Murderdolls Biography
In a world where it's all too easy to point out everything that's wrong about music, Murderdolls represent everything that could be right. And with the release of their self-titled debut, everything that will be right…
That may sound like a bold mission statement from a band whose songs include such frightfully decadent ditties as "Love At First Fright," "Grave Robbing USA" and "Kill Miss America," but don't lose their point in the same self-righteous haze that's clouding over much of the modern music scene.
"I think a lot of kids will be medicated by this album, because it's not just another record with the depressing lyrics," says guitarist Joey Jordison, all too aware that he's treading in provocative water with Murderdolls, a drastic change of pace from his other band, Slipknot. "To me, that's the point - what would be the point of doing something even remotely like Slipknot? I don't play drums in this band, I don't wear a mask in this band and the music is the polar opposite. While still being heavy, it's a breath of fresh air compared to what I normally do because it's fun. It's catchier, more easily digestible and has that fun factor to it. There's nothing wrong with that because everything can't be heavy and depressed all the time."
"It's not like we're writing Weird Al Yankovic comedy stuff," clarifies frontman Wednesday, "but how do you take these Friday The 13th movies seriously? They put funny things into them and it's like that with our songs. There's not anything on this record that's been based on personal experiences. They're all like short stories…"
So when the frontman sings, "I'd rather cut you than the wedding cake, and your bloody guts on my rented tux, and 'I do,' 'I do,' 'I do wanna kill you,'" he's not exactly making his case for the sociopath of the month club. Instead, he's offering us a slice of Americana through the eyes of the slightly disenfranchised. "I live in North Carolina. My life is boring so what am I supposed to write about? I'm a movie junkie and horror movies are all I watch, so my lyrics are inspired by everything from Ed Wood, to Phantasm and Night Of The Living Dead." Not to mention a musical cross-section that would shatter any semblance of sanity, ranging from the most obscure outfits on the outskirts of the '80s glam metal scene, to the sexual ambiguity and punk rock piss and vinegar of Jane County. "What the f*** is going on with all these bands that look normal? Maybe that's why kids identify with them, because they can look like these guys, but I'm from a different school. If it didn't look cool, I didn't fucking buy it. They had to be glam and they had to look cool and I'm still like that with bands. It's important for people to see that there is something like us today, because a lot of kids don't remember The Plasmatics. I want to do a show like that. I want to bring the danger element back, just the way it needs to be, something new for today… Something as simple as singers who don't use mic stands anymore. I'm going to hold mine proud, like a battle axe!"
Murderdolls began as The Rejects more than seven years ago, the brainchild of Jordison long before Slipknot became this millennium's metal revolutionaries. His lineup experienced substantial growing pains before he met Tripp Eisen (now of Static-X) while touring together in '99. Tripp (then of Dope) joined Jordison and recruited Wednesday as a bassist. Bringing new songs of his own into the fold, it wasn't long before the bassist made the shift to lead singer. Eric Griffin and Ben Graves rounded out the band's lineup. A garage band in every sense of the word, they'd played only four shows with Jordison and Eisen on guitars, and had yet to perform with their new frontman upon the completion of the album. In fact, Jordison didn't even meet Wednesday until the day they entered the studio to record.
"It took a lot of balls for us to do what we're doing, because there are going to be people that don't understand it, don't get it, but we believe in it that much," says Jordison. "There are some songs on this album that were written in '95 and that's one of the things that I really like about this music. Twenty years from now, this music will still be good and it won't sound dated at all. There are a lot of songs - like "Die My Bride," "Slit My Wrist" and "Dead In Hollywood" - that have a very metal-esque influence to them, as well as just being punk, glam-metal, blood and guts rock 'n' roll. It's all very trashy too, just like the people that are in the band." As the band were about to release their debut, Eisen was forced to quit Murderdolls when 'Dolls touring plans clashed with recording plans for his 'day job' in Static-X. The band immediately enlisted their friend Acey Slade (also formerly of Dope), who joined Murderdolls forthwith.
"We're taking stuff from our favorite bands and doing it the way that we've always wanted it done, taking it to a place where we've never seen anybody try and take it," continues Wednesday. He cites Motley Crüe, Twisted Sister and Alice Cooper as significant influences on his share of Murderdolls' "violent Sex Pistols" sound. "We're bringing the danger aspect back!"
"I'm a danger addict, I can't get enough of it…" laughs Jordison, "and believe it or not, I'll probably be in more danger with these guys than I was with Slipknot, because I won't be protected by the kit. If those guys ever tried to get me, I could just rise up or move backwards… Now I'll have Acey's guitar head stuck up my ass, and there won't be anything I can do about it…"
Murderdolls Members:
Wednesday 13
Instrument: Vocals
Real Name: Joseph Poole
Joey Jordison
Instrument: Guitar
Real Name: Nathan Jonas Jordison
Nicknames: Superball
Acey Slade
Instrument: Guitar
Nicknames: Bones or Mr. Bones
Eric Griffin
Instrument: Bass
Nicknames: Nikki Nine
Ben Graves
Instrument: Drums
Nicknames: Ghoul
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), Dead In Hollywood, Love At First Fright και Die My Bride είναι τα αγαπημένα μου!
