W.A.S.P.
After exploding onto the L.A. metal scene in 1982, slicing pigs, drinking blood and violating nuns, W.A.S.P., who don’t need much of an introduction, return with their fifteenth official studio album, ‘Golgotha’, and this has been the longest break the band has ever taken between records since ‘Babylon’ in 2009. The album artwork portrays a biblical scene and leaves me wondering if we are about to lose the band hardcore fans have come to know and love… but, I am happy to say ‘Golgotha’ is nine tracks of Pure W.A.S.P. anthems and powering guitar frenzy. The band are currently on tour with the album, which you may say is a little brave considering it isn’t due to be released until well into the tour.
The album’s explosive opener, ‘Scream’ (although reminiscent of 2009's ‘Crazy’) starts off the proceedings with a bang, followed by ‘Last Runaway’, which you would have heard if you were lucky enough to see them live ahead of the album’s release, sitting seamlessly alongside their greatest hits, and followed closely on its heels by the upbeat, hard hitting ‘Shotgun’. After the initial onslaught of the first three songs, the atmosphere is subdued by ‘Miss you’ (originally written for ‘The Crimson Idol’) with catchy and what seems like very heartfelt lyrics, ending with Doug Blair’s majestic guitar solo, making this what I would consider the power ballad of the album, and equally as powerful as their 1989 hit single ‘Forever Free’.
The latter half of the album, with song titles such as ‘Eyes of My Maker’, ‘Slaves of the New World Order’ and ‘Hero of the World’ give you an insight into Blackies's spirituality but still resembles the “bloody thunder”, 33 years in the making; fans old and new won’t be disappointed. The album finishes with the title track, ‘Golgotha’, a very powerful song that makes you wonder could this be from the biblical “man on the hill” or Blackie's “lawless” personal spiritual struggle? The whole album, from start to finish, is a well-oiled, highly polished freight train, six years in the making, proving that good things come to those who wait!
The album’s explosive opener, ‘Scream’ (although reminiscent of 2009's ‘Crazy’) starts off the proceedings with a bang, followed by ‘Last Runaway’, which you would have heard if you were lucky enough to see them live ahead of the album’s release, sitting seamlessly alongside their greatest hits, and followed closely on its heels by the upbeat, hard hitting ‘Shotgun’. After the initial onslaught of the first three songs, the atmosphere is subdued by ‘Miss you’ (originally written for ‘The Crimson Idol’) with catchy and what seems like very heartfelt lyrics, ending with Doug Blair’s majestic guitar solo, making this what I would consider the power ballad of the album, and equally as powerful as their 1989 hit single ‘Forever Free’.
The latter half of the album, with song titles such as ‘Eyes of My Maker’, ‘Slaves of the New World Order’ and ‘Hero of the World’ give you an insight into Blackies's spirituality but still resembles the “bloody thunder”, 33 years in the making; fans old and new won’t be disappointed. The album finishes with the title track, ‘Golgotha’, a very powerful song that makes you wonder could this be from the biblical “man on the hill” or Blackie's “lawless” personal spiritual struggle? The whole album, from start to finish, is a well-oiled, highly polished freight train, six years in the making, proving that good things come to those who wait!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Napalm Records
Album
GOLGOTHA
Review by Gina Godfrey
RUNNING TIME:
56:14
RELEASE DATE:
2nd Oct 2015
TRACK LISTING
1) Scream
2) Last Runaway
3) Shotgun
4) Miss You
5) Fallen Under
6) Slaves of the New World Order
7) Eyes of My Maker
8) Hero of the World
9) Golgotha
2) Last Runaway
3) Shotgun
4) Miss You
5) Fallen Under
6) Slaves of the New World Order
7) Eyes of My Maker
8) Hero of the World
9) Golgotha
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"The whole album, from start to finish, is a well-oiled, highly polished freight train, six years in the making, proving that good things come to those who wait!"
