Posts Tagged ‘heavy metal’
The torture never stops!
This album can do no wrong. Seriously. This was another one that I first heard through a former friend from high school. I was 16 (1986) and drove my ’66 Nova 4dr to his house to hang out. I believe this was the first time that we hung out and I was in awe of his record collection and his bedroom walls filled with cool metal posters.
I’m flipping through his crate of records and see the WASP S/T album and asked him to play it. I’d seena nd read about them in the ‘zines but hadn’t put ears to it yet.
WOW.
WOW!
Being blown away doesn’t really even mildly describe how hard this album hit me upon my first listen. WASP was different, especially coming from the LA scene where lipstick and hairspray was ruling the scene. I never really got into that look or sound that came along with it except for the early Crue stuff.
Sure WASP had hairspray and makeup, but it wasn’t the same. There’s not a bad song on this album at all. Sure, School Daze had some goofy lyrics, but it is still a great jam.
Blackie Lawless has a very haunting quality to his voice. It’s vicious at times. These guys were the perfect combination of power, dark tones and tasteful metal.
When I put this CD in my car, it generally stays in there for a few weeks. I never grow tired of listening to it. If I have to pick my favorite cuts on this they would have to be Hellion, Sleeping in the Fire, Tormentor and L.O.V.E. Machine.
11/10…easily.
And let’s not forget what W.A.S.P. stands for. If you look on the inner ring of the actual album, it’s spelled out as “We are sexual perverts”.
That rules.
My current guitarist saw their first 2 shows in LA…@ the Troubador I believe. There’s some footage of these shows on YouTube I believe.
In memory of a legend…
Well, he is a legend to me. My Dad. 1942-1997.
Around the time that my Dad was dying of cancer, I was living at their house in North Carolina trying to help out a bit. My drive to and from work was an hour each way so I was listening to music for the drive. At that time I was really into Amorphis’ Elegy CD. It’s very folky, heavy, dark and moody and seemed to be the perfect enabler to the sadness I felt knowing that my Dad wasn’t going to be around much longer.
I absolutely love this record but even now, some 11 years after the fact, this album reminds me of my Dad. There’s no real lyrical connection or anything like that, just one of those things that reminds you of an era in your life, good or bad. I was also listening to Nocturnal Rites’ Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Both kept steady rotation in my minivan for months on end and both remind me of Dad.
So come now, children of the beast, be strong and…
Shout at the devil!!!
My first recollection of hearing Crue was probably on the radio (K-94 or FM-99) when they first played Looks That Kill. Maybe it was on Metal Shop? Not really sure. But I do specifically remember when I first heard the album in its entirety. It was late fall of 1983 and I was on a camping trip with the Scouts. Hunter March, one of the older guys in the troop, said, “Hey Sean, you like metal, check this out.” So I popped the Shout at the Devil tape in my Walkman and freaked out. The opening track sort of wigged me out. It was pretty evil for the time. Then they started singing about the devil and things seemed right in the world again. hahaha. I listened to the tape all that night and was hooked. This band had quite a different sound. A good sound.
Now, if you’ve been paying any attention at all to my older blogs, you know that my mom didn’t approve of the metal in general. She got swooped in by some other parents at my church that it was of the devil. You know, the whole KISS = knights in satan’s service type crap. We had to be subjected to some anti-heavy metal seminars from guys like Albert Long who would stand on stage in front of us showing metal videos, album covers and reading lyrics trying to convince us that rock and roll was going to send us to hell. Little did he know that he was opening us up to a whole new world of bands! Thanks Albert!
One weekend we took a church trip to somewhere in North Carolina to see one of his seminars. While there we visited some mall and I bought 2 7″ records…Huey Lewis’ Finally Found a Home (b/w Walking on a Thin Line) and Crue’s Looks That Kill (b/w Piece of Your Action). Funnily enough I am pretty sure Mr. Long was pounding on the Crue during his seminar.
That stuff was pretty jank, ya know, those seminars. Hearing him say that Angus Young was possessed by the devil was absolutely hilarious. One of my favorites was when he showed the video for Twisted Sister’s You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll. Satanic? Really? Dude. C’mon. Anyway, I wish I still had that Crue 45.
I really love this album except for Helter Skelter. I’m not a Beatles fan in the least and don’t really care to hear covers of their songs (exception being Sacred Rite’s Eleanor Rigby). Danger, Ten Seconds To Love and Too Young To Fall In Love are my faves.
There is a pretty funny and somewhat embarassing story attached to Looks That Kill. I went over to Kelz’ house as his band was jamming. They ripped into Looks That Kill and I grabbed the mic and started singing it (poorly, I’m sure). Kelz’ mom busts in the jam room and asks what song that was and if we knew the lyrics. Like a dumbass, I spoke up. D’oh. It’s not like it’s a bad song, but the fact that it was Crue sent her over the edge (again). She was pretty much the mastermind of the “metal is evil” campaign.
I guess they all meant well but at the time it sucked for us. Having to hide tapes and trade them secretly really sucked.
Anyways, Crue ruled on this album…not so much afterwards.
The Metal Files 