W.A.S.P.

W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles in 1982 by its uninterrupted leader, Blackie Lawless. The name W.A.S.P. was an acronym initially, which stood for We Are Sexual Perverts, but ultimately, the band decided to keep it more ambiguous. 

The first lineup of W.A.S.P. was made up of Blackie Lawless, the guitarist Randy Piper, the bassist Tony Richards and the drummer Steve Riley. In 1984, the band released their debut self-titled album which quickly became a hit due to its high-octane fusion of hard rock and heavy metal, and the excentric concerts promoting the record. The controversial performances kept their name on people’s tongues. 

W.A.S.P.’s subsequent records, such as The Last Command and Inside the Electric Circus, stabilised their status and their popularity was far from subsiding. This period, however, saw lineup shuffling in the band. 

In the 90s, W.A.S.P. went through a series of musical experiments and changes in style. In 1992 they released The Crimson Idol, an album which was a lot more serious, momentous and complex than their previous records. The album was acclaimed both by critics and fans and its concept, which tells the story of a rockman ensnared by the dark side of show-biz, became the crown jewel of the band’s illustrious career. 

Despite many lineup changes, W.A.S.P. have continued their activity throughout subsequent decades, releasing new albums and touring across the whole world. They have become less controversial, but they are still one of the gems of the heavy metal scene. The Americans have been working for some time now on new music, and their latest record with brand-new material is the 2015 album Golgotha.