Where does one begin when discussing Wednesday 13? Well, he’s a character, that’s for sure. But, lest I repeat anything I may have said in my review of his debut solo album Transylvania 90210, I’ll just talk about a story that came out recently. It seems that Roadrunner had no interest in releasing a solo album from the (ex?)-Murderdolls frontman – until Mr. 13 informed them that Rykodisc was eager to release it. This of course activated the label’s defense systems, and suddenly they insisted on releasing it. Well, one poor marketing campaign and some poorly-funded touring later, the two parties parted ways, and now Wednesday 13 finds himself where he wanted to go in the first place for his second solo release, Fang Bang. The B-movie horror flick obsession is still in full effect with a leaner, meaner, more punk rock execution.
“Morgue Than Words”, “Happily Ever Cadaver”, “Buried With Children” . . . this guy is giving Martin Walkyier a run for his money with the wordplay; the lyrics are twice as fun but only half as clever. Not that these are stupid songs. A little cheesy perhaps, but entertaining. A lot of the sound effects that were present on the previous record are absent here, as are the horror movie samples – but there IS cowbell. The overall sound falls to the punk side of rock n’ roll, just as much for the simple chord progressions as the attitude that prevails. The above mentioned tracks pretty much cover the gamut here: fast and punky, mid-paced with a poppier beat, and balls-out aggressive (in that order). “American Werewolves in London” is also a strong track, with a particularly catchy chorus and vocal melody. Of course, any self-respecting troublemaker will appreciate the sentiments of “Too Much Blood” (“I’ve got too much blood / in my alcohol system”) and the self-explanatory “Kill You Before You Kill Me”.
Fans will be glad to hear that Wednesday 13 isn’t getting soft as time goes on, and will enjoy this album as much as, if not more so, than its predecessor. It’s got a couple of tracks that fall a bit flat, but still has a little less dead weight than Transylvania 90210, which was perhaps a bit too long with some throwaway tracks. But everybody must BEWARE! This album may drive goth boys and girls with matching hair, clothes, and makeup to new heights of psychosis, compelling them to randomly grab you and make you a part of their bloody Fang Bang.
