W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless is quite possibly the busiest man in hard rock currently. Having just completed a nationwide and European tour in support of the first act of the band’s 2004 2-part conceptual opus The Neon God, W.A.S.P. is planning yet another run around the world to support the forthcoming conclusion of said epic entitled The Neon God Part 2: The Demise, which is slated for release through Sanctuary/Metal-Is Records on September 28th.
Produced & mixed during this summer, Blackie was ardent in his mission to make The Neon God Part 2: The Demise as potent and intense as its story dictates, so much so, that he was flying back & forth between venues and his Fort Apache studios in Burbank, CA during the first two weeks of the band’s summer tour! The Neon God addresses a tale of deep emotional quandary and revelation, the intoxication of power and the consequences of corruption. It is a story that everyone has experienced at one time or another – the need to belong, the quest for love, the desire for control, and the futility of vanity. Lawless, forthright and ever evolving as a musician and a human being, drew influence for the album’s concept through extensive observation of the world and numerous soul-searching journeys through the deserts of America’s Southwest. Part 1: The Rise was met with radiant applause, heralded as compelling by Metal Edge Magazine, peerless and bombastic by the Las Vegas Mercury, and Hit Parader Magazine attested that it rarely ceased to entertain . LA Weekly embraced the concept with vivid appeal, testifying the album as a lavalike mountainside flow that pulls you inexorably from track to track.
Deplorably renowned for his lewd behavior coming up through a music community where excess meant ’success , Lawless frequently engages in musical endeavors that strip his soul and offer glimpses of the man beneath. In a way, each progressing W.A.S.P. release is another chapter in the uncompromising life of Lawless. With a catalogue spanning nearly 20 years, early titles, such as the self-titled debut and The Last Command represent youth and the indulgence of freedom. Releases like The Crimson Idol, Unholy Terror, and Dying for the World peel the blinders from society’s eyes and reveal humanistic truths and offer foresight into an unwritten future.
Ambitious in design, but no less persuasive than previous work, W.A.S.P. has reached a milestone many years in the making. The powerful, high-emotion story is set to the backdrop of W.A.S.P’s trademark nail-biting, theatrical style, from the guitar and soul-searing vocal performance of Blackie Lawless to the intense percussion work of returning drummer Stet Howland, the bludgeoning bass work of Mike Duda, and the rampaging lead guitar styling of Darrell Roberts.
A second leg of The Neon God World Tour is anticipated to commence in early October, bringing yet another inimitable performance to rabid, music hungry fans, for a W.A.S.P. concerts are no average performances. As Orlando Weekly humbly states, they know that rock show is comprised of two equally important words.
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The Neon God : Part One – The Rise Lyrics
Saw them play in NC at a club called Ziggy’s. (Aug. 2004) Pretty decent show. Played a lot of hits but only played for like an hour and 10 minutes. I waited almost 20 years to see WASP! (since 84!) I wish I could’ve seen them back around THE LAST COMMAND era… but they didn’t make it out to NC much. Still a favorite of mine, although a lot of the songs always sound the same. (similar vocals melody lines and chord progressions.) But it’s WASP and it’s always A**kicking! 😈 – said brich68 on Oct 10, 2004
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