#6 W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.: FUCK LIKE A BEAST!

ROCKTOBERFEST: A Most Excellent Countdown of the 31 Most Bitchin Glam Metal Albums

#6 W.A.S.P. – W.A.S.P. (Released 1984)  Gold

Blackie Lawless (Heavy Metal Alien) – Vocals, Bass

Chris Holmes (Look Ma, I Love Vodka!) – Lead &Rhythm Guitars

Randy Piper (Is he related to Rowdy Roddy?) – Lead &Rhythm Guitars

Tony Richards (Did he explode?) - Drums

Blackie and the Boys torch the town, ravish the women, drink aplenty and rule the world with their steel six-strings. This ultra-badass album comes from the band known as We Are Satan’s People or We Are Sexual Perverts. Either way they are apart of the elite Unholy Trinity of Glam (Motley Crue, Ratt), together these three bands with capture 4 of the top 6 albums on this countdown. These are the bands that formed glam metal paved the way for everyone else to reap the rewards. WASP was the darkest, heaviest of three drawing on the shock rock acts of the 70s and pushing the envelope even further. Holmes and Piper are among the most under-appreciated guitar tandems of all time. I just fuckin love that incredibly metallic tone. It is so fuckin ballsy. But this aint no death or black metal album (even with songs such as Torture Never Stops and On Your Knees). Blackies makes sure to bring the fuckin hooks on every song. 

WASP combines glam rock, shock rock and heavy metal into a streamlined attack for the listener that is as vicious as it is sweet. Glam is a genre that hinges upon the convergence of macho toughness, sleazy filth and partying excess. The variety on the record from metal anthems, to mid-tempo crushers to speed metal destroyers provides evidence that Blackie is not a one trick pony. Blackie also has the best voice of the three vocalists in the Trinity. His voice has a power that is almost unmatched in glam metal (Dee Snider has a shit ton of power), but he brings a certain haunting style to his vocal hysterics. While Crue and Ratt tried to out-sleaze each other, WASP always brought a sense of danger different from these bands because of the haunting vocals. 

A Main Event In Any Arena, right Gorilla?

The difference in guitar attacks between the three bands also demonstrates how different glam metal could be. Ratt brought the straight-ahead, pulse-pounding, head-banging Judas Priest staccato riffing with an Eddie Van Halen flare on the solos. The Crue was lucky to have Mars a totally unique guitarist with his RUDE, heavily distorted, raw buzzsaw riffs derived from the Dolls and Cheap Trick. WASP’s guitar tone was indebted to the terrifying, technical sound reminiscent of guitar-god, Randy Rhoads (RIP). Ratt was the flashy, polished attack. Crue were the too heavy to be punks, too angry to be glam and too pretty to be metal band that kicked so much ass and got so much pussy. WASP was the glam band from Hell. Well lets get onto this killer muthafucka.

Glam Gods: Nikki Sixx and Balckie Lawless were originally in the same LA glam band: Sister

My mom’s favorite glam metal song is the first cut off the album, I Wanna Be Somebody. One of my all-time favorite anthems, that encapsulates everything I am about: shiny cars, dirty money, and lots of rock n roll. I aint ever getting old, bitches. This song also displays fully how much Blackie loves drums fills. The song just sounds urgent you NEED to know the next lyric, the next fill, whats the solo. Blackie conveys this emotion with vocals with his great employment of inflection. Even though it follows the standard formula, the emotion, rawness and heaviness drag it through the sleazy filth to among the best song ever.  I love how he screams “SO CRY OUT!” So bitchin. The solo is a barn-burner that leads right back into the that super sexy glam breakdown that just draws me to this music. Hit the fuckin chorus Blackie. Damn this song fuckin rules. I WANNA BE SOMEBODY!

Next up, maybe my brother’s favorite glam metal song, L.O.V.E. Machine. Blackie and the Boys sure love to prove they can spell. My brother and I played this song non-stop a couple of summers ago because it rocks so fuckin hard. This is a killer example of that spooky effect that Blackie can achieve his vocals that no other glam vocalist can replicate. “You see that trail of broken hearts//They all belong to me//Magic runs through my fingers//One touch youll see” Holy shit, good lyrics on a non-Crue album, ya shitting me. I fuckin love WASP. The guitar fill is one of the best hooks ever. I love the fuckin rumbling rhythm section, it sounds straight off a NWOBHM album. Like I said, I love glam metal albums that remember to put metal in glam metal. This album is just chock full of face-melting solos and this song is no different. Fuck this album kicks so much damn ass.  

Then comes the mid-tempo stomper to remind all the B.A.D (yes another phonetics lesson from the boys in W.A.S.P.) Girls that he loves them even if their parents think they have been very B.A.D. I love that opening guitar riff and it just plays in a hypnotic loop through the rest of the song. The snappy 80’s snare is on full-display here with giving the song plenty of punch. The solo employs so many cool shred techniques and offers the perfect bridge back to a catchy chorus. 

There are power ballads then there is a FUCKIN WASP POWER BALLAD. So while Bret Michaels loses his balls and replaces it with a huge pussy. Blackie writes a power ballad about being Satan and seducing women. Reason #19547 why WASP kicks ass. The chorus is absolutely hypnotic. One of the best choruses I have ever heard. Then that first note of that solo. Holy shit. Just what power and tone. Then whole solo is an ode to everything kicks ass about the 80s. Literally sounds like he is bending metal with his fingers. I was just listening to the song and I am like it is over already. That is always the sign of a true killer gem.  Come taste the Love of Lucifer’s Magic.

I LOVE every song on this album so much, but due to time constraints I will pick just one more. I am going with Tormentor. This chorus just again shows the knack of Blackie for writing haunting, catchy choruses.  The song begins with such a forceful burst of bass and that just a great guitar intro. The riff is very indebted to NWOBHM with a galloping pace, but with a distorted version of Randy Rhoads tone. 

Really the whole album absolutely smokes. Due yourself, a favor pick it up and come join me at the altar of Blackie.

Now that we are entering the hallowed grounds of the Top 5. Here is a recap of the #10-#6, which you can find in the archives.

#6 W.A.S.P. – W.A.S.P. (First-Wave Glam Metal)

#7 Cinderella – Night Songs (First-Wave Glam Metal)

#8 Poison  - Look At What The Cat Dragged In (First-Wave Glam Metal)

#9 Def Leppard – Pyromania (First-Wave Glam Metal)

#10 Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry (First-Wave Glam Metal)

This final song was not included on the album proper, but was the original first single from WASP and was the first song I ever heard from them. I am a sick, twisted fuck because of it. Proud of it! Sleeze 4 Life! I FUCK LIKE A BEAST!