W.A.S.P. Album: “Neon God, Pt. 1”

What's good about it?

W.A.S.P. keeps the energy and the intensity at a solid 10 throughout this musical journey. Once you get into the first real track "Wishing Well," you'll lean that the central character, Jesse Slane, has just arrived at the orphanage and learned of the horrors of what's to come. This crushing guitar track is about where the tortured children go to drown their misery (literally). "Sister Sadie" is to The Neon God what "Chainsaw Charlie" was to The Crimson Idol. Sadie, and the music that accompanies her, is quite sadistic. She puts Jesse though such inhumane abuse. You can actually hear his pain reflected in Blackie's vocals.

Unable to bear the torture any longer, Jesse plunges into the well to set himself free. Instead of dying, he sees visions of his destiny on "Underature." The dark organ tones set the mood for the future that waits.

Now committed to "Asylum #9," Jesse learns there is no escape. The resident doctor is sure to fix him right. One gets the feeling "Doctor Rockter" may have transferred there. Guitarist Darrell Roberts lays down some great solos as the song fades out. Jesse and his fellow inmates find sanctuary in "The Red Room of the Rising Sun." It's the place where they get high to escape the hell they live in. The track is led by a trippy riff that puts the listener right there.

The dark ballad "What I'll Never Find" is about the suicide of Jesse's closest friend (Note: there seems to be no significance to his death, as it relates to the story). Once again Darrell runs rampant over his fretboard. Jesse's transformation into cult figure begins with "XTC Riders," as he is taken in by his 'Devil's keeper' who exposes him to the power of influence. With a small army of disciples behind him, and his popularity growing increasingly stronger, Jesse realizes that he may not be the 'evil one' that his master molded him to be. As Part One reaches it's conclusion with "Running Man" and "The Raging Storm," Jesse fights within himself to decide whether he is good or evil. Jesse and the listener are now left to ponder; is he the anti-Christ, the new Messiah, or a false idol?

Anything bad?

Four tracks of filler; "Why am I Here" (:37), "Why Am I Nothing" (1:01), "Someone to Love Me" (1:05), and "Me and the Devil" (:55). Storyline is a bit dull.

Bottom Line

Let me start off by saying that I'm a huge W.A.S.P. fan. I have everything they've ever done (even LP singles). Needless to say, I was really looking forward to this release. It's inevitable that this will be compared to The Crimson Idol. Sadly, The Neon God is no Crimson Idol. However, it's still packed with some of the most ferocious and terrifying heavy metal around. Plain and simple, W.A.S.P. makes music to please their fans, and with The Neon God they deliver. You'd think that W.A.S.P. would have mellowed after all this time. No way! Blackie is still full of all the piss and vinegar that he became notorious for. I think the storyline is tough to relate to though. When you listen to The Crimson Idol you can picture yourself, or even Blackie Lawless, going through some of the same situations and emotions set forth. The Neon God, on the other hand, is mostly fictional, unless of course you've been in a cult, orphanage, or an asylum. The marketing of a two-part album is a great idea; because being a W.A.S.P. fanatic, I can't wait to hear what's next!

In listening to this new record, it really hits me: Blackie Lawless must be the single most underrated artist alive.

I have always been a WASP fan and I have enjoyed a musical journey with them starting from the times of the more fun recklessness of 'WASP' and 'The Last Command' to the more serious and thought provoking 'Headless' and 'The Crimson Idol'.

Whether you are a WASP fan or have never listened to them before, if you are looking for an album that will become an instant classic in your collection you must buy this release.

'The Neon God' will take you on a journey through the life of Jesse Slane, a boy who since very early on is exposed to the more cruel realities of life. He loses his father at age 6 and his mother, who becomes a drug addict, doesn't want to deal with him so she gives him up to a religious orphanage where he is abused and mistreated for years.

Blackie Lawless is a master storyteller and you will find yourself feeling for this character as if he was a real life person. The sounds of the record vary from explosive relentless hard rock, to gut wrenching ballads that will stop you dead on your track. Not a bad song in this album. The lyrics are well written and thought provoking (I was speechless at another reviewers comment that the lyrics in this album make no sense), and are masterfully matched to the story and tempo of each song.

Overall this album is a masterpiece. A collection of songs and sounds that will rock your bones but that will unequivocally stimulate you intellect as well. You must not miss it.

Blackie does it once again. I couldn't wait for this album to come out, and I am not disappointed. I can't wait for Part 2 this summer. This album has the classic WASP sound. Blackie's voice and Frankie's drums are still going strong.

Blackie Lawless is an incredible artist! This album is amazing! It appears that there are a few people that wish to appear smart enough to judge this fine work. W.A.S.P. / Blackie did without a doubt create a legendary album in the "The Crimson Idol" after already smashing every pre conceived conclusion about the band with " The Headless Children" , The Crimson Idol further established a brilliant identity that bigger selling bands would struggle to compete with musically and otherwise. I believe the same to be true of W.A.S.P. Still !!! The Neon God Part 1 - The Rise is a very emotional and musically complex work, with a story about a boy that I think everyone can relate to if your life was ever at any point difficult to face. I don't understand comparing everything a band accomplishes to one grand past achievement, it is a small minded way of thinking! The album begins with an instrumental that sets a dark tone for " Why am I here" Wishing Well and Sister Sadie ( And The Black habits). Then another build up with " the Rise " a short break " Why am I nothing" then an explosion into the epic Asylum #9 some very haunting vocal and guitar work on this track then it literally melts into the next track with backward cymbals "Red Room of the Rising Son" to the ballad " What I'll Never Find" a break for "Someone to Love me" and creeping in comes the noisy and once again haunting X.T.C. Riders at this point in the album the music is very aggressive yet atmospheric Blackie's vocals are very emotionally intense and the lyrics themselves deserve to be followed and also add a great deal to this emotional escapade that ends perfectly with the monumental closing track " The Raging Storm "

I honestly believe this to be a standout release for W.A.S.P. it offers certain elements that the other albums just don't have, as a lifelong fan I believe it is worth buying !!!!!

The Neon God Part 1-The Rise is the first W.A.S.P. CD I've purchased in several years. Chronologically, it is the latest W.A.S.P. album I bought since 1989's Headless Children. I was aware of W.A.S.P. when they were an outrageous, shock metal act in the 1980s, but only acquired their albums in the 1990s when I was old enough to make my own music-buying decisions. Their 1984 debut is classic as is, to a slightly lesser extent, their sophomore release The Last Command. I even find things to like on Electric Circus (although not as much) and Headless Children has several amazing tracks. I did not follow W.A.S.P.'s 1990-2000s releases, and was recently surprised to discover how much output Blackie Lawless has generated during the last decade and a half. The Neon God CD, with two parts, intrigued me and, finding the track cuts from a listening station interesting, I decided to give them a try.

The music of The Neon God Part 1 is in the vein of Headless Children. Those who want the raw, carnal, sadistic pleasure of their early releases may be disappointed. The music here is from the brain, heart, and soul rather than from the groin. The CD booklet tells the complex story of Jesse Slane, a boy who, after the death of his father, is exposed to the unhealthy life of his drug-addicted mother who eventually drops him off at a Catholic orphanage. Here, his torment really begins. He is confined to an Asylum and is tortured by a wicked, dictatorial nun. Jesse's life is such hell that, at one point, his goal is to drown himself in a wishing well outside the orphanage. The one bright spot is a friend, Billy, who introduces him to the drug-infested Red Room. Jesse is able to leave the Asylum and, during his going away party in the Red Room, his friend commits suicide. Once out, Jesse encounters a magician named Judah (original names here, huh?) who has a mental power over others. He becomes a mentor to Jesse but soon, the student becomes the master, and Jesse gains power over a coterie of societal castoffs who elevate him to Messiah status. All the while, Jesse questions the ideas of religion and being a prophet of God. The story is 10 pages long. It is obvious Lawless is serious about this concept. There are no photos or illustrations in the booklet.

The music is a serious, involved, complex (though more straight-forward than progressive rock) metal that is appropriate to the theme. At first, I did not care for the album but, the more I listen to it, the more I gained from it and the more tracks stood out. There are a lot of fillers on this CD. The overture is a 3:33 instrumental that is nice, but the music is repeated, with lyrics, on "The Rise." "Why Am I Here" (0:35), "Why Am I Nothing" (0:58), "Someone to Love Me" (0:51), "Me and the Devil" (0:53) set the mood both lyrically and musically but are probably not necessary as the lyrics to all the tracks follow the storyline very closely. The CD gets going with "Wishing Well" where Jesse contemplates drowning himself. It is emotionally powerful at the "Why am I nothing" part. The "Woo" at the end of the rocking verse "Wish away the pain and wash away my life" part is a little distracting. The meat of the album starts with "Sister Sadie." This 7:42 track rocks. The part where Jesse confronts Sister Sadie with "I don't believe in a God of love" kicks! It's very powerful. "Asylum #9" is another rocker, but is repetitive. "Red Room of the Rising Sun" is my favorite track on the album. As the theme would indicate, it has a psychedelic sound; interesting and unique with a dark beauty: "The Red Room is crying/the Red Sun is rising." "What I'll Never Find" is a slow, dark and beautiful track and is another of my favorites here. "XTC Riders" is my least favorite track. It is about the "X"- drug culture Jesse finds outside the Asylum and has a rebellious rock style to it that doesn't seem to fit the overall sound of the album. "The Running Man", where Jesse starts adopting the Messiah image, is musically not memorable. "The Raging Storm", where Jesse pleads with God for love and direction is a fairly powerful ending to part 1.

Lyrically, all the tracks are written as a dialog between Jesse and God, his mother, Sister Sadie, Billy, Judah, etc. The lyrics in the booklet have the names to the side. Lawless doesn't change his singing style or voice when changing characters so, unless you follow along, you will probably not get the concept at first. I recommend reading the booklet first and then follow along to the lyrics at least once. The concept is OK, but not overly profound. So many bad things happen to Jesse, the story almost loses its effectiveness. It overdoes the horrible childhood theme. Musically, the album rocks and has a lot of meat to it. The many fillers are not necessary as most of them repeat the music and ideas of other tracks. This album takes a few listens to appreciate, but it is worth it. If you like the audio clips, I recommend giving it a try.