Album Reviews : Murderdolls – Women and Children Last

The success of 2003’s Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls ultimately comes down to a handful of reasons; it was fun, undeniably catchy, completely over the top, and full of absolutely ridiculous lyrics. Bringing all of that together was the fact that it genuinely sounded like the band were having fun, and laughing the entire time. It was a few bottles of scotch, some classic horror movies, and a carefree attitude. 2010 sees the return of a slightly older Murderdolls, with Women and Children Last a prime example that maturing isn’t always a good thing.

Replacing the campy punk of old is a more riff-oriented direction, falling somewhere between glam and metal, perhaps due to drummer Joey Jordison also jumping into the guitar department. With a few exceptions, the result is an album full of bland, rehashed riffs that lack any real attitude or character. The dark “Drug Me To Hell” and speedy “Rock N Roll Is All I Got” have some great hooks, but when an album is fifteen tracks long, that means little in the grand scheme of things. Sure, Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls fell flat in a few of the same areas, but again, the shoddy production and sense of humour involved saved it. Not here. Wednesday’s lyrics are much more toned down, and while the general theme of hating everything and everyone (and the constant use of ‘motherfucker’) is still as present as ever, it’s channelled through a much darker and less blatant direction. There are still a few classic lines that will cause a smirk but gone are the irresistible sing-along moments that were “Mother Fucker, I Don’t Care” and “People Hate Me”.

While most of the tracks are instantly forgettable, there are a couple of gems. The upbeat “Nowhere” is overflowing with the same party-filled atmosphere of Wednesday’s 2006 solo album Fang Bang. The short but sweet closer “Hello, Goodbye, Die” is old Murderdolls through and through, and “Bored ‘til Death” has the type of outrageous immaturity that the rest lacks.

While this isn’t exactly a huge departure from the band’s early days, the elements that gave this band the edge over the horde of Misfits and Alice Cooper rip-offs floating around have been shoved into the background. All that’s left is a gothed up glam rock band who’s past their time.  5/10

Band: Murderdolls
Album: Women and Children Last
Year: 2010
Genre: Horror punk/Rock
Origin: USA
Label: Roadrunner
http://www.myspace.com/murderdollsband

Track listing:
1. The World According to Revenge
2. Chapel of Blood
3. Bored ‘Til Death
4. Drug Me to Hell
5. Nowhere <- Reviewers choice
6. Summertime Suicide
7. Death Valley Superstars
8. My Dark Place Alone
9. Blood Stained Valentine
10. Pieces of You
11. Homicide Drive
12. Rock N Roll Is All I Got
13. Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright
14. Whatever You Got, I’m Against It
15. Hello, Goodbye, Die