Murderdolls interview: Joey Jordison and Wednesday13
Koox Magazine (Croatia)
June 17th 2003
NOTE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW
This (very) old interview with Joey Jordison (Murderdolls, Slipknot) and Wednesday 13 was originally intended for publication in 2003, in the third issue of KooX magazine. Since that publication has since ceased to exist, the interview remained unpublished until today.
With the passage of time, the conversation takes on added weight and documentary value, especially in light of the fact that Joey Jordison, the legendary Slipknot drummer, passed away on July 26, 2021.
The interview took place on June 17, 2003, at the stadium in Velika Gorica, ahead of a performance by the Murderdolls, who were then serving as the opening act for Iron Maiden on their *Give Me Ed... 'Til I'm Dead* tour.
THE ARTICLE
The Iron Maiden concert in Velika Gorica was, without a doubt, the heavy metal event of the decade in our country. The honor of opening the evening went to a fresh act from the American scene, the modern shock-rockers, Murderdolls. Their debut album, 'Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls', released last year via the Roadrunner label, garnered significant media attention, largely due to its intriguing retro glam-metal style. Another contributing factor was the presence of two prominent members from globally renowned nu-metal bands: Joey Jordison of Slipknot and Tripp Eisen, the guitarist for Static-X. I spoke with Murderdolls frontman Wednesday13 and guitarist Joey just before they took the stage, naturally, I didn't miss the chance to ask about one of the pillars of the nu-metal scene: those nine masked eccentrics known as Slipknot!
Q: This is your first time visiting Croatia. I’m curious, what are your impressions so far?
Joey: The girls here are truly beautiful! I’ve seen some real lookers. Everyone is very kind, and the food is surprisingly good. Yesterday, we went to an excellent restaurant...
WEDNESDAY: The steak was fantastic! (laughs)
JOEY: The lasagna, too! You know, we haven’t had a chance to see much, we’ve only been here for a short time. But everyone is incredibly kind. Yesterday, we took a walk along the main street in Zagreb; there were quite a lot of people. The city, the food, and the girls, those are the things I like the most!
Q: What are your expectations for tonight’s concert? You’re likely aware that tickets have sold out, in other words, the stadium will be full.
JOEY: Yes, we know there are no tickets left. On this tour, Iron Maiden are the main attraction; we are their guests. It’s a great opportunity for as many new people as possible, potential fans, to hear us and try to grasp what we do. So far, all the shows have been very good, and we’ve been performing in front of large audiences. I’ve never been to Croatia before, so I’m especially looking forward to tonight’s performance.
Q: It is well known that your musical style is quite different from that of Iron Maiden—tonight’s headliners, who are the reason the vast majority of people have come to the stadium in Velika Gorica. The media have portrayed you as a nu-metal band, which is clearly not a plus among heavy metal fans.
JOEY: For us, it’s a daily challenge. The audience consists primarily of traditional metal fans—a "metal-metal" crowd, whereas we are more of a rock 'n' roll band. You see, we share the same management, which is why we’re on tour with Iron Maiden. It’s been a great opportunity to prove ourselves, even to those hardcore metal fans who don’t like us. That doesn’t bother us; we knew what to expect going in. And so, every time we step onto the stage, our primary goal is to win over as many new fans as possible by presenting Murderdolls’ music in the best way we can.
WEDNESDAY: Metalheads, we’re going to blow you away, whether you like it or not! (laughs) Sometimes they don’t like it. When we first appeared, the reaction was basically: “Hey, what the hell are you guys doing here?” Still, we managed to provoke a reaction, and most people accepted us. There was a huge crowd—much like today—around 25,000 people. If 5,000 of them end up liking us, that’s a major recognition and achievement for us.
Q: At the end of last summer, you released your first album, titled *Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls*. How many copies have been sold so far?
JOEY: It depends on which part of the world you are referring to. Around 300,000 copies have been sold worldwide.
Q: I’ve heard that the majority of that figure accounts for Europe. Is that correct?
JOEY: Yes, the album is selling best in the UK and the rest of Europe. Japan is also a good market for Murderdolls, followed by Australia and the US. Essentially, we haven't performed much in America, so it makes sense that we’re doing best in Europe.
Q: I must admit that your album came as a great surprise to me. You are, in fact, a rather atypical band by today’s standards—and for your label, Roadrunner Records, as well. It is well known that nu metal is currently the most prominent and highly visible form of music, whereas the strongest influence on the music of Murderdolls is the somewhat forgotten glam metal of the eighties.
WEDNESDAY: Yes, we are definitely not a typical Roadrunner band. I remember when I first got into music; back then, there were a large number of heavy bands on the Roadrunner label. However, I don’t consider us an explicitly heavy band, which is why it’s a bit unusual that Murderdolls are part of Roadrunner. At the same time, I knew that what we do is sincere and committed—something that resonates with many people. I didn’t expect our arrival to spark some kind of phenomenon, because we aren’t really doing anything entirely new. We play the music we love and grew up with.
The best thing about us is that we aren’t a product of MTV or radio stations. As I said, we simply got together and started playing the music we love. That’s why all these positive reactions from people are fantastic. Moreover, I feel—and I know—that we are gradually building a real army; just think of all those kids in the UK. It’s extremely important to me that this process happens slowly and gradually, rather than having fans suddenly appear only to vanish a month later. That is why we are building a genuine audience through our underground style, and I am confident that they will remain loyal to us for a long time to come.
Q: Personally, I’m very glad about that. Glam metal has always had its own value and charm; I’ve always regretted that it faded away in the early nineties. You are the first in a long time to have somewhat revived that sound—and right now, you’re even more popular and successful than your own idols!
WEDNESDAY: (laughs) Alright, we’re not quite that popular! The thing is, we actually grew up with their music, so we can easily recall every phase of their careers. For instance, we’re huge Mötley Crüe fans, but that doesn’t mean we like absolutely everything they’ve ever done. So, when we say we love a band, it means we love a specific era—not every single move they’ve made. We love the *Shout at the Devil*-era Mötley Crüe, back when they looked like monsters and terrified every parent. From each of our personal favorites, we took that scariest, horror-inspired element and reworked it in the Murderdolls style.
JOEY: Yes, it’s about the most aggressive side of our favorite bands. Their very appearance shocked almost everyone—especially the first few albums by Twisted Sister and Mötley Crüe. After that, they changed, and I stopped listening to them. We took elements from those early phases and added even heavier riffs.
WEDNESDAY: Part of our image is also derived from that phase. As you can see, we use make-up—but we don’t look like women wearing make-up; we look like monsters. We will definitely keep that aspect. Over time, Twisted Sister and Mötley Crüe became sterile and boring, which is why they failed. We witnessed that process, which is a very positive thing. We learned from their mistakes and won’t repeat them.
Q: Looking at the lyrics, it’s clear that they are quite provocative and unsettling. How would you describe them to someone who isn’t really familiar with this scene? What is your main goal, and what do you hope to achieve with them?
WEDNESDAY: It’s all just for fun. I don’t write poetry; I’m not trying to change the world. Our lyrics are purely meant for entertainment and comedy. In that sense, I took inspiration from Alice Cooper—my idol. Sarcasm is an essential ingredient in his lyrics. Many people also compare us to the Misfits—a band we love—but, in my view, our lyrics are inspired by Alice Cooper and horror movies.
For Murderdolls, our lyrics also serve as an escape from the boredom of everyday life. We aren’t the type of band that sings about a depressing childhood, bad parents, hating school, or anything like that. It seems like everyone is singing about those things these days, but no one is singing about teenage zombies—like in our song "Grave Robbing U.S.A." It’s just entertainment—a fun, endearingly silly fantasy, much like watching a horror movie. When you listen to our album, you just think, "Wow, this is really cool!" And that’s it—there’s no grand philosophy here; you don’t need to look for or extract some deep message from the lyrics. For instance, I’m not promoting suicide, as some might mistakenly think. Don’t over analyze it, because, as I said, everything was conceived and created solely for the sake of being entertaining.
Q: It’s clear that you’re a big fan of horror movies. How do you feel about the idea of Murderdolls material appearing on a soundtrack one day?
WEDNESDAY: Absolutely fantastic—that would be totally cool! I’m not up to speed on the current situation regarding new films, but I’m sure our music would be a perfect fit for one of them. I can’t even remember the last time I heard a good soundtrack—the only exception being the latest thing Rob Zombie did. Everything else is just the usual crap.
Q: Could you give me some idea of what the future holds for the band? What comes after the tour with Iron Maiden?
WEDNESDAY: We are already preparing a new album. We’ve been writing the whole time, so most of the material is already ready. We just need to select the best tracks from what we have. I have plenty of ideas, and so does Joey. By the time we head back into the studio at the end of the year, I hope we’ll have about 13 or 14 songs to craft a new, kick-ass album. Our goal is to record excellent albums, keep evolving, and push things further with every subsequent release. I think we’ll pull it off!
JOEY: We certainly will! That is a step we have already taken. The new material will definitely confirm and justify our optimism. The new tracks are more mature than those on the first album.
WEDNESDAY: I am certain that I write songs better now than I did before. I have always written on my own, without any outside influence or supervision. Joey is a great help to me now. Previously, I didn’t have anyone in the studio to push me, to compel me to give my absolute best and sing even better. Back then, I would sing just enough to satisfy my own taste, but today there is a higher standard I must reach. There is no doubt, therefore, that all of this will be reflected in the next album.
Q: Joey, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you a few questions about Slipknot, if you don’t mind.
JOEY: Of course not—go right ahead!
Q: Right now, what I’m most interested in is when we can expect a new album.
JOEY: Early next year. The album is already written; now we need to record it. We’ll head into the studio in early September and spend a few months recording. After that, we have to wait until the holiday season in the U.S. has passed, at which point we’ll release the album and kick off the next promotional tour.
Q: Is it true that it will be more similar to the first CD than to the last one, *Iowa*?
JOEY: That’s right, I’m pretty sure of it.
Okay, it won’t be identical, but it will be a true Slipknot album. We want to continue with our signature sound, so that every time someone buys a Slipknot CD, they get exactly what they expect—the real Slipknot!
Q: Slipknot is one of today’s phenomena, as you are not an ordinary nu metal band with an exclusively nu metal audience; you are embraced and listened to even by black/death metal fans.
JOEY: Yes, especially because of my playing style. The new album will also be of interest to them; it will feature some of the longest and fastest blast-beat sections I have ever played. So, there will once again be many black metal influences.
Q: It’s clear that, much like Phil Anselmo—the now-former vocalist of Pantera, you’ve also gotten pretty deep into black metal. Could you name a few personal favorites?
JOEY: As for black metal... damn... I love so much of it! Darkthrone, Dark Funeral, Immortal, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir. The list is incredibly long; I could go on naming them until tomorrow. My personal taste is quite diverse, but I really do love black metal. Naglfar, Notre Dame...
Q: Lately, there has been a lot of talk in the media about Slipknot breaking up after the next album. What’s your take on that?
JOEY: I don’t believe that; I never said any such thing*! Corey might have, but once the band gets back together and starts playing, I think people will change their minds.
Q: So, it’s just more ordinary, stupid rumors again?
JOEY: Exactly, for the most part, they’re just rumors.
Q: What does Murderdolls represent to you personally, a real band or a side project?
JOEY: Murderdolls is just as important to me as Slipknot. I don’t want to do anything half-heartedly; there has to be enough energy and passion in everything for me to commit to it. Besides, I wouldn’t even be in Croatia right now if Murderdolls were merely a side project.
Q: Do you have any plans to work on a black metal project?
JOEY: Yes, I’m already working on a black metal project with Killjoy from Necrophagia.
Q: Under what name does this project operate? I assume it has one...
JOEY: It has a name, but I won’t reveal it because we intend to change it soon anyway. We don’t yet know which label will release the material; we are choosing between Candlelight Records, Season of Mist, and Sanctuary Records.
Q: How come Roadrunner isn’t mentioned this time around? (laughs)
JOEY: Well, I don’t think they’d want to take a third one of my bands! You see, I won’t be going on tour with that project. It’s strictly a studio project.
Q: Joey and Wednesday, thank you for your time. Have a great time and enjoy the concert tonight!
JOEY & WEDNESDAY: Thanks, you too!
Q: To wrap things up, how about the usual, a message for Slipknot and Murderdolls fans in Croatia?
JOEY: What I can say is pretty standard. Thank you for the support you’ve shown for all the bands I work with. I know there are many bands with different musical directions, but if you buy my albums, I am especially grateful and truly appreciate your trust. Croatia is a beautiful country, and I’m glad I had the chance to come here!
WEDNESDAY: The same goes for me. Greetings, everyone!
NOTES
"I never said anything such thing!": Mick Thomson once grumpily told Guitarist that "I don't read the shit they print about me in magazines and I don't read my interviews, because I have quotes around something that I never actually said. Then I get pissed off and stop doing interviews for a year. So I have no idea. I can't allow myself to be shaped by what somebody else's opinion might be."
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