the_motleykid's Full Review: W.A.S.P. [Digipak] by W.A.S.P.
I always associate W.A.S.P’s debut album with my year 12 maths class. Despite this obvious handicap, I love the album anyway. Maths was my worst subject by far, and I needed no incentive to lose my temper about having to go to any class, let alone mathematics. So how did I avoid clashing with students and teachers alike when it was time to ‘crunch numbers’? I sat at the back of the room with headphones on, blaring W.A.S.P’s self titled debut album, tallying roughly 120 head bangs per minute. How did I not get caught? That’s a story for another day, but right now, we are going to see why W.A.S.P was regarded as one of the more extreme bands of the 1980 rock scene in Los Angeles.
W.A.S.P is one of those groups that has a revolving door approach when it comes to it’s band members. Blackie Lawless is the key member, who writes the songs, sings, produces, and ‘borrows’ heavily from the shock rock antics of Alice Cooper. Some fans will argue that guitarist and all round psycho, Chris Holmes, is an essential member also, but Blackie has proven he can captain the ship alone.
In 1998, Blackie remastered W.A.S.P’s back catalogue, while adding a few rare songs as bonus material & providing some interesting liner notes about each album, if there has ever been a time to feel the sting of W.A.S.P, now is the time. Having not heard the original issue of W.A.S.P’s debut, I can’t say what the differences are compared to the remaster, but, I can say that the sounds are crisp, clear & display next to no audible fuzz that you might expect from an older recording.
When Blackie launched this testosterone fuelled record onto the streets in 1984, he did it begrudgingly, because his label opposed including Animal, because of it’s explicit lyrics. Even without the rompin’, stompin’ ode to sex, Animal included, the record kicked up a storm, and made not only the fans, but parents and other bands take notice. If you asked me to describe W.A.S.P’s debut in two words, I’d say: ‘Controlled insanity.’ The production is gritty, but the songs are so tightly arranged that you aren’t sure if you’ve just been slapped or kissed. Even from such an early stage, it was clear that the music of W.A.S.P had enough hooks to survive a run on commercial radio, and enough power and crude attitude to impress those snobby fans who scream ‘sellout’ if you ever dare remove a layer of snot from your music.
By the time 1998 rolled around, Blackie finally got his way and Animal was released in all it’s sexual glory as the first song on the remaster of W.A.S.P’s debut album. The song bares all the early W.A.S.P trademarks; loud power chords, intense vocals & quite possibly the rudest lyrics Blackie committed to paper. And, staying true to the saying, ‘Good things come in small packages.’, the song clocks in at just over three minutes.
‘ I'm on the prowl and I watch you closely
I lie waiting for you
I'm the wolf with the sheepskins clothing
I lick my chops and your tasting good
I do whatever I want to, to ya
I'll nail your ass to the sheets
A pelvic thrust and the sweat starts to sting ya
I fuck like a beast’ - Animal
Occasionally, the album suffers from generic riffs and lyrics, but these issues thankfully don’t rear their heads that often. The most notable case of this would be on the tune, The Flame. With a somewhat uncharacteristic, bluesy inspired riff, the songs’ only highlight is the chorus melody, but even then it’s not worth waiting through boring lyrics and plain riffs. My only other gripe is directed at School Daze. No prizes for guessing what Alice Cooper song Blackie had in mind when he wrote this rebellious, yet forgettable ‘school sucks’ anthem. The lyrics and even the riff bare a striking resemblance to Alice’s early 1970s hit. Luckily, Blackie proves that he can step out of Alice’s shadow, with his own signature rebellion song, I Wanna Be Somebody. Running on 100 C.C’s of adrenaline, the entire band flogs the life out of their instruments and then some, while Blackie barks out the song in his trademark, throat shredding vocals.
‘ You say you don't wanna starve
Or take the table crumbs that fall
You don't wanna beg or plead at all
You don't want no nine to five
Your fingers to the bone
You don't want the rock piles' bloody stones
Oh, you just got to be
Up high where the whole world's watching me
Cos I, I got the guts to be somebody ...to cry out
I wanna be somebody, Be somebody soon. ’ - I Wanna Be Somebody
Proving that Blackie still had sex on his mind (even after penning the raunchy Animal), he gives us the fan favorite, L.O.V.E Machine, which kicks off with a swaggering drum line, that is soon joined by the almost punkish riff which is dangerously addictive & before long Blackie is belting out some more lyrics which are sure to satisfy the sex maniac in you…or, at least Blackie himself. Now is a good time to mention Chris Holmes’s guitar solos’ considering that L.O.V.E Machine is one of his most memorable. He doesn’t make his guitar scream cleanly like The Scorpions that often, preferring to have a lower, growling sound which works fabulously with W.A.S.P’s style of rock.
As the album progresses, the songs take on a darker nature, going from the sleazy yet fun L.O.V.E Machine, to the cruel and vengeful Tormentor & The Torture Never Stops. Wisely, the two bonus songs at the end of the album do nothing to nullify the anger which builds up throughout the record, in fact, they add to it. One is a cover of the Rolling Stones tune Paint It Black, which turned out great, thanks to the eerily played guitars and Blackie’s unorthodox voice which worked wonders for the song, and the other bonus tune was a punk/thrash metal fusion by the name of Show No Mercy.
The last song I’d like to mention is quite unique. Sleeping In The Fire is saturated with acoustic guitars, but I am not for one second going to label the tune a ballad. ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorns’ it ain’t! The electric guitar doesn’t make a showing until the chorus rolls around, and even then, it doesn’t take over, it simply joins in to add a saddening vibe. Blackie’s vocal approach to the song is also unlike anything else on the record.
So, in short, W.A.S.P’s debut is a rollercoaster as far as the emotional content is concerned, and not just with the lyrics, I mean the whole kit and kaboodle, the music sets the tone while even the melodies fit the songs like an old pair of leather chaps….OOPS, JEANS! A very well crafted debut which suffered from occasional weak spots, but in the end it is mostly diverse (for a 1980s rock album, at least), very entertaining and is a batch of songs best served loud.
1. Animal (Fuck Like A Beast) - (bonus track)
2. I Wanna Be Somebody
3. L. O. V. E. Machine
4. Flame, The
5. B. A. D.
6. School Daze
7. Hellion
8. Sleeping (In The Fire)
9. On Your Knees
10. Tormentor
11. Torture Never Stops, The
12. Show No Mercy - (bonus track)
13. Paint It Black - (bonus track)
Great Music to Play While …come on, it’s pretty obvious. According to Blackie, the best rock music makes you want to have…umm, well you know…figure it out.
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