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W.A.S.P.: Babylon

Heavy Metal

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Demolition Records
www.waspnation.com
www.myspace.com/wasp
Review: Craig Hartranft,  10.14.2009

One thing about Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. is that they have never been complicated. When you crack open that new album, you pretty much know what you're going to get. Their latest Babylon is what it has always been: straight up melodic heavy metal with Lawless' tight vocal arrangements, a driving rhythm section, and some nasty fire-starting guitar pyrotechnics. While reinventing the wheel is not in Lawless' (the only original member) vocabulary, there is much to be said for a dedicated consistency.

Babylon rips and rolls along with all the outlandish swagger and epic arena metal sound that made the 80's famous. Crazy, Live To Die Another Day, Babylon's Burning and the soaring metal anthem Into The Fire call for denim and leather swarming the sweaty floor with lighters and fists raised in triumph. Lawless surprises and pleases, when I certainly thought he would stumble, as he covers of Deep Purple's Burn and Chuck Berry's Promised Land. He can't match the blues side of Coverdale and his Elvis over Berry impression is almost comedic, but it still sounds great. With only nine songs, some fans might quibble about squandering their hard earned cash on such a short album. But Lawless and W.A.S.P. pack at lot of frenetic fun in a solid package. Recommended.

Babylon rips and rolls along with all the outlandish swagger and epic arena metal sound that made the 80's famous.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]