Murderdolls

Murderdolls

Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	2002 in Hollywood, California, United States
Founder	Wednesday 13, Joey Jordison
Defunct	2011
Headquarters	Hollywood, California , United States
Key people	Wednesday 13, Joey Jordison
Products	Studio albums: Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2002), Women and Children Last (2010)

Murderdolls was a rock group originating from Hollywood, California, established in 2002. The principal figures in the band were Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison, with past touring contributors including Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin, and Tripp Eisen.

The band produced two studio albums: Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2002) and Women and Children Last (2010). Although their initial impact in the United States was modest, their work found greater commercial success across Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. In July 2013, Wednesday 13 officially announced the group's disbandment.

Characteristics

Murderdolls' musical style is a fusion of punk rock combined with hard rock elements reminiscent of the 1970s era, influenced by acts such as Kiss and Alice Cooper. Their aesthetic and thematic content heavily reference horror cinema.

The band's lyrics adopt a playful and ironic tone, addressing topics like necrophilia, grave robbing, and cross-dressing with a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Critics frequently characterize Murderdolls as a blend of "Mötley Crüe meets the Misfits," emphasizing their combination of glam metal flair with horror punk sensibilities.

Early years

Murderdolls' roots are sometimes linked back to 1994 with The Rejects, a band from Des Moines, Iowa that included Joey Jordison alongside vocalist Dizzy Draztik. While their sound anticipated Murderdolls’ style, their lyrics did not yet embrace horror themes.

The Rejects dissolved following Jordison’s other band Slipknot securing a major label deal. During the 1999 Ozzfest tour, Jordison assembled Tripp Eisen and drummer Racci Shay for a project intended to revive The Rejects. Bassist Ian, previously part of Vampire Love Dolls, performed live with them.

Formation, Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2001–2002)

Dizzy Draztik introduced Joey Jordison to Wednesday 13’s horror punk band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13. In November 2001, Wednesday 13 joined The Rejects as bassist but soon took over as lead vocalist after Draztik’s exit. The group then rebranded as Murderdolls, embracing a horror-themed direction largely shaped by Wednesday 13’s songwriting, incorporating many tracks originally recorded with his former band.

A demo recorded by Wednesday 13, Jordison, and Eisen eventually developed into their debut album. Released through Roadrunner Records—thanks to Eisen and Jordison’s existing connections—the album primarily features Wednesday 13 and Jordison handling all vocals and instrumentation, with Eisen providing guitar solos.

In March 2002, Boston musicians Ben Graves and Eric Griffin joined the lineup following Eisen’s recommendation; although they appeared in promotional photos for the album, they did not perform on the recording. Murderdolls played their first live show on July 30, 2002.

Prior to releasing their full-length album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls, an EP titled Right to Remain Violent was issued. The album contained fifteen tracks—mostly authored by Wednesday 13 and previously recorded with Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13. The song "Welcome to the Strange" was featured on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack and later included as a bonus track alongside "White Wedding," a cover of Billy Idol’s hit single.

Marketing efforts positioned the album as Joey Jordison’s side project or as a collaboration with Tripp Eisen; Wednesday 13’s significant role as primary songwriter was initially downplayed. The lead single "Dead in Hollywood" included Marilyn Manson in its music video, highlighting mutual artistic support.

In July 2002, Tripp Eisen departed to concentrate on Static-X’s upcoming album; Acey Slade then took over guitar duties.

Touring (2002–2004)

The Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls World Tour kicked off in the United States, visiting cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and Jordison's home state of Iowa. Their significant breakthrough occurred at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo on August 18, 2002, shortly before their debut album's release, which helped establish a fanbase in Japan.

Following this, they embarked on a European tour that included stops in the UK—where AntiProduct supported them and their lead vocalist Alex Kane temporarily filled in on bass for Griffin—and Ireland.

Touring extended through 2002 and 2003 with performances at prominent festivals like Australia's Big Day Out, where they followed headliners Queens of the Stone Age and Foo Fighters. Critics commended their energetic stage presence. They also appeared at Download Festival and Rock am Ring, both events headlined by Iron Maiden.

The group recorded a rendition of Billy Idol's "White Wedding", accompanied by a music video parodying pop star competitions such as the Idol franchise. This cover was released as a single in the UK and performed on Top of the Pops.

In mid-2003, Murderdolls co-headlined a tour across England with Roadrunner Records labelmates Stone Sour, which featured Jordison's Slipknot bandmates Corey Taylor and James Root.

Towards the end of 2003, they toured Europe to promote a reissue of their debut album that included the Billy Idol cover along with five additional tracks and B-sides: "Let's Fuck", "I Take Drugs", "Crash Crash", "Welcome to the Strange", and "I Love to Say Fuck" (the last two previously recorded by Wednesday 13's Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13). This tour spanned Spain, Italy, Croatia, Scandinavia, and wrapped up with four UK dates supported by psychobilly outfit Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster.

Their final concert took place on January 17, 2004, in Corona, California, after which the band entered an indefinite hiatus as Jordison returned to Slipknot. Both Wednesday 13 and Jordison have maintained that Murderdolls never officially dissolved and have expressed intentions to record a sophomore album. In 2009, Slade indicated openness to reforming but noted scheduling conflicts among members as a hindrance.

Reunion, Women and Children Last and breakup (2010–2011)

During a solo Australian tour in February 2010, Wednesday 13 contemplated producing another Murderdolls album, prioritizing it if circumstances allowed.

By March 2010, Joey Jordison confirmed that Murderdolls had reunited with Wednesday 13 and were collaborating with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris. Jordison highlighted their goal to defy industry conventions and avoid predictable music formulas.

A revamped lineup was announced excluding Slade, Griffin, and Graves; new members included drummer Racci Shay, guitarist Roman Surman, and bassist Jack Tankersley.

Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars made a guest appearance while working on his own solo project. Recording for Women and Children Last was completed by April 15. Jordison regarded this album as the first authentic Murderdolls record.

Plans for a North American tour were canceled due to Jordison’s commitments with Rob Zombie and the passing of Slipknot bandmate Paul Gray. The band performed only two shows in California during June to support the album; one of these was released on DVD as part of a special edition package. Jordison resumed touring with Zombie in July.

Both Jordison and Wednesday 13 described Women and Children Last as their initial true collaboration featuring enhanced production quality compared to their debut. The album was created while secluded in a Hollywood Hills mansion to cultivate a unique sound free from external influence.

The release date was August 31, 2010, through Roadrunner Records.

Promotion efforts included opening for Guns N' Roses on European dates, appearances at Ozzfest UK, joining Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper on the Halloween Hootenanny Tour—where Jordison performed double duty—and an appearance on Fuel TV's The Daily Habit. A headlining North American tour was scheduled for December, followed by UK dates and co-headlining Australia's Soundwave Festival.

A music video for "Nowhere" was planned for November 29, 2010, coinciding with the Violent Night, Deadly Night Tour, which was eventually canceled due to family matters.

Murderdolls’ final live show took place on April 24, 2011; this marked the last contact between Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13. In March 2013, Wednesday 13 confirmed that the band had officially disbanded in 2011.

Post-breakup

In 2017, Wednesday 13 showed enthusiasm for bringing the Murderdolls back together, with Joey Jordison potentially participating. By July 2018, Jordison revealed that new tracks were prepared and a reunion could happen when the timing was right. Nevertheless, by February 2019, Wednesday 13 confirmed that no reunion had advanced, although their personal relationship remained intact.

On May 9, 2018, Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, the band’s former drummer, passed away from cancer at age 45. To pay tribute, Wednesday 13, Eric Griffin, and Acey Slade reunited after a 14-year hiatus. Joey Jordison died on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46.

Former members

• Wednesday 13 – lead vocals, studio guitars and bass (2002–2004, 2010–2011, 2018)
• Joey Jordison – guitars, backing vocals, studio drums, percussion, keyboards and piano (2002–2004, 2010–2011; died 2021)
• Tripp Eisen – guitars, backing vocals (2002)
• Eric Griffin – bass, backing vocals (2002–2004, 2018)
• Ben Graves – drums (2002–2004; died 2018)
• Acey Slade – guitars, backing vocals (2002–2004, 2018)

Touring members

• Alex Kane – bass (2002), guitars (2018)
• Roman Surman – guitars, backing vocals (2010–2011)
• Jack Tankersley – bass (2010–2011)
• Racci Shay Hart – drums (2010–2011)
• Jason West – drums (2011)
• Johnny Kelly – drums (2018)

Discography

Studio albums

• Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2002)
• Women and Children Last (2010)