Thirty years ago in 1984 gas was $1.10 a gallon, a movie ticket was $2.50, the Space Shuttle discovery made its maiden voyage but most importantly, W.A.S.P released their self-titled debut album. When I first saw the album cover for this album, I can remember being somewhat freaked out by it. I turned over the album and read the quote “The Gods You Worship Are Steel. At The Alter of Rock n’ Roll You Kneel.” Man, this was some awesome looking shit. I just had to own it. I took it home and my dad quickly made me take it back to the store (READ ABOUT THAT HERE). Not long after , I returned to Warehouse Records and Tapes on Veterans Blvd and quickly re-bought this album. This time around, dad didn’t have to know about it. I must have played this album at least 10 times the day I brought it home. It really sounded unlike anything that was out at the time. It was heavy, it was dark sounding, but the songs seemed to be really catchy.
Thirty years later I’m sitting here waxing nostalgic over this album that I loved so much as a kid. As I put on this album to listen to it front to back I found myself asking that age old question: “Was the W.A.S.P album really as great as I thought it was back in the day?” By the time the needle left the finishing notes of “The Torture Never Stops”, the answer to that question is without a doubt a huge fucking YES!
When that opening drum roll of “I Wanna Be Somebody” kicks in I just find myself air drumming to it and waiting for that face melting take off and BAM! There it is. I’m 12 years old again and loving it. “I will live in fame and die in flames I’m never getting old.” That’s pretty fucking far out man. It’s like W.A.S.P’s very own “My Generation.” “The Flame” is so fucking catchy and infectious while W.A.S.P totally taps into that darker side of things with songs like “Tormentor”, “The Torture Never Stops” and “On Your Knees.” “Hellion” has to be one of my all-time favorite W.A.S.P songs. W.A.S.P also had this thing for spelling things out. “L.O.V.E Machine”, “B.A.D”. It’s like W.A.S.P took us to spelling class. Whenever I see the word “bad” I always find myself singing in my head, “BEEEEEEEEEEEE-A-D. BAD! Make your mom and daddy sad.” Get outta my head W.A.S.P. Get outta my head!
W.A.S.P’s debut album today sounds every bit as good as it did 30 years ago in my mind. It’s a really well produced album but it still maintains this level of rawness. The album still holds up extremely well and doesn’t sound dated in the least which is something that always surprises me. Even the bands later albums like The Last Command and Inside the Electric Circus sound more dated than this debut. This album was a huge part of my childhood and it was always there for me all through the years. I still find myself going to it and like an old, trusty friend, it’s always there and it never lets me down. It takes me back to those days when metal was young, and I was young as well.
Happy Birthday W.A.S.P! 30 looks good on ya!
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