Disco de W.A.S.P.: “Dying for the World”

Well, after Blackie returned to the kind of socially aware lyrics and emotionally driven music he's renowned for on "Unholy Terror", he's now built on that foundation and taken the music of WASP one step further and delivered a truly outstanding piece of music and lyrics entitled "Dying For The World".

Opening up with "Shadow Man", Blackie immediately sets the pace of the album with a statement directed at all terrorists detailing how misguided and empty their cause really is, while at the same time informing them that they will pay for their sins against their brothers in the afterlife, a stark contrast to the rewards they expect to find for committing such atrocities.

Musically, this song begins with an "evil" sounding riff somewhat reminiscent of "Kill Your Pretty Face" from WASP's 1997 dark and brooding opus "KFD", and then slowly builds up momentum as each band member begins playing in an almost hypnotic fashion.

Next up is "My Wicked Heart" a sonic nod to the style and structure of certain material found on WASP's 1989's "Headless Children" which ushered in Blackie's role as a valid social commentator. lyrically, he's highlighting his own faults and negative personality traits while pleading with his higher power and asking the question if he too is beyond redemption.

"Black Bone Torso", the shortest track on "Dying For The World" is a dark, and cutting condemnation of the Catholic Church and it's army of child molesting priests. Set against a sparse musical landscape, Blackie's melodic whisper helps paints a picture of the depravity, and sexual perversion these artists of molestation so revel in. One, two, f&%k you begins the charge of "Hell For Eternity", a high energy number slightly reminiscent of the "Helldorado" album which contains a lyrical nod to the movie "Scarface" with Blackie telling the terrorists "Won't you say hello to my little friend" before they're burned like the animals they truly are. "Hallowed Ground" the fifth track on the album, and THE most moving song Blackie has ever written is a truly heartfelt, and emotional testament to the destruction, heartbreak, and utter devastation felt by all those affected by 9/11. Blackie, touchingly relates to the listener the sense of shock, and despair he feels while at the same time, speaking directly to God, conveys that although New York is "bludgeoned" it is still "unbowed".

"Revengeance", another in the series of high powered musical attack's makes special note of mankind's never ending violence against itself citing the biblical story of brothers Cane and Abel, and proves to be a perfect funereal accompaniment to those in hiding with the blood of innocents on their hands. The seventh and quite possibly most distinctively different track of WASP's career is "Trail of Tears", Blackie's epitaph to the Cherokee Nation, who forced by the United States to march halfway across the country, were robbed of their land and left to die on the road to their damnation. Musically the song begins with a lone guitar, and Blackie's anguished effect laden voice, slowly building with an electric guitar, and Frankie's tribal drum beat. As the song progresses Frankie adds tribal tom tom's while the desperation in Blackie's voice becomes more pronounced finally climaxing with his plea, "Let my people go"!

"Stone Cold Killers", a lyrical reprise of sorts to "Shadow Man" has Blackie vowing to "murder superman", a reference to the terrorists and their feelings of racial and religious superiority over those conflicting with their own beliefs, and boasting "My God will kill your god", sounds similar to material from "Crimson Idol", with it's driving beat, and big chorus. Rounding out the album's new material is the hard and fast "Rubber Man", an all out attack on the music business and "Charlie's" shady, and deceptive practices.

Finally, the closing number on "Dying For The World" is an acoustic version of "Hallowed Ground". Backed up only on the solo, and outro with an electric guitar, Blackie takes the emotion of the electric version another step higher, and emphasizes the sound of his voice and weight of his words. This version would have been a fitting closing number at "The Concert for New York" this past winter.

All in all, this album makes a perfect companion to "Unholy Terror" and is somewhat of a "sister" album in many respects. Blackie has raised the bar, and produced an album so wrought with emotion, intensity, and passion that it would be a huge injustice for this album to go unnoticed by the rock and metal mainstream, and even the world. If you're a WASP fan you MUST own this album, if you're not, pick this album up and you will be!

The new cd, Dying For The World, shows that Blackie Lawless is more than just a long haired, metal playing, musician. His songs are angry, but thoughtful, as he says:... political correctness", he means for people to think. His songs are topical, covering everything from the priest scandal in the Catholic Church, which I agree with (as a Catholic); September 11th, and other issues. W.A.S.P. may not be everyone's idea of metal, but if you are a fan, please, pick up this cd. Thanks.

Rock On Blackie!

When Blackie came out with Helldorado, I was thrilled that he returned to his vintage sound and rock roots and was no longer swayed by the crap that has infected the music industry since the 1990's. Although the album started to run together and sound the same, it was great to hear the ballsy, energetic sound was back. Double Live Assasins was a phenomenal production with excellent sound quality. I figured that was the end right there as the music industry would permit only so much talent in the post-80's era before they would go pushing non-talented bands born from the 90's disgrace that was nirvana,pearl jam and the new 90's metallica. When Unholy Terror came back, Blackie showed continued the energy and continued to return ever closer to the 80's sound. I did not think Dying for The World could top Unholy Terror but it did. The sound/production of the album is a phenomenal high energy assault that one would expect from WASP combined with some potent, well thought out lyrics. Usually when an artist goes political, the music suffers. This album proves that whether Blackie sings about laying pipe or political controversies,he is back to his true form. I am so unbelieveably thrilled by this album's sound that I had to write in even though my time is limited during my first year of medical residency. I have to congratulate Blackie and thank him for returning to his roots and striving to excellence with each sucessive post-90's effort.

WASP is back! Blackie Lawless is perhaps the most underated song writer in heavy metal history. This cd was written to "kill people to". Mr. Lawless has the balls to say what others won't. "Sandman came with misery", "I'll kill the god you created", pure anger, directed at [those] who attacked our country. It was not created to spread hate, which some...will proclaim. It was made, pure and simple, to express anger and outrage...And to kill terriorists to as the USA finds them in their holes. I applaud you Blackie, to have the [nerve] to say it,with no apologies. Not a bad track on the disc.

This album is a very good album. Blackie has a way with stale sounds and lousy albums. He seems to hit and miss all the time. This album is a hit, he captured a sound that relates to a sad time in American history.

This album and my opinion of this album are such.

It has an angry sound, it is right after 9/11 and the pain shows on this album.

Blackie said once that NYC was his home not SoCal, ever time he would leave or arrive he would see the massive towers. Towers that were built by hard working Americans and friends and family of the famous frontman.

Where is my home now? no towers, the landscape has changed.

Songs like Hell for Eternity, songs about anger towards Osama, and his evil doers.

This album has to be the best from W.A.S.P. it has timeless tunes and the beats are tight. This album is 5 stars, sadly that album will never be replecated by the wild man, hope he comes close in the future.