Murderdolls
Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls
2002 Roadrunner Records
Reviewed by Sean Thompson

What is wrong with rock these days? Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling
Stones are generating massive income from those old farts who actually
remember when they were cool, Marilyn Manson has become about as
mainstream as Coke, and Ozzy has his own sitcom (although I must admit to
it being one of my guilty pleasures to watch!). Despite a sudden upsurge
in the power punk movement (thank you, The Vines, White Stripes, et al!),
there is still something missing. Something to give rock a little kick in
the ass and some flavor. Enter the Murderdolls. Formed by Joey Jordison as
a side project from his main band of evildoers, Slipknot, the Murderdolls
offer something that hasn't been heard in awhile. Are they original? Well,
not really. Do they sound like Slipknot, you may ask? Absolutely not.
Let's sidle up to the bar and take a look at the shots that go into making
the Murderdolls what they are: equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Motley Crue, Hanoi Rocks, White Zombie (before Rob left to do dance
music), old time horror movies, and yes, even Marilyn Manson. This
combination serves the Murderdolls well in the fact that they obviously
never take themselves even remotely serious for half a second. If I had to
coin a genre name for them, it would have to be Glam-Punk Death Metal with
a very sick sense of humor tossed in (as evidenced in their decision to be
the "band in the background" on the upcoming Halloween episode of
"Dawson's Creek"!). In short, I love them. With song titles such as "Dead
In Hollywood", "She Was A Teenage Zombie", "Grave Robbing U.S.A.", and the
anthemic "197666", the Murderdolls prove how much fun rock and roll can
still be. Parents will hate them and teenage headbangers, desperate for
something other than indie college pseudo punk, will adore them. "Dawn Of
The Dead" and "Die My Bride" are reminiscent of the Misfits, while "Let's
Go To War" and "People Hate Me" have a hint of The Ramones heating up the
mix. Altogether there are 15 tracks on this debut disc, but I don't think
any song surpasses the 3 minute mark (yet another homage to The Ramones?).
Will the Murderdolls change the world? Will they turn rock on its head?
Will they even record another album? Who knows and who really cares! This
debut is worthy of a listen if you aren't too old to remember when rock
and roll was excessive, fun, and dirty. Yes there is language and the song
titles alone should indicate that the lyrics are not always for the faint
of heart. But the Murderdolls deliver something that even the revered Rev.
Manson cannot seem to muster up anymore: The Murderdolls are sick fun.