When I first heard that the latest WASP disc was going to be called GOLGOTHA I admit i got a bit worried. After all one of the most controversial metal bands releasing an album named after the place where Jesus was crucified made me a little... nervous!
But when I found out that frontman/founder Blackie Lawless is now a Christian it made me... curious.
After only one listen I was hooked! GOLGOTHA is by far the most mature WASP album ever. Blackie Lawless has always been a great songwriter and possesses a powerful voice, but here all that just gets magnified! This thing is amazing from first song to last note... this is one of the best hard rock / heavy metal albums I have ever listened to. There is a serious maturity to the songs, melodies and playing that completely caught me off guard.
Every song on GOLGOTHA is brilliant with a few of them; 'Scream', 'Last Runaway', 'Miss You' and the title track are incredibly commercial sounding, yet rock harder than anything else they have ever done before. I will say this with all honesty... there isn't a bad song on this disc! So much power, aggression and emotion... with a ton of melody and hooks. GOLGOTHA is epic!
The current W.A.S.P. line up of Lawless (guitar/vocals), Connecticut native Doug Blair (guitar), Mike Duda (bass) and Mike Dupke (drums) are the tightest and certainly most talented line-up of the band and each one of them shine all over this disc!
I don't think you will be hearing stuff like 'Eyes Of My Maker' or 'Hero Of The World' on Christian radio but this 'new' Blackie certainly has become transparent and has come a long way from the one dimensional magic of 'L.O.V.E. Machine' and 'Blind In Texas!'
I thought W.A.S.P. hit their creative peak on THE CRIMSON IDOL, but apparently Blackie and the boys had another one up their leather sleeve!
Matman Rating - 5 out of 5 skulls