Album Review: Wednesday 13 – Necrophaze

While ‘cowboy-metal’ is not a thing (that we know of), Necrophaze, the latest offering from Murderdolls' frontman Joseph Poole, aka Wednesday 13, has moments that have you feeling like you're talking over a whiskey with an old frontiersman in a rickety bar, as someone plays an out-of-tune upright piano over in the corner. It’s both ominous and intoxicating.

It’s this sense of atmosphere that makes Necrophaze an unexpectedly fun listen. From the double-kick-athon ode of The Hearse to Bring Your Own Blood, which, with its dark synths over poppy metal hooks, sounds like a cut from the Stranger Things soundtrack, there’s something distinctly different and unpredictable here.

There are admittedly some shots which don’t quite hit the target, however. Life Will Kill Us All alternates between a bad Sonic Youth tribute and cringy Kiss cover, while Tie Me A Noose, despite containing some solid riffage, feels like it never gets out of first gear.

Despite these hiccups, tracks like Monster and the upbeat Bury The Hatchet show that Poole can execute both aggression and simplicity within one song – without the song dragging. Sure, it might be a bit Scooby-Doo-ish at times, but Necrophaze is one of the more unique heavy releases this year, and that alone makes it worth your time.