GLAM, BAM, BOOM - MURDERDOLLS

Hit Parader Magazine

November 2002

Joey Jordison certainly knows how to attract attention. The first time this ever-clever rocker attempted to garner some public acclaim for a band, the results were a chart-topping run for Jordison's primary project, Slipknot, for whom he's played drums since that group's formation some seven years ago. But while he was working hard to earn the Knot's darkly menacing metal sound a permanent place in the public psyche, he was dreaming of turning his "other" band, the Murderdolls, into a unit capable of having just as much commercial and artistic impact upon the hard rock scene. Now, with the release of that groups first album, Beyond The Valley of the Murderdolls, it appears that Jordison (who plays guitar in this outfit), vocalist Wednesday13, guitarist Tripp Eisen (on loan from Static-X), bassist Erik Griffin and drummer Ben Graves are about to explode on a still-unsuspecting New Metal scene. Recently we had the chance to talk to Jordison about his new unit and where the Murderdolls fit into today's hard rock hierarchy. 

Q: Tell us about the roots of the Murderdolls.

JOEY: This band goes all the way pack to 1995... even before Slipknot. I started with Slipknot in September of that year, and this band actually started making music a few months before that. We were called the Rejects at that time, but it’s still the same basic concept now that we’re the Muderdolls. What happened in the beginning was that Slipknot became my primary focus, and then I'd play shows with the Murderdolls when ever my schedule would allow it. It kept going like that right up until the time that Slipknot went into the studio to make the first album. That's when I had to put the Murderdolls on the back burner. In my mind the band never stopped, it was just something that I couldn't focus on at that time. I knew when the time was right, the Murderdolls would be back.

Q: What makes this the right time for the Murderdolls?

JOEY: The most basic reason is that we've put together enough great songs to make an album. We've been working on this album on-and-off over the last few years, recording a month or so at-a-time whenever we all had the chance, and we ended up having 21 songs done. We decided to take the 15 best and put them on this album. It’s the right time for the Murderdolls to make their mark. The world needs us— this kind of music is exactly what everyone needs to hear right now. There's nothing else like it out there. At least, I'm not hearing anything like this. You've got great playing on this album — Tripp's leads just rock! And there’s no question that Wednesday is gonna end up being a huge star. 

Q: Has the band maintained this lineup since 1995?

JOEY: No, it's been completely re-worked in the last two years. I started it with the original singer. But he left about a year ago, and that's when things really started to change. We found Wednesday, which was a very big deal, and everyone else just kind of fell into place. Wednesday and I wrote most of the new songs in a relatively short time, and things just took off from there. Once I knew that we had the material together, making an album was the next logical step.

Q: The music you make has been called “classic metal”, “glam metal”, “riff rock” and just about everything in between. How do you feel about that?

JOEY: We've heard it all, and it’s all okay with us. It's basic rock and roll to us. It's very aggressive, and it's got a definite attitude, but it's not something that’s going to make people say, “Hey, that’s something totally new.” It’s not. It's the kind of rock that I love— the kind of stuff I grew up listening to. I loved the New York Dolls, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue, those kinds of bands. The problem is that nobody is playing that kind of music these days. That's why I keep saying that the Murderdolls are needed right now.

Q: There has been some criticism in certain circles in regard to the lyrical content of the album. It’s kind’a nasty and somewhat dangerous. How do you respond to that?

JOEY: You can’t take everything you hear on the album at face value. We did a lot of the songs in a very tongue-in-cheek manner. We know that some of the things we say will rub people the wrong way, but that’s the whole point. We don’t want anyone to take what we do seriously. You can’t take it literally. That would be very stupid. But if you approach it from the rock and roll perspective— which is our perspective— it’s all kind of fun... and kind of funny.

Q: We're curious— what made you decide to play guitar in the Murderdolls?

JOEY: Actually, the guitar was my first instrument... before I switched over to playing drums. I started with the guitar when I was a little kid— maybe about five. I've always been pretty good at it, but the guitar has always been a struggle for me. I’ve worked really hard to get somewhere with that instrument. With the drums, it was different. I was pretty good on them from the moment I started. I guess most people— especially Slipknot fans— will always think of me as being a drummer, but I am proud of my guitar playing.

Q: We've got to ask the most obvious question; how does the success of the Murderdolls impact on the future of Slipknot?

JOEY: It really shouldn’t have any impact on Slipknot. I’m still very much a part of that band, and I’m very proud of everything that we've been able to accomplish. We just needed a bit of a break from everything that’s happened to us over the last few years, and this is what I’m doing with my time off. I speak to the guys in Slipknot all the time, in fact we just had a big meeting last week, and we should be getting together to start writing and recording by the end of the year. Trust me, Slipknot will be back, but right now my attention is with the Murderdolls.

Q: How does it feel to be letting people see your face for the first time after all the years in Slipknot?

JOEY: It's been very interesting. Some Slipknot fans feel that none of us should ever show our faces. I kind of understand that. But this band isn’t Slipknot. It’s something else entirely.

(Interview by P.J. MERKLE)