The mere mention of the name WASP to my co-workers is enough to elicit chuckles. Why is this? I don't know, perhaps it goes back to their days as 80's metallers with leather outfits and flaming codpieces, perhaps it has to do with the concerts where chunks of raw meat get thrown about. Maybe it's that many have written them off as relics of the past, left to be swallowed by the gaping maw of time. It is true that they do not hold quite as high a place in the land of popular music as they did during their heyday some twenty years ago. However, we should not be so quick to write them off. Blackie Lawless is still one hell of a showman, and the music is still, more often than not, compelling. Their latest album, Dominator, shows the Blackie at the top of his game, and album that proves that WASP is still here to be dealt with.
I do not claim to be a huge fan of WASP, only flirting around the edges of their music for most of their existence. Of course, I was very late getting into music to begin with and was mired in hair metal and grunge for awhile before truly making an attempt to discover all that is out there. I did own a cassette of The Headless Children, which I still believe to be their best album to date. I also saw them live, for the first time, during the Neon God tour, and what a show it was. Blackie sounded great, the show was over the top, and I look forward to seeing them again.
With that out of the way, Dominator is a an album that delivers the metallic goods from start to finish. We get flat out heavy tracks, some middle of the road tracks, and a truly emotional power ballad song that is very moving. 26 years into the life of WASP and they still have a powerful metal/hard rock sound that has managed to remain relevant through all of this time. I cannot think of anyone who sounds quite like they do, even with the revolving lineup they have had over the years.
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Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
I am right there with you in the guilty-pleasure category for W.A.S.P. I had always looked down on them for the whole "F*** like a Beast" costumed mummery. Then a roommate of mine played "Live...in the Raw" and I found out that they were actually a great sounding, crank-it-up, rock band. Thanks for the review, I'll check this album out.