WEDNESDAY 13: 'I'm Surrounded By A Lot Of Ghosts Now'

During a recent appearance on The UACast, Wednesday 13 was asked to name "the toughest life lesson" he has learned in the three decades since he launched his music career. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think making permanent decisions on temporary problems, if that makes sense. I've had a lot of my friends pass away now in this business. Joey [Jordison; SLIPKNOT, MURDERDOLLS], Alexi [Laiho, CHILDREN OF BODOM]. That's two dudes that I knew that were — and Joey, especially — close to me that passed away because of this lifestyle. And then seeing other musicians who have passed away from this lifestyle of drugs or alcohol or just mental [issues], 'cause it's all there. It's usually the mental part that pushes people to the drugs and the alcohol. So I think that's the one thing, as I've learned, I'm surrounded by a lot of ghosts now. And I don't want to make those decisions that some of my friends made, and I want to live my life now better, but with them with me, if that makes sense. I can't bring them back, but I can try to live a better life by learning from their mistakes. And that's speaking of my friends that I know and that's speaking of people that I don't know that I see, rock stars that pass away, from Scott Weiland [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] to Chris Cornell [SOUNDGARDEN] or any of these people that had… I didn't know them, but I know their pain, and I know their struggle with that stuff. So, I guess learning from that, learning that, if I have problems, I don't have to have a drink to solve them. I've gotta dig within this thing [inside my head]. And I guess that's the one thing I've learned, because in the past it was always sex, drugs, and rock and roll was the answer. Sometimes it's your brain first."

This past March, Wednesday 13, who has been on the road celebrating his former band, the revered glam punk icons MURDERDOLLS, confirmed to Metalshop that his tenth solo album will arrive in 2025. Regarding what fans can expect from it, he said: "That's a good question. I'm excited to see where it goes too. I started demoing some songs before this [European]tour, just to see what came out of my head. And I have, like, six or seven ideas and it's a little more MURDERDOLLS-ish, I guess, because I've been playing these songs. And it's got more of a free-spirited rock and roll, punk [vibe], so that's sort of in my brain again. So the music's sort of reflecting that. Will it stay that way? I don't know. That's what's fun for me, is that I can do whatever I want. And I don't ever try to do one thing; I just write what I write and let it come out. If I ever try to think about something and focus on it, I feel like it's not as good."

He continued: "This next record is gonna be special to me. It's the tenth one. It can't just be the tenth album. This one has to be as good as the first one for me. And I want to make it like that. So, I'm gonna put a lot of work into it. And when we get home from this tour, I'm gonna spend all the time we have, probably up till end of August, writing and recording this album."

Wednesday 13's latest album, "Horrifier", came out in October 2022 via Napalm Records.

In an October 2023 interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, Wednesday 13 said that his next album would include song called "I Have This Knife" inspired by his and his late MURDERDOLLS bandmate Joey Jordison's love of the classic horror movie 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre'.

Wednesday 13's current band features MURDERDOLLS alumni Roman Surman and Jack Tankersley.

After the completion of the touring cycle for "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls", MURDERDOLLS went on hiatus so that Jordison could focus on his other band SLIPKNOT. In 2010, MURDERDOLLS released a sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which did not feature guitarist Acey Slade, bassist Eric Griffin and drummer Ben "The Ghoul" Graves, all of whom toured in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls" but did not appear on any of MURDERDOLLS' records.

Wednesday 13 reunited with Griffin and Slade on stage for the first time in over a decade in August 2018 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event, which celebrated the life of Graves, saw the trio performing some of MURDERDOLLS' classic songs.

Graves, who also worked with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and DOPE, passed away in May 2018 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 45 years old.

The MURDERDOLLS did a number of major tours in support of "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls". By the summer of 2003, the tenacity of the band was paying off. Tours with IRON MAIDEN, PAPA ROACH and the FOO FIGHTERS around the world and a Top 40 U.K. single with "White Wedding" made the band fan favorite in Metal Hammer, Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Rock Sound magazines.