Artist: Wednesday 13
Title: Bloodwork
Label: Demolition Records
Type: E.P.
I have rather come to like Wednesday 13. Not that I ever disliked him as such, but it wasn’t until I found myself with his CD’s on my review pile that I really took the time to familiarise myself with his stuff. It all began around 10 months ago, when his most recent studio album ‘Skeletons’ dropped through my letterbox and my other half agreed to offer his opinion in the form of a review. I soon caught myself singing along and tapping my foot to the rhythm, so much that I hardly put up a fight when I was asked to review their gig the following month. Some five, maybe six months later, with memories of the gig still within reach I found myself reviewing yet another (!) Wednesday 13 album, this time a double live one subtly titled ‘Fuck it! We’ll do it live.’ This time I cheerfully slammed it in the CD deck and gave it a couple of half-arsed listens; fist-punching along but hardly expecting it to throw up any surprises. Now with that seeming like only yesterday, I’m afraid to say that I let out a bit of a groan when I opened up the envelope to reveal yet another CD from the glam-horror-goth geezer. Does Mr.13 not understand the concept of having too much of a good thing?!?
Though I complain, I have hardly been sat here wishing the guy would simply fuck off and leave my ear canals in peace. The thing with Wednesday 13 is that it’s all very much like a bad B-grade zombie flick, we all know exactly what is going to happen but you can’t help but watch it anyway, even if not attentively. What makes this all the more predictable is that two of the tracks are instantly recognisable as being off the latest studio album, only as acoustic interpretations. Still, both ‘My Demise’ and ‘Skeletons’ work excellently this way and are even preferable to the album versions. A cover of Tom Petty’s ‘Running Down A Dream’ may be previously unreleased but will certainly be familiar to anyone who has seen the band live.
While this does have something to offer fans, I can’t help but feel this product has simply been milked from the udders of the record company’s most obvious cash cow, perhaps at a time when they are feeling the pinch of the mighty credit crunch…but then, aren’t we all, and unless you are a W13 completist I would suggest you save those hard earned pennies for the next full-length. Still, in such dour times of doom and gloom, perhaps this is just what the doctor ordered to keep spirits up.
http://www.wednesday13.com
Luci Herbert
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