With
glam rock
making a comeback of sorts in 1984 (
Moetley Cruee
,
Ratt
, etc.), another Los Angeles band,
W.A.S.P.
, couldn't have picked a better time to release its self-titled debut. By merging lyrics that dealt with the expected
heavy metal
themes (sex, Satanism, etc.) alongside
Blackie Lawless
' rough vocals and
Chris Holmes
' guitar riffing, the band sounded and looked more menacing than your average L.A.
glam
band at the time. Add to it a stage show that was gimmick-heavy (
Lawless
would drink blood from a skull and rip open a pillow, while wearing buttless leather pants and saw blades on his arms), and you had a "can't miss" recipe for controversy and publicity -- resulting in the debut's eventual gold certification. The album contains most of their best-known tracks, such as the raging singles/videos
"I Wanna Be Somebody"
and
"L.O.V.E. Machine,"
plus the anti-establishment
"School Daze,"
the semi-
ballad
"Sleeping (In the Fire),"
and the angst-filled anthems
"The Flame,"
"Hellion,"
"On Your Knees,"
"Tormentor."
[The 1998 CD reissue contains three bonus tracks, including a cover of
the Rolling Stones
'
"Paint It Black,"
as well as their overtly sexual early fan fav,
"Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)."
] ~ Greg Prato