Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Murderdolls are set to return to the stage in 2027. The horror-punk band have been announced for Graspop Metal Meeting, which takes place in Dessel, Belgium, from June 17 to 20. The announcement was shared by frontman Wednesday 13 and the family of late Slipknot drummer and Murderdolls co-founder Joey Jordison.
The upcoming festival appearance will be the group’s first announced performance in years. The announcement arrives ahead of the 25th anniversary of their 2002 debut album “Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls”.
An official roster for the 2027 performance has not yet been confirmed. Reports have suggested that former members Acey Slade and Eric Griffin could be involved, but those details should be treated as unconfirmed until the band makes an announcement.
The band’s last onstage reunion took place in 2018, when Wednesday 13 performed Murderdolls songs with Slade and Griffin at a memorial event for former drummer Ben Graves. Jordison died in 2021.
The origins of the Murderdolls date back to 1994 with the formation of The Rejects, a Des Moines, Iowa-based outfit featuring Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison and vocalist Dizzy Draztik. Musically, the group laid the groundwork for what would eventually evolve into the Murderdolls‘ signature sound, albeit without the horror-inspired lyricism that later defined the project. The Rejects temporarily disbanded when Slipknot secured a major-label record deal, but the concept was resurrected during the 1999 Ozzfest tour. There, Jordison approached guitarist Tripp Eisen about reforming the project alongside Draztik. Eisen signed on, bringing in drummer Racci Shay (formerly of Dope and Genitorturers) and bassist Ian (previously of the New York group Vampire Love Dolls, which featured future Murderdolls member Acey Slade) to round out the early live lineup.
The trajectory of The Rejects shifted significantly after vocalist Dizzy Draztik introduced Joey Jordison to the music of Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, a North Carolina horror punk outfit fronted by Wednesday 13. Persuaded by Draztik, the group reached out to the frontman—a collaboration Jordison and Draztik had casually considered prior to guitarist Tripp Eisen joining the project. In November 2001, Wednesday 13 officially joined The Rejects, initially stepping into the role of bassist. Around the same time, Eisen proposed recruiting his former bandmate Acey Slade into the fold, though the suggestion was initially declined by the group.
