W.A.S.P FRONTMAN BLACKIE LAWLESS SAYS THE BAND WILL RELEASE A NEW ALBUM CALLED “GOLGOTHA” IN 2015
W.A.S.P. will be returning with a new studio album entitled Golgotha next year, one that founder and frontman Blackie Lawless says will sound similar to 2009’s Babylon and 2007’s Dominator.
“We’re about three weeks away from finishing the next one, so it will be out next year and it will be called Golgotha,” Lawless announced at a Sweden Rock Festival press conference. “Golgotha is Hebrew for place of the skull and it’s the hill where Christ was crucified. It’s interesting when you see a lot of bands going around using Satanic images, or images of death and things like that, and I’m thinking all they need to do is look at the source cause it’s right there. If you want death, there’s enough to go around there.”
As for what fans can expect musically from Golgotha, Lawless says, “It sounds… probably more similar to the last two that we’ve done. We’ve been working on this thing for four years now, and I don’t know if you guys heard but I had a little hiccup last year, and that delayed recording for about a year. I broke my leg — that too was an interesting trip (laughs). There’s one thing I learned when I was doing The Crimson Idol. If you make a record over too long of periods of time you have to be very, very careful because the record you start out making is not the record you end up finishing because you’ve changed so much as a person over a three or four year period. You’ve got to be very careful to hold onto that vision. But from what I’m hearing so far, and it’s not completely mixed yet, but it has definite overtones of the last two records.”
Lawless also addressed his decision to stop playing the W.A.S.P. classic Animal (Fucks Like A Beast by saying, “”I look at it like this. I’m a representative of the most high God, and I have to be very careful about the things I say and do. I’m gonna answer one day for the things that I’ve done and I wanna make sure that when I do, that my slate is clean. But equally as important as that, I think, is I’ve been given an opportunity to stand in front of people and you’re either gonna say something positive or you’re gonna say something mindless –there is no in between. You’re either one or the other. And I’m just trying my best, and I’m not saying that I’m doing it all the time, but I’m trying my best to say something that I think could help somebody’s life.”
Watch video from Blackie’s Sweden Rock Festival press conference below.
additional source: sleazeroxx.com
Axl Rose was a huge W.A.S.P. fan back in the day.
DR mentioned that pool scene from TDWC2 THE METAL YEARS. Chris Holmes was pathetic and his mother’s face was eerie in that clip. If Blackie staged that for effect then credit where it’s due, he is a genius. That documentary is very dated at this point but that scene stands out. I wonder if Chris resents Blackie for making him do that and embarrassing himself? Truth be told, W.A.S.P. is better with Chris and vice versa. He is a good guitarist and was involved with Lita Ford (married maybe?) but mention his name and all I think of is that pool.
Like I said, I have no idea if that was staged. Penelope Spheeris doesn’t strike me as one who would go for that, and would see right through it. But who knows. All I know if Chris Holmes epitomized WASP and I agree with you Richman that they are better with each other but doubt that will happen again. All I know is that he was one physical monster of a man and fit the persona that they created perfectly. He wasn’t the most skilled player but had a style and sound unique to him and you could pick his playing out of a crowd in a second. Think I need to listen the first full length LP tonight and remember the good times. Haven’t heard School Daze in awhile.
You can’t go wrong with anything on that album. I’m going to see JOURNEY tonight at Bethel Woods. Nice venue.
Yes he was married to Lita Ford
Blackie is a living legend, a poet, one of the best songwriters of all times. I love that he is a Christian now. He caught my eye three decades ago and I wasn’t wrong to perceive that he was no phony. He is the same Blackie Lawless, more mature and extremely talented.
can’t we all just get along? anyhow, I am 43 and have been a metal fan forever. grew up in bedroom walls covered in w.a.s.p pictures. heck I even put out a few records in the 1990’s had a drumner who got killed in a bar fight and my guitarist and cofounder has been in prison since 2001. I became a minister in 2005. no sob story, matter of fact i had it all… just always knew therehad to be more….
I still rip the bass (got a 1980 Rick 4001, Fender P, G.S. Axe and a Punisher, and a BCRich Widow), do metal in the church. have tatoos and platinum blonde hair down to my waist. Plus 12 years of college education just to prove headbangers aint dumb. Here’s the deal about Babylon and Blackie’s story. I read his testimony in a recovery group we host every week. This group has men and women from all walks of life, ages, and ethnicities. After I read the testimony, there was not a dry eye in the house. Matter of fact, things got even deeper when we listened to the song “Godless Run.” The bottom line is that Blackie is writing music that means something to people… all people. I saw it in effect with my own eyes. I went and got a stack of Babylon CD’s and keep them in my study, ready to give away to people who need to hear this music and be healed, inspired, and touched by it. There is a song called “Live to Die” on “Babylon.” I have worked for the church for 10 years, been to seminary, taught seminary, and before hearingthis song had never heard a Christian song or Hymn celebrate the rapture the way this songs nails it. I asked my wife (who has a degree in church music) and she had never heard a song touch this subject either. I say this because Blackie’s look at the Bible and theology is by no means old hat or stale. It is fresh, inspiring, and cool. I will have a stack of Golgotha CD’s on my desk, too.
Yup I LOVE the self titled record, Last Command, and other stuff. Saw W.AS.P. lve back in the day and idolized Blackie as a teenager. They were the soundtrack to my life for cryin’ out loud…. I for one, am glad to say they still are.
Reverend Jake, that is just mind blowing. Blackie Lawless, if you are reading, I long for the day you start writing books. I already know how good they would be.