By 1984, Kiss had been unmasked for a year and Alice Cooper was on hiatus. But L.A. bands like W.A.S.P. (which stood for "We Are Sexual Perverts") were picking up the theatrical, shock-metal slack quite nicely. The band would wear eerie make-up, tight leather, and knee-high boots, while wielding a variety of outlandish props. Musically, W.A.S.P. specialized in mega-decibel heavy metal, as evidenced by the group's gold-certified self-titled debut.
W.A.S.P. contains two of the band's most popular tracks (the scream-along anthems "I Wanna Be Somebody" and "L.O.V.E. Machine)" and many other compositions that fans of '80s metal will find gratifying. Highlights include the rockers "The Flame," "School Daze," "Hellion," "On Your Knees," and "The Torture Never Stops," plus the ballad (by W.A.S.P. standards, anyway) "Sleeping In the Fire."
W.A.S.P: Blackie Lawless (vocals, bass); Randy Piper (vocals, guitar); Tony Richards (vocals, drums); Chris Holmes (guitar).
Includes liner notes by Dante Bonutto and Blackie Lawless.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Randy Piper (vocals, guitar); Blackie Lawless (vocals, bass guitar); Tony Richards (vocals, drums); Chris Holmes (guitar).
Audio Mixer: Duane Baron.
Liner Note Authors: Blackie Lawless; Dom Lawson.
Photographer: Ross Halfin.
Track Listing 1. Animal (Fuck Like a Beast) 2. I Wanna Be Somebody 3. L.O.V.E. Machine 4. Flame, The 5. B.A.D. 6. School Daze 7. Hellion 8. Sleeping (In the Fire) 9. On Your Knees 10. Tormentor 11. Torture Never Stops, The 12. Show No Mercy 13. Paint It Black
