Customer Reviews

Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I think the problem being that a majority of the fans of slipnot and static-x don't truly understand this project. It's a total ode to the Misfits (The best campy horror band ever). The lyrics on a misfit album are cheesey campy just like the murder dolls. But they add a more modern harder new metal feel to it. I guess if you are a fan of the misfits you can clearly see what I am saying. This disc rocks.

Now when I 1st picked this album up in july, i bought it because i liked static-x and LOVED slipknot so when i popped this baby in, i listened to the 1st 3 tracks and i was like what is this bulls***! so i set it aside until about two weeks ago, when i really had nothing to listen to and i had 45min to kill so i pop this album in my walkman and as i sit down to listen to this album i am not looking at it is a slipknot or static-x album i look at it as a murderdolls album & i found it quite enjoyable. sure murderdolls can't even compete with slipknot but there still good and i usually don't listen to bands with lyrics that aren't always serious. Still i found this to be overal a good metal album heres my review on the tracks below...........

slit my wrist - 5/5 awesome opening track the lyrics are really well done in this song

Twist my sister - 3.5/5 another good song and the guitars are awesome but its a little to short & repetitive

Dead in hollywood - 4/5 Good choice for a single Joey might be a better drumemr then he is guitarist but none the less he is a very good guitarist.

Love at first fright - 6/5 I believe this is another single and its one of my favorite's off of this album the lyrics are funny & catchy

People hate me - 5/5 another great song if, one of the few songs on the album were the lyrics aren't about horror movies.

She was a teenage zombie - 3.5/5 Ughhhh decent but definetly not my favorite

Die my bride - 4/5 a good song the lyrics could have been better though

Grave robbing u.s. - 4/5 A funny song i found myself laughing the 1st time I listening to this song.

197666 - 5/5 Another favorite of mine the short guitar solo is awesome and most obviously get the 666 portion of it

Dawn of the dead - 6/5 Catchy as hell. another great metal/glam song

Let's go to war - 3/5- one of the few songs on this album that isn't to strong

dressed to depress - 4.5/5 Another great song lyrics are somewhat ironic in a way.

kill miss america - 4/5 A song i believe that is about killing miss america & taking her place, i might be wrong though

B- movie scream queen - 5/5 Another song about horror movie's extremly catchy chorus

Motherf**ker i don't care - 5/5 Anoher great song some of the best lyrics

In conclusion if you go in exspecting a static-x or a slipknot album you will be dissapointed, either people think murderdolls are a great band or they think there a poor exuse for musicians, the ony improvment they could make is make some more serious lyrics, and the only regret i have is going 5 months without listening to this album., hope this review helped, and to all the slipknot fans reading this. Stay (sic) maggots!

This Band Is Great. They Have This Driving Rock And Roll Sound That You Just Get Hooked On. They Sound Like A Cross Of Skid Row And The Misfits With A Few Metallisounds In It Too. I Recommend It To Anyone Whos Been Looking For That Original Rock And Roll Sound That We All Thought Was Dead. Jordison Sounds Like Sebastian Bach And Well You Will Need To Hear It For Futher Info.

This cd is great!! Really cool and funny lyrics, great to sing-along with, and Wednesday's voice is awsome!! (Joey from Slipknot, UNMAKSED)

my site: murrderdolls.tripod.com

The show aspect of rocknroll has always been a controversial one & the question of whether the public will remember the music or the image has haunted many an artist. After all, in the 80's, acts such as W.A.S.P. & Ozzy Osbourne were seen as a joke because of their colourful stage theatrics, despite releasing excellent records. This tradition of judging a book by it's cover continued into the 90's through Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails & SlipKnoT & the battle rages on with 2002's standout rock band: The Murderdolls.

But when you subtract the make-up & the stage show from their album "Beyond The Valley", you are left with quite possibly one of the defining albums of this decade. And despite what psuedo-intellectual music journalists may try & tell you: It's actually excellent. Never before have punk rock & metal been mixed this adventurously, combining punky vocals & bass with metallic riffs & guitar/drum solos. But when the power chords & solos are removed, the album is 100% pure punk-rock, although you could be forgiven for placing The `Dolls in the "Metal" bracket, as their metal pedigree is like no other band on the planet right now. The group admit to growing up on slasher movies & 80's pop-metal from the likes of KISS,Motley crue & Twisted Sister, on top of this, the group feature members of SlipKnoT,Dope,Static-X & singer Wednesday's old band The Frankenstein Drag Queens, in fact 4 of the songs on the record are covers of The Frankenstein Drag Queens, causing much controversy in the rock press.

After going through the image,the influences & the mechanics, I think it's time we focused on the most important thing: the music.
From the second the album opens with "My Wrist" you can tell that this is no ordinary punk-rock record. Joey & Tripp's guitar solos sear your ears while singer Wednesday's relentless vocal sneer (imagine Dani Filth meets Johnny Rotten) pummels your eardrums with OTT Misfits-style punk rock attitude. The Rhythm Section thrashes around following the lead section, blasting in some excellent drum solos for good measure, as the group plow through 15 songs all performed with passion,vigour & aggression. While the record at times seems overlong, with some tracks seeming more like B-sides than album worthy tracks ("Dawn Of the Dead"," She Was A teenage Zombie") the majority of the album is stellar punk-metal, featuring such pristine moments as "People Hate Me"," Dead In Hollywood"," My Sister & "Robbing USA".

Joey Jordison is best known for his work with the reigning kings of nu-metal Slipknot, and the success that has come with it. Because of the popularity of Slipknot, he decided to resurrect his previous band (like fellow bandmates Corey Taylor and Jim Root with Stone Sour). It also has Joey dropping his drumsticks, leaving his set, and going back to his roots as a guitarist. Along with Static-X / Dope guitarist Trip Eisoen, and vocalist Wednesday 13, Joey has broken away from his nu-metal bases and has come out with an album full of nostalgia. Comparable more with a heavier Montley Crue or Marilyn Manson than Slipknot or Static-X, "Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls" is a trashy, glam-metal release. Lyrically, Murderdolls have a satirical look at horror movies, dark situations, and many things of that subject matter. The lyrics, though somewhat disturbing, are fairly comical and are meant to be taken that way. The catchy, yet heavy, riffs and drum work helps set the amusing mood for this debut. Some good songs include "Dead in Hollywood", "Let's Go To War", and "197666", they capture the essence of what is lacking in rock and metal, true spirit. If this was meant to be taken seriously, it would be another gimmicky metal album, but it is just for enjoyment. Murderdoll's debut, "Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls", is a fun glam-metal record that will stick with you for years to come.

These guys are great, sounds like Pretty Boy Floyd or Faster Pussycat with violent guitars and one powerfull voice.

Bloody, heavy, fast,

it could be the future.

When i first got this album i didn't think i would like it all too much. That train of thought was banished the first time i put the disc in the stereo. The music wasn't all metal as i was expecting. There was an air of punk in the mix. That only added to my love for the album. Joey/Slipknot and Tripp/Static-x have really done a good job picking their side projects. Also, Wednesday 13's vocals are awesome, highly enjoyable. I think my favorite thing about this album is that it has the horror feel reminiscent of the Misfits, who are my favorite band of all time. All in all this album is a great mix of rocking music and horror imagery. Check it out.

Probably the best move that Joey Jordison has made, musically, was to remove the mask, put the drumsticks down, pick up a guitar and join the likes of Tripp Eisen (Static-X) and Wednesday13 to create possibly the best glam rock cd of all time. I love Slipknot and I love Static-X, but in my opinion, this band tops both of them (as much as I may get crucified for saying that). The feel of the 80's glam scene and horror movies are present throughout the CD. Wednesday's vocals are simply amazing, unlike anything I've heard. Joey and Tripp do a fine job of holding there own on the guitar side of the package. The drumming is phenomenal, and the bass parts irreplaceable. The Murderdolls provide a great sound unlike anything heard on the radio. I recommend this CD to anyone who truly say they're a metalhead. Whether your influences are goth, glam, punk, this CD will fit your needs very well. I fell in love with it the minute I heard the first riff and Wednesday's voice screaming "1,2,3,GO!" I knew it was something I will listen to for years to come and sure you will feel the same

The Murderdolls are not punk, metal, Slipknot, The Misfits, Marilyn Manson, Rob/White Zombie,Alice Cooper, or Dope.

The Murderdolls are a mix of shock rock, horror rock, and glam rock. They're music is not meant to be revolutionary, introspective, or taken seriously. They're music is meant to be taken like a B horror movie, a standard plot with b-list actors, and pleanty of cheesy camp and gore. You don't watch it for the amazing special effects, the inspired acting, or the deep story, you watch it because the worse the movie gets, the more fun you have. In that respect, they more than live up to their image. Where they fail, though, is keeping everything together through the entire album. A necrophelia inspired date (She Was A Teenage Zombie), a love song to Regan of The Exorcist (Love At First Fright), and a grave robbing theme song (Grave Robbin' USA) should give you an idea of just how campy and cheesy things get.

The songs do sound the same, and while most of the songs are catchy, some are a little difficult to get into. This is also a love/hate band, so if you don't like them the first time around, you probably won't give them another listen. If you do happen to get into this album, definately check out Wednseday 13's first band, Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13, and his solo work.