Instant Impressions: 'Mid Death Crisis' by Wednesday 13

Shock rocker Wednesday 13's discography is an extremely varied and eclectic one. Without even taking his side projects, like the glam rock group Gunfire 76 or the country project Bourbon Crow, into consideration, his solo work has never exactly stuck to one specific sound. While there's always been a horror element to accompany his rock and metal-spirited sound, he's walked many different musical paths within the rock umbrella. With his earlier work focusing more on hard rock, punk, and even glam rock to a certain degree, his more recent albums adopted a heavier and more experimental sound, with each release musically standing further ​apart from the last. Albums like Condelences (2017) and Monsters of the Universe: Come Out and Plague (2015) almost sound like a completely different band when compared to earlier efforts like Fang Bang (2006) and Calling All Corpses (2011).

Wednesday 13 teased a return to his older sound with his 2022 album Horrifier, and there were certainly a couple moments in which that could be heard, but it was still largely a pretty heavy album, both musically and lyrically. With its status as his "COVID album," it's very easy to hear the darkness of that time reflected in the music on that album. That being said, when it came time for the latest album, Mid Death Crisis, Wednesday 13 said in many interviews that this record was to be his "revenge" release — after touring the world in 2023-24 exclusively playing music from the Murderdolls days, along with the 20th anniversary of his debut solo album Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying, and the Dead, taking place this year, Wednesday 13 sought out to recapture that energetic sound from those years and bring it back to the forefront of his new album.

Last summer, musician and YouTube host Jason Green uploaded a preview from the studio, in which Wednesday 13 explained the writing and recording process of Mid Death Crisis, including his opinion that this was the most fun he had while making an album. Previews of a couple songs could be heard throughout the video, including "Decease and Decist" and the single "No Apologies" (featuring Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat). From the sound of what could be heard in that video, the album sounded like a promising record, with the release of singles "When the Devil Commands" and "In Misery" further solidifying that opinion.

After a year of anticipation, the wait is finally over, with Mid Death Crisis officially released and available worldwide today. Below are my general thoughts while listening through the album for the first time — feel free to listen along and follow the track-by-track reaction.

1. There's No Such Thing As Monsters (1:06)

• Wednesday 13's been known to have solidified intro tracks or short interludes on his albums from time to time, and I'm glad to see that tradition continue with this album
• This was the intro tape when I saw him live in Raleigh, NC earlier this month, and I remember wondering if it was the actual track that was on the album or something made specifically for the tour

2. Decease and Decist (3:28)

• Already a more energetic opening to a Wednesday 13 album than a decent amount of his recent efforts — almost reminds me of something from The Dixie Dead (2013)
• Can't help but think of how awesome of a live track this one would be
• I remember hearing a preview of this track on Jason Green's studio preview video last summer and already being hooked in with the wordplay in the title and chorus, and the rest of the song is just as fun

3. When the Devil Commands (3:12)

• Having the most time with this single, it's cool to hear how it fits with the rest of the album up to this point
• Love the concept of leaning into the Satanic Panic from the 70s and 80s, and I can only imagine what kind of chaos this song would've stirred if it came out a few decades earlier
• While it's not a super heavy song, especially compared to some of Wednesday 13's other songs from his later albums, the low end is just so powerful with the bass and drums

4. Rotting Away (4:01)

• It didn't take that long to hook me in, the opening lyric did the job perfectly
• Love the drums on this song, especially during the pre-chorus and chorus

5. No Apologies (ft. Taime Downe) (3:46)

• Out of the three singles that released before the album, this is undoubtedly the catchiest one of the bunch — it only released yesterday, but it just gets stuck in your head so easily
• So glad I got to hear this one live in Raleigh earlier this month
• Knowing how much of an influence Faster Pussycat and Taime Downe specifically had on Wednesday 13, it's super cool to hear them on a song together — it's similar to when he had Alice Cooper on the title track to his 2019 album Necrophaze

6. Decapitation (2:23)

• Seeing the runtime on this one was enough to capture my curiosity, with it being the shortest track on the album aside from the intro
• This has been a highlight to those who have heard the album in advance, and I'm starting to understand why
• Wasn't at all prepared for the doo-wop style background vocals at the midpoint of the song — I've heard more songs about topics like necrophilia and dismemberment than I can count, with most of them being from Wednesday 13 himself, and this is easily the most upbeat and cheery one of them all
• This honestly would've fit in perfectly on an album like Calling All Corpses, and with that being my first Wednesday 13 album, it's really fun to hear that kind of sound again

7. In Misery (4:39)

• This song reminds me of something like "My Home Sweet Homicide," but if it appeared on an album like Condolences
• Highly recommend checking out the music video too, love the graveyard setting and all the nods to Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) — there's also a crazy story related to the recent LA wildfires tied into the filming of this video too
• I know Wednesday 13 is still very much an album-oriented artist that focuses on sequencing for side A and side B, which fans like myself really appreciate, and this track feels like the perfect finale to side A and lead-in to the second half of the album

8. Blood Storm (4:59)

• The first 30 seconds were incredibly deceptive, because this is one of the most fast-paced Wednesday 13 tracks in a long time — really sonically reminiscent of the Fang Bang album cycle
• Vocally, it's super interesting to hear Wednesday leaning into the lower side of his range on a punk-paced song like this, as opposed to the higher end like he did in the early days of his career
• Hard to believe this track is almost five minutes long, because it just flies by — I thought "Decapitation" was going to be the fastest-paced song, but this one effortlessly took that place

9. Xanaxtasy (4:10)

• As a fan of the original 2010 version of this song, this was easily the track I was most excited to hear when the album first got announced
• I'm so used to the lyrics of the original verses, but while there's an adjustment process, I still enjoy what's going on and once again pleasantly surprised by what Wednesday 13's doing with his voice
• When artists re-record songs of theirs, they almost never come close to the spirit of the original and often feel flat in comparison — however, while this one has a very different energy to the original, it doesn't feel like a phone-in like in examples from other artists. It feels more constructed to what the broader scope of this specific album, and I'm so glad to see it have another chance in the spotlight 15 years later

10. I Hurt You (4:37)

• I love when Wednesday 13 has those "semi-ballad" types of songs (a good example is "Curse of Me," one of my all-time favorite songs of his), so to have another one of those types of tracks on this album with this song is just another great addition to the catalog
• While this is likely the most pensive song on the album, I can still hear a scenario in which there's more energy to this one in a live setting, and I'd love to see this make it onto the setlist one day
• Probably my favorite guitar solo on the album as well (so far, anyway)

11. My Funeral (3:26)

• Love the straight-forward hard rock sound of this track,
• Lyrically, this song reminds me of one of my favorite Horrifier tracks, "Halfway to the Grave"
• The line "laughing all the way to the grave" seems to be the essence of the entire album, especially with a title like Mid Death Crisis

12. Sick and Violent (3:22)

• Just judging from the intro, I can already tell that I'm going to love this song
• The bass is the unsung hero of this track — probably my favorite bass performance on the whole album
• This couldn't have been a better album closer — while it left me wanting even more, I'm definitely more than content to just have this album on a loop until it comes time for the next one

Mid Death Crisis was one of my most anticipated, if not my straight-up most anticipated, album of the year, and it goes without saying that this record was well worth the wait. I enjoyed Horrifier, but this new album completely blows it out of the water. As far as reclaiming that classic Wednesday 13 sound, he had no problem doing so while continuing to add new things to the mix. Simply put, Mid Death Crisis comes across as a sincere ​celebration of Wednesday 13's discography while continuing to move forward creatively, instead of a basic nostalgia-fueled cash-grab that desperately tries to replicate a beloved era of the past.

Even at this stage of Wednesday 13's career, he continues to stretch his boundaries and try new things, resulting in what may very well be his strongest vocal performance on an album to date. This release is a force to be reckoned with musically as well, with several songs that are sure to appease fans of any and all eras of Mr. Motherfucker's illustrious discography, along with bringing new listeners to along for the ride.

Credit also needs to be given to the band — Ashes and Jack Tankersley on guitar, Troy Doebbler on bass, and Mike Dupke on drums. Not only are they an incredible live unit on the road, but their performances on this record are just as tight. The guitar solos are phenomenal, and they're made even better due to the solid support foundation that's built by the rhythm section. Producer Alex Kane also did a great job with bringing this record together — along with giving Wednesday 13 the idea to bring Taime Downe into the studio for a feature on "No Apologies," his general understanding of the Duke of Spook's career seemed to shine through, because the mix and overall tone of this album is perfectly suited to Wednesday 13's sonic sensibilities.​

I would love nothing more than to hear every song from this album brought into the live setlist at some point in the future. While the three singles are being played on the road right now, it would be awesome to hear some of these deep cuts on the stage next year, because so many of these songs are just begging to be brought to the stage. One can assume it'll be a couple years before it's time to work on the next album, so while Mid Death Crisis is still in its promotional period, it's almost mandatory to bring more of these songs into the fold. Fingers crossed we get to hear some of these on the road next year.

All in all, there aren't enough good things to be said about Mid Death Crisis — from the artwork, to the wordplay in the titles and lyrics, to the strong musical array from front to back, Wednesday 13 and his band crafted an album that not only celebrates his career, but comfortably rivals the best of it. As the first release without guitarist and key creative contributor Roman Surman since 2008's Skeletons, Wednesday 13's writing process returned to that of the Transylvania 90210 days, and the end result is a release that's sure to be celebrated in similar regard as the years continue to pass.

After the first of what will easily be hundreds of listens just today, my top 3 standout tracks from Mid Death Crisis are:

• Rotting Away
• Blood Storm
• Xanaxtasy

Wednesday 13 is currently on the road “There's No Such Thing As Monsters” Tour continues through the US and Canada until May 3, with the last stop taking place Colorado Springs, CO. A return to Europe has also been announced, with both headline shows and festivals throughout the UK and Europe scheduled this summer and fall, including an epic Germany run this October with fellow horror-punk mainstays Blitzkid, The Other, and Calabrese. For all tour dates and to buy tickets, click here.

If you listened along and also enjoyed the album, you can buy/stream Mid Death Crisis here.

To keep up with Wednesday 13, click here.