History:
Since the early 80s W.A.S.P. has been an influential fixture in heavy metal, taking perversion to an all new level. Band leader Blackie Lawless took equal amounts of Alice Cooper and Kiss to craft his own brand of shock rock, managing to land his band on the infamous P.M.R.C.'s "Filthy Fifteen" list with the sexually charged "Animal (F**k Like A Beast)".
After toiling in bands such as Sister (with Nikki Sixx and the New York Dolls vocalist/bassist Blackie Lawless decided to form his own band around wildman Chris Holmes (guitars), Randy Piper (guitar) and Tony Richards (drums). W.A.S.P. (which some assumed stood for We Are Sexual Perverts) quickly gained a rabid following thanks to the single "Animal" and early stage shows that involved exploding cod-pieces and throwing raw meat into the audience. With a major label contract in hand they recorded their self titled debut album which reached #74 on the Billboard charts. While touring in support of the debut Richards decided to leave and was replaced by Steve Riley.
With the P.M.R.C. breathing down their necks, W.A.S.P. remained undeterred on The Last Command, which would prove to be a success, charting album at #49. But shortly after its release Piper left (to later resurface with Animal) and was replaced with King Kobra bassist Johnny Rod, allowing Lawless to switch to rhythm guitar. Prior to entering the studio for The Headless Children, Riley defected to L.A. Guns. Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali handled the drumming duties but was never named as an official member. The album shot to #48 in America and even contained two top 30 singles in the U.K., but would prove to be W.A.S.P.'s final commercial success in the United Stated.
Three years later Lawless resurfaced with a brand new backing band and unleashed what many consider his finest work, the concept album The Crimson Idol. But it wouldn't be until 1997 and the return of Holmes that the group started making waves again. With Mike Duda on bass and Stet Howland on drums, the K.F.D. album saw the boys take a more industrial approach to song writing and was tailor made to offend, including the accompanying tour which featured the tasteless act of raping of a nun. However the reunion was short-lived as Darrell Roberts had replaced Holmes on Dying For The World. But Blackie still had a few tricks up his sleeve when he released The Neon God, another concept album that sprawled across two discs. 2007 saw the release of Dominator with new lead guitarist Doug Blair.
Say what you will about Blackie Lawless, and many have, but he has managed to release incredible music over the years while giving the middle finger to the establishment. W.A.S.P. is the type of band that may have a revolving door policy, but will always be around to offend someone.
http://www.sleazeroxx.com/bands/wasp/wasp.shtml
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