back on my concert attendance over the past year it seems that I have not been to The Roseland Ballroom in quite a long time. Come to think of it there has not been a lot of Metal shows coming through town that have booked the venue and it seems as though anything worth attending has been at either B.B. King Blues Club, Irving Plaza or The Nokia Theatre anyway. It makes the rockers happy to know that no less than 4 major venues are at their immediate convenience and now we would all get the chance to enjoy someone who needed a place like Roseland, the Father Of Shock Rock – Alice Cooper!!!! I admit to being excited about this one, for while I have always enjoyed a major portion of his catalog, I had never seen him perform live outside of what was available on DVD. The show would take place very close to Halloween and I can think of no better time to enjoy a show like this. He would bring with him an opener of similar style and vibe, the Horror Rocker Wednesday 13. Here is what went down for the show. Continue reading Alice Cooper @ Roseland Ballroom (10/21/2006)→
Artist: Wednesday 13 Title: “Fang Bang” Label: Rykodisc Release Date: 8/29/2006 Genre: Gothic Punk Rock Rating: 4.5/5
Take one part movie monster, add a dash of graveyard romanticism, some grave-robbing along with a foot stomping Punky Rock & Roll backbeat and you have Wednesday 13’s newest CD “Fang Bang”. The singer/guitarists first effort on Rykodisc is actually his second album after moving on from The Murderdolls. With “Fang Bang”, fans of the quirky and the macabre will surely get themselves gory with delight as the ghoulish front man delivers some sinister and twisted tunes. 13 speaks of the album as a lot closer to the kind of music he did with Frankenstein Drag Queens more than Murderdolls and having heard neither for more than a song or two will have to trust him on this. The album is a lot of fun pretty much from start to finish, and while he is singing about some of the most horrific subjects, he does it with a sense of humor that makes you shudder but at the same time smile and stomp. The music also finds Wednesday in different character modes as a grave-robbing transvestite during “Happily Ever Cadaver” and someone who lived with his dead girlfriend (if I was listening properly) for “Morgue Than Words”. Yes it sounds disgusting but it worked oh so very well and you will find them appealing and be ready to form your own Gothic Punk inspired mosh pit. Musically the album is slamming and catchy as he brings some of the Hollywood horror movie folks into the mix for good measure. There are songs about the American Werewolves, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers to mix it up to the best possible fashion. For those that don’t pay attention to those movie things the latter two are from the “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” films and if you never thought you would want to dance to their stories then this is the album to prove you wrong. Just try to sit still during those favorites of mine “Haddonfield” and “Till Death Do Us Party” – the quick-witted titles of the songs is just another example of Wednesday 13’s amusing sense of humor and it works quite well on the songs. Continue reading “Fang Bang” by Wednesday 13→
