W.A.S.P. (WE ARE SEXUAL PERVERTS) were by far one of the best "SHOCK HEAVY ROCK BAND" that 80's L.A. glam scene brought forth.
Thanks to their shocking images, outrageous lyrics and gruesome shows, W.A.S.P. entered immediately in the narrow circle of bands with larger following at a national level.
Their charismatic leader Blackie Lawless (bs-vc) have lots of music experience in rock and roll. After a brief period in the N.Y. Dolls and in well known bands in the Los Angeles background, in 1982 he found W.A.S.P. with his old playmate Randy Piper (gt) then with Chris Holmes (gt) and Tony Richards (dr).

The band attracted attention with its stage dresses, the big energy that communicated with the songs and with the wild live acts ( Blackie pretended to drink blood from a skull and flung piece of raw meat to the audience; he would then take out a large knife and simulate cutting the throat of a girl inchained at a torture rack behind them on the stage and reduce her to a skeleton).

These characteristics drove the band to have "sold out" everywhere and to enter into a contract with Capitol Records.

Their first single "ANIMAL (F**K LIKE A BEAST)" was not included in the song list of the first album because it would have meant it being banned from major chain stores (at his place was included" THE FLAME"). It was released as single in Europe and America thanks to Music For Nation.
In the August of the same year the self-titled debut was released and with hits like "I WANNA BE SOMEBODY"
(absolutely their celebration of the blind ambition) and L.OV.E. MACHINE, signed their discography came out with instantaneous success.
With the album Blackie's bent for composition came out to be the best of the scene, as he was able to write rhythmic mid tempos dominated by his mordant voice and speed songs of pure heavy metal roots.
After a triumphant American tour, just before the English one, Tony Richard left the band and Steve Riley joined.
( ex Keel).

In May 1985 the band began to work to the second album, "THE LAST COMMAND". In the meantime Randy Piper left the band and Blackie went back to play guitar, and at his place they recruit as bassist Johnny Rod.
With the memorable "WILD CHILD" and "BLIND IN TEXAS" the new Lp drove the band to top the charts and between the preferences of the teen-agers.
The reached fame granted their presence as KISS' special guest in their world tour.
On a musical level " THE LAST COMMAND" brought a new image of the band. Blackie showed he wasn't joking, during the production he looked very carefully after every detail of every single song, never leaving out his untamed aggressive attitude.
The new success wave got even its downside and the band had to face the attacks of P.M.R.C. ( parents music resource center, censorship board against increasing heavy-rock music).
Blackie was defined " a sick man with serious psychical illness".

At the end of 1986 the third album "INSIDE THE ELECRTIC CIRCUS" was released. The album came out to be a perfect mixture between the first and the second one. Blackie took personally care of the production and for the first time showed his love for 70's bands by putting in the song list 2 cover, "I DON'T NEED NO DOCTOR" , a song of Humble Pie ( which became a classical hit of their live shows), and "EASY LIVING" of Hurriah Heep.
In the live show the band gave up with blood and tortures, to start with big stages, choreography and fireworks.

Before the start of their British Tour, W.A.S.P were invited in London, at the well famous BBC2 special called "Rock Around The Clock". The usual grand finale with Blackie's cod piece exploding in a shower of sparks was deemed to be unsuitable and was not filmed.

During the tour W.A.S.P. went on throwing their weight about the scandalistic chronicles and to be a nuisance for the several censorship board. (the song "I'M ALIVE" is dedicated to them). Also around this time there were bomb threats at arenas were W.A.S.P playing and Blackie had his life threatened by gunshots.

In 1987 W.A.S.P were invited at the "Monsters Of Rock" festival in Downingtown ,U.K. Their act included the return of the "Torture Routine" . The week before the festival, the band release its first live album "LIVE..IN THE RAW", with the unpublished "SCREAM UNTIL YOU LIKE IT", the theme tune to the horror movie "Ghouls 2" , "THE MANIMAL" and the great "HARDER FASTER" (another hymn against the censorship).

After a pause period, in 1989, before the beginning of the work on the 4th album "THE HEADLESS CHILDREN", Steve Riley left the band. Frank Banali (Quiet Riot) joined the band for the recording of the album and then followed the band for the English tour.
The album brought great changes. From the musical point of view the sound of the songs was more heavy metal with articulated structures with good arrangements, like the fantastic title track. Blackie began to deal serious subjects like politics, false religions, wars and fanaticism in his several sides.
Thanks to the single "FOREVER FREE" the album reached the highest charts level W.A.S.P. had ever reached.

At the end of the promotional tour, Chris' problems with alcohol became more serious and the lack of understanding with Blackie took him to leave the band.
Blackie decided to dedicate himself to write a rock opera.

In 1992 "THE CRIMSON IDOL" was released, the too far desired concept album that Blackie wrote and produced enterly by himself.

Bob Kulluck is included and took over on guitar for studio work and at drums Frank Banaly and Stet Howland.
The opera is about the rise of Johnatan, a boy disown from his parents, his disenchantment after the obtained fame and the endless and the unless research of the happiness. The complex structure of the songs, the deep and dark subjects dealed in the lyrics signed the turning point of Blackie's career. The album, with songs like "CHAINSAW CHARLIE" a "HOLD ON TO MY HEART" ( the first W.A.S.P.'s radio hit), the wonderful "ARENA OF PLEASURE" and "THE IDOL" had an incredible success, that after a world tour took them back again upon of"MONSTER OF ROCK" stage.

The follow year, Blackie announced the breaking up of the band, and his will to pursuit a solo career.
As to confirm the news, the same year the first W.A.S.P.'s greatest hits "BLOOD HITS, LAST CUTS" was released. It contained two new songs: "SUNSET AND BABYLON" "ROCK'N ROLL TO DEATH" and some remixed classics.
The released of this album marked also and of the relationship with Capitol, which was arrived at the last stage ( the fantastic "chainsaw Charlie was dedicate to the president).
In 1995, after the brand new deal with Castle Music "STILL NOT BLACK ENOUGH" was issued. The sound of the album ( similar to the past ones) induced Blackie to sign the album with W.A.S.P. name, for consistency toward the fans.
The gloomy and melancholic imprint was the manifestation of the deep crisis that hit him after "the crimson idol". He released that the story he wrote was not only the story of the many which identify themselves in it, but unexpectedly his own too.
The last song "NO WAY OUT OF HERE", resume the topic of the rock opera and close with the identification of Blackie in Jhonatan.

At a compositional level the album brought nothing new but gave two authentic gems, like the sweet "KEEP HOLDING ON" and the remarkable "I CAN'T" where Blackie offered an unique interpretation of his personality.
In March 1997 Chris Holmes came back and after a little time "KILL FUCK DIE" was issued.

Who had been waited for a return to the past were perplexed. The album was murky and full of industrial sounds and trial signing the lowest point at a compositional level in Blackie's career.
In the tour which followed the issued of the album, W.A.S.P. presented a return of the outrageous show ( during the show Blackie simulated the rape of a nun and the decapitation of a pig).

In the same year Blackie won an action against Capitol and obtained the rights on the master of his albums.
In 1998 appeared in print the two fold live "DOUBLE LIVE ASSASSIN". Blackie declared he had always dreamt of a double live containing his best songs.
It was recorded in different live gigs of the "kill fuck die" world tour. In concurrence of the came out of the live, Snapper remasterized the old albums adding new B-SIDE and unpublished LIVE TRACKS.
In 1999 came out the new "HELLDORADO". The album announced a return towards a pure and simply rock'n roll with good songs like the title track, "DIRTY BALLS" and "DAMNATION ANGELS".
Just before the world tour Chris left again the band. Later, the tour which was supposed to pass through Europe and most of biggest European festivals was deleted because of Blackie's health problems.

Snapper ( to promoter the American tour 2000) published "THE BEST OF THE BEST", a greatest hits which contains the classical and two unpublished songs : the cover "SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING" ( by Elton John) and "UNREAL".
The live gig that the band had the April 22 at KEY CLUB in Los Angeles was broadcasted via internet and then published in cd and dvd as "THE STING". The live was published to end the deal with Snapper.
In April 2001, after the union with Santuary came out "UNHOLY TERROR". Blackie went back dealing subject of the everyday life, "this album deals with social and religious subjects and politicians hypocrisy nothing but the prosecution of what I had already done in "the headless children". I had a fundamentalist Christian upbringing and I grew up seeing the world through a different pair of eyes''.

The new album gave birth to fantastic capitols like "LET IT ROAR", "LOCO-MOTIVE MAN ( desperate and angry confession of a mad baby-killer) and the terrific "CHARISMA".
In the summer W.A.S.P. went back to Europe to participate to biggest summer festivals.
In July 2002 came out "DYING FOR THE WORLD". The album was originally inspired by the tank division during the Gulf War, but after the events on 11 September, Blackie had the desire to create something really strong able to renew the combative nature which he infected everyone with in the past, an album "to go kill people by".
The ragouts opener "SHADOW MAN", the touching "HOLLOWED GROUND" (dedicate to Twin Towers tragedy) and the rhythmic "MY WICKED HEART", entered by full rights into the number of the innumerable masterpieces Blackie handed to the history.

Autumn 2002: Blackie interrupted the promotional American tour to dedicate to the realization of a new rock opera, "THE NEON GOD". the opera will come out in two parts. The first is sub-titled "The rise" and the second "The Fall".

“Jesse is the main character of the story. His father died when he was six and his drug addict, alcoholic mother gave him up to the Sisters of Mercy Boys Home Orphanage when he was eight. It was run be Catholic Nuns. Whilst in the orphanage he was physically, mentally and sexually abused by the Head of the Orphanage (Sister Sadie). When he told of his abuse, Sister Sadie said he should be placed in a sanitarium. Jesse later ran away and lived on the streets for two years where he met his mentor Judah Magic. After meeting Judah he started studying about Metaphysics and The Occult. They decided that they would kill the world together and soon Jesse became more powerful than Judah. They recruited others into their brotherhood. They believed that Jesse had power and could heal and read minds . His preaching went from street corners to tents from arenas to films. The world loved Jesse. But questions of What Am I? and Why am I here? become a living torture - Was he in the Garden of Eden? If so which one was he?”

It is an opera that Blackie had been thinking about for years.

“This is, without question, the biggest labor of love I've ever attempted to put together. When people listen to it, I hope they would enjoy it. But, more than that I hope that they would find something that would help create more meaning to who they are. If this record makes people think about that question - "Why am I here?" - and really start looking into themselves and it makes them a better person then this record has succeeded. That's what the desire is for me.”

In summer 2005 W.A.S.P. came back in a BIG way, as part of the AMERICAN METAL BLAST 2005 Tour with a return to W.A.S.P.'s RICH theatrical past, bringing back the elements of their famous shows from 1983 - 1984 with all the BLOOD, MEAT, FEATHERS and SAW-BLADES that made W.A.S.P. notorious for striking fear in the hearts the world.

Between February and May 2006 Stet Howland (drums) and Darrell Roberts (lead guitar) left the band to play with other bands.

At the end of May W.A.S.P. welcomed Mike Dupke on drums and returning on guitar the magnificent Doug Blair ( who played with the band for "The Crimson Idol" and "Unholy Terror" tours.

In April 2007 W.A.S.P. come back with new album "DOMINATOR".

Blackie Lawless exclusively hand picked clips from the forthcoming album Dominator to share with the fans. Also here are the album's liner notes:

"When I first started to write the songs for what would be this album, “Dominator”, I was unhappy and disturbed about America's place in the world. Like most Americans after September 11th, I wanted to see the men that plotted and planned those attacks hunted down like the savage animals they are.

“Dominator” is largely a view of American Imperialism and the “Bully” tactics it uses and enforces.

I hate bullies!

The last six years in America has been an unbelievable ride. After September 11th I was never more proud to be an American. After going to New Orleans and seeing the devastation and abandonment of that great city by its own Federal Government I was never more ashamed to be an American.

The fundamental organizing principle by any Government is its ability to make war against and controlling its own people. We have seen that this American administration uses it not to benefit its own people in their moment of need and despair, but to abuse its power to “Dominate” the lesser countries of the world.

“I'll make you cry for mercy, I'll make you cry out loud”

I once wrote “I love my country, but I'm scared to death of its Government”.
Nothing I have ever written is more true!. BL "

W.A.S.P. NEW ALBUM RELEASE 13October 2009

Themed around biblical visions of "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse", Blackie Lawless and his crew have created a metal masterpiece that will leave fans both old and new craving for more.

Blackie Lawless, commented on the track: "Although like it may sound like a man talking to a woman, 'Crazy' is about a performer talking to an audience; the dangers of idol worship and elevating Musicians and Politicians to a level that's dangerous!"

During the Sweden Rock 2010 W.A.S.P. played special set with songs from their first two albums, W.A.S.P. (1984) and The Last Command (1985).

4th september 2010 W.A.S.P. Announces "The Return To Babylon"

W.A.S.P. has issued the following announcement about an upcoming European tour: "Due to the huge success of the 'Babylon' album and tour....the band are returning to European shores for another trek. 'The Return To Babylon' tour is coming to decimate you all!

W.A.S.P. – “30 Years of Thunder”

Twenty Nine years ago today, on September 21st 1982, W.A.S.P. played their first show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.On September 21st 2012 W.A.S.P. will begin the “30 Years of Thunder” anniversary Tour starting in the United Kingdom and continue Worldwide!!This World Tour will be the biggest spectacle W.A.S.P. have ever created. The two hour show will consist of three parts. A one hour set contain songs from the first four albums. The second set will be a 25 minute shortened version of “The Crimson Idol” complete with the movie accompaniment. A third set will consist of material from the New Studio Album, older material and everything in between. This show will see multiple video screens, pyrotechnics, and elements from the early W.A.S.P. shows (maybe even an exploding cod piece) and Blackie's moving microphone stand “Elvis”!

The “30 Years of Thunder” World Tour -
This promises to be the Greatest W.A.S.P. Show Ever !!!