In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program “Wired In The Empire”, Wednesday 13 was asked if paying tribute to his former band, the revered glam punk icons MURDERDOLLS, on several tours in 2023 and 2024 influenced the songwriting process for his upcoming album, “Mid Death Crisis”, which is set to drop on April 25, 2025 via Napalm Records. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “A hundred percent. Just revisiting that music and having that fresh on my mind when I started writing, that’s what I wrote. So I wrote a punk, glam, hard rock record. This isn’t a metal record. Probably the heaviest song on the album is ‘When The Devil Commands’; that is as heavy metal as it gets. From that point on, it’s pretty much a rock and roll record. So, yeah, that’s what influenced that. And that’s what I started off doing. This record’s more in league with my first three than my last three albums. And it’s crazy ’cause my first album turns 20 years old this April. So, I sort of planned this album to come out the same month, the same time, 20 years later — album number 10 comes out 20 years later, same month. So it’s sort of just to show how far I’ve came since then or how far I’ve went or however you wanna say it. But I’m still here and I think I still do it pretty good.”Last December, Wednesday 13 was asked by Joshua Toomey of the “Talk Toomey” podcast if all of his recent tours celebrating the music of MURDERDOLLS “translated” into the new material he was writing. Wednesday 13 said: “Yeah, it definitely did. I think sometimes you’ll start hearing people talk about bands or stuff and you maybe start believing something that wasn’t necessarily the case. So like with MURDERDOLLS, my whole life I’ve always played in simple three-chord kind of rock and roll bands. And people always call that easy and simple and, ‘What you do is easy to do. It’s not complex like DREAM THEATER or something.’ And I guess it kind of got in my mind, ‘Oh, I guess what we do really isn’t that complex.’ And then on this last tour we had DEVILDRIVER’s drummer [playing with us], and DEVILDRIVER’s just crazy, insane drumming. And then he got to these drumming parts, for Joey’s [Jordison, late SLIPKNOT drummer and MURDERDOLLS guitarist] drumming parts, and he’s, like, ‘This shit is really hard. This shit is really hard to do. It’s simple, but it’s not simple.’ So I realized kind of what MURDERDOLLS did was a special thing. It didn’t have to be complex or anything. And I think over the last couple of years, my records kind of went in a more metal direction. And I was maybe trying to do a little — just experimental because I’d never done that in the past. But reflecting on this MURDERDOLLS stuff in the last year or so, I’ve realized that’s really what I specialize in. That’s the natural thing to me. And I just went back to that. So it definitely helped shape the new music. And it just made me realize what I did was — again, it didn’t change the world, it wasn’t something brand new, but it definitely had a style to it. And I don’t think that’s been really replicated. I don’t see it a lot in bands now. And we were just doing what our influences were. We were just imitating MÖTLEY CRÜE and TWISTED SISTER and W.A.S.P. and sprinkling in all of our influences. And I just don’t see that or hear that in a lot of newer music.”Wednesday 13 previously described “Mid Death Crisis” as a fun, campy, “leave-your-brain-at-the-door” rager and a true return to his hard-rocking roots. Produced by guitarist Alex Kane (LIFE, SEX & DEATH, ENUFF Z’NUFF, ANTIPRODUCT) and mixed by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, PRONG, DEVILDRIVER) the album oozes infectious 1980s sleaze metal energy, further accented by a blitzing guest vocal from FASTER PUSSYCAT’s Taime Downe.Last month, Wednesday 13 unveiled the album’s first single, the ultra-catchy “When The Devil Commands”, and its equally raucous, blasphemous new music video. The track stuns with an unforgettable hook, charging arena rock-laden drum production and chugging guitars.Wednesday 13 commented: “Growing up in the ’80s, I remember the satanic panic of heavy metal music and parents’ concern over what their kids were listening to. My mother was constantly checking my cassettes and making sure I wasn’t possessed by the devil. Most of the music that I listened to never had any of those themes, but they were just accused of it. So when writing the lyrics to this song, I wrote what I thought would terrify my mother if she had stumbled upon this music. I wanted the lyrics to be upfront and leave no question as to what they were about… the Devil. This song is done in a fun spirit, and we don’t plan on burning any churches in the future.”Eerie introductory track “There’s No Such Thing As Monsters” vibrates with electricity before industrial-tinged “Decease And Desist” kicks in full blast. Wednesday 13’s trademark crooning wastes no time entering the fold as he careens through the high-octane horror anthem, before tracks like “Rotting Away” and “Blood Storm” ensnare with metallic goth-punk energy that will have crowds moving wall to wall. Featuring FASTER PUSSYCAT’s Taime Downe on guest vocals, standout heavy rocker “No Apologies” is a fast-romping exorcism of toxic demons, while the triumphant mini-murder ballad “Decapitation” riles up listeners with a catchy lead riff before making a hard left into a theatrical bridge straight out of a sinister ’60s sock hop! Ragers like “In Misery”, “Xanaxtasy” and “Sick And Violent” explore various genres of metal, injecting the album with elements of gripping heaviness for any listener, while downtempo stunners “I Hurt You” and “My Funeral” approach a more pensive territory.Although its title, “Mid Death Crisis”, may suggest otherwise, the Duke Of Spook shows zero signs of stopping on this refreshingly powerful and multi-faceted entry into the Wednesday 13 hall of horrific history!”Mid Death Crisis” track listing:01. There’s No Such Thing As Monsters02. Decease And Desist03. When The Devil Commands04. Rotting Away05. No Apologies (feat. Taime Downe)06. Decapitation07. In Misery08. Blood Storm09. Xanaxtasy10. I Hurt You11. My Funeral12. Sick And ViolentWEDNESDAY 13 is:Wednesday 13 – Lead Vocals / GuitarJack Tankersley – GuitarTroy Doebbler – BassMike Dupke – DrumsAshes – Lead GuitarPhoto credit: Anabel DFlux[embedded content]