With his raw meat-throwing antics and flamethrowing codpiece, Blackie Lawless always knew how to make an impact. W.A.S.P. were responsible for some exceptional metal moments during the 80s, and even at the age of 58 that signature voice remains instantly recognisable.
However, having found Christianity and begun making pompous political statements, Lawless the man is barely recognisable as the loose cannon that recorded Animal (Fuck Like A Beast).
The fact that W.A.S.P.’s 15th studio album was six years in the making suggests that Lawless takes himself way too seriously. Opening track Scream is a blatant attempt to write another anthem in the vein of past classics Wild Child or Blind In Texas. Like the rest of what follows, it’s partially successful. The Hammond organ-drenched Shotgun bears comparison to W.A.S.P.’s blood-spattered heyday, ditto the haunting ballad Miss You, but the sense of danger and excitement so crucial to those early recordings is sorely missed.
