 W.A.S.P. How can anyone not love an album called Kill, Fuck, Die? The recent W.A.S.P. renaissance is nothing short of amazing. Along with the new live album Double Live Assassins, K.F.D. has brought W.A.S.P. back into the limelight. Well, the heavy metal limelight, anyway. Or at least my heavy metal limelight. Yeah, you remember them: The notorious single "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)," the sawblades in the crotch, the blood-drinking from a skull, the whipping of nuns on stage, the fire-shooting codpieces, and, of course, the seatless pants. Ahhh, the early eighties were great. W.A.S.P. actually were quite popular until Tipper Gore and the seemingly now forgotten P.M.R.C. singled out W.A.S.P. as the symbol of "pornographic" rock. This more or less destroyed their career long before the '90s advent of "alternative" rock destroyed the careers of every other metal band. Regardless of this setback, Blackie Lawless (singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member) has persevered under the name W.A.S.P. for almost twenty years. He's my hero. K.F.D. is excellent. It reunites Blackie with fellow founding member and well-known alcoholic, Chris Holmes. It also utilizes electronics and synths extensively, a new thing for W.A.S.P. The almost industrial sound is abrasive and heavier than any previous W.A.S.P. effort. It is really their finest work. Every song is worthy of mention, but the highlights include the title track which features a shout-along chorus of "Kill, Fuck, Die", the distortion frenzy of "Killahead", and the nearly nine minute epic "The Horror". My personal favorites however are "U" and "A Little Death." I particularly appreciate the chorus of "U" which includes the word "liar" screamed over and over (always a good thing). I am also rather partial to "A Little Death." This tune includes the word "motherfucker" screamed over and over. That REALLY floats my boat. I suppose it's a bit juvenile to be so pleased by repetitive screaming, but it's done with such anger and conviction that it truly hits home. The songs are all well written and sometimes actually rather catchy. This is music for the perpetually angry, and it is good. I am inspired to dispense with the conventional Loud Bassoon rating system and award K.F.D. what it truly deserves: 41 Brain Aneurysms.
Review by SIC |
