In the captivating realm of heavy metal, whispers of potential collaborations between iconic musicians often ignite the imaginations of fans. One such tantalizing near-miss involved the formidable talents of Joey Jordison, the legendary powerhouse drummer of Slipknot, and Alexi Laiho, the celebrated and virtuosic frontman of Finnish melodic death metal titans Children of Bodom.
According to Murderdolls vocalist Wednesday 13, Laiho was once seriously in the running to become the guitarist for Murderdolls, Jordison’s beloved horror-punk side project that garnered a dedicated cult following in the early 2000s. This intriguing revelation surfaced in a teaser for an upcoming Guitar World interview that made its way online.
Wednesday 13 recounted: “At the beginning stages of the second album, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom was going to be the new guitarist in the band. It would have been Joey, me, and Alexi. Damn, that guy could shred. That was almost a thing. Can you imagine what that would have sounded like?”
While the specific reasons for this collaboration ultimately not materializing remain shrouded in mystery, Wednesday 13 shed some light on the initial intentions behind it.
“Joey wanted to be as crazy on guitar as he was on drums,” Wednesday 13 explained, adding that both he and Jordison “wanted to shred” but acknowledged that neither were natural shredders. The potential addition of Laiho prior to their second album would have undoubtedly unlocked that blistering, high-octane dimension for the band.
Despite this tantalizing possibility never coming to fruition, Murderdolls persevered, releasing two albums and carving out their own distinctive and theatrical niche within the rock and metal landscapes. Nevertheless, the mere thought of Laiho’s lightning-fast guitar work intertwining with Jordison’s thunderous and inventive drumming is enough to send shivers of excitement down any metal enthusiast’s spine, leaving one to ponder the sonic maelstrom that could have been.
Tragically, the metal world has since mourned the loss of both of these extraordinary musicians. Joey Jordison passed away on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential and dynamic drummers of his generation. Alexi Laiho left us just months prior, on December 29, 2020, at the young age of 41, following years of battling health issues.
