Wednesday 13 - Mid Death Crisis (Album Review)

Wednesday 13 - Mid Death Crisis
‍Released: April 25, 2025

Lineup

Wednesday 13 // Vocals & Guitar
Jack Tankersley // Guitar
Troy Doebbler // Bass
Mike Dupke // Drums
Ashes // Guitar 

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When the album has Wednesday 13 in a spooky font across the front cover, you know what you’re getting. Each album might have subtle differences - some are more metal, some more punk, some are focused on a serial killer concept - but it's metal with a horror punk attitude and lyrics about death, dying, monsters, being murdered, committing murder and maybe aliens. If Wednesday is having a midlife crisis, then Mid Death Crisis is all about revisiting his youth. 

It plays like a bit of a greatest hits, though retains the more serious lyrical focus of his recent albums. The intro ‘There’s No Such Thing as Monsters’ is classic Wednesday and leads into the aggressive ‘Deceased and Desist’, recalling the zombie themes of his earlier stuff from Transylvania 90210. Likewise he’s rocking and revolting all over ‘No Apologies’ with Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat) chiming in on the second verse. The riffs are balls out on ‘Rotting Away’. It starts with Wednesday declaring “To say that I hate you, that would be too fucking nice”, picking up where ‘Bad Things’ left off twenty years ago. 

Wednesday's grunt and snarl has always given his voice a unique tone that stops the faster numbers falling into pop-punk. Since Condolences he’s been inclined to go heavier and more brutal, a vibe that continues on ‘When the Devil Commands’ and the apocalyptic thrash of ‘Blood Storm’. ‘My Funeral’ is more deliberately paced with some tough groove. His music is designed to explore the macabre and disturbing but ‘I Hurt You’ appears to glorify abuse despite being arguably the best written song musically. It’s going for a ‘eyes of the killer’ perspective but misses having either a touch of fantasy, regret or satire that would make me feel ok about it. I dunno what fans will think, just not one I’d revisit. Better is the epic ‘In Misery’, a twist on a failing relationship that the protagonist can’t quit. A bit campy but has that monster stomp he loves so much. 

It’s serious but has brought back some of the fun, at least in music and song structure. ‘Decapitation’ is absurdly catchy, with a gang vocal and Beach Boys “ooooo”  harmonies. He’s spelling words out and got the hand claps doing on the punk ode ‘Sick and Violent’. There’s also an ode to drugs on the bonkers ‘Xanaxtsy’, which is a bit clever and has a massive hook. It’s probably my favourite version of W13 because he just lets rip and fans will love singing along to these ones. 

If you’re putting on Wednesday 13, you’re ready to go to some dark places. At its best it’s a fun sing along through murder, death and dying, even if it feels a little too long by the end. Mid Death Crisis is a set of cracking anthems for the end of a shitty day, even if Mr Motherfucker isn’t looking to expand his sound this time around. 

Rating: 7/10
‍Mid Death Crisis is out now on Napalm Records. Get it here
Words by KJ Draven @kjdraven