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As rock and
metal icons go, you will have to go a long way to find anyone who stands
the test of time as Blackie Lawless and now he returns with his latest
opus 'Dominator' which sees Blackie produce his biggest and most political
statement to date.
As a long time
fan of Lawless I have always praised the song writing ability of the man,
ever since the 'Headless Children' and 'Crimson Idols' albums, which for
me marked the a new beginning for the mans song writing and political
rhetoric, a true patriot and as I’ve said on numerous occasions, stars and
stripes through and through.
With this new
album 'Dominator' is back to the same hard-edged heavy metal of the
'Headless Children' album, but still with a message to all is as definite
as 'Crimson Idol'.
Things get
underway with ‘Mercy' and straight away you know the man is black is back.
Just from the opening few chords this has W.A.S.P written all over it,
even before Blackie’s unmistakable vocals come in you know this album is
going to kick some serious ass as the mans says “I’m gonna make you
cry for mercy, I’m gonna make you cry out loud”.
The same no
holds barred rock n' roll is found on the second track, the bass fuelled
‘Long, Long Way To Go’. This track rocks from the opening seconds
and doesn’t relent until the fade out at the end, with screaming guitars
and a thunderous drum beat, this track takes me back to 'The Electric
Circus' material.
The pace is
slowed down a touch with the haunting opening of ‘Take Me Up’, which could
have come straight off the 'Crimson Idol' opus, but the rock soon breaks
free and it's all systems go with the thumping rhythm section with Lawless
at the top of his game on this one. There's plenty of those dips and
rises in tempo which have now become part and parcel of the whole W.A.S.P
sound over the past 10 years.
It's back to the
full on metal with one of my favourite tracks off the album, the guitar
fuelled ‘The Burning Man’. The most power driven track on the album.
If 'Burning Man' is the most power driven track on the album then the next
one is the most thought provoking, ‘Heaven’s Hung In Black’ is without a
doubt the best thing Blackie has done lyrically since ‘The Idol’. As
the first few chords of the intro ‘When Johnny Came Marching Home Again’
come out of the speakers, you know this is going to be something a bit
special.
This dark and mood driven track has a tale behind it and is
actually a quote from American President Abraham Lincoln, who on seeing
the casualty report from Gettysburg said ... "Tonight the Heaven's are
hung in black" ... Blackie took this idea and wrote the song from the
point of view of a US soldier in Iraq who's on the edge of death and he's
standing at the gates of heaven, only to be told by St Peter than due to
all the fighting there's no room left in heaven and to come back another
time. The verses are St Peter talking and the chorus apparently the
voice of the soldier. A powerful and gripping a message you'll fail
to find elsewhere today.
After the
immense 'Heaven’s Hung In Black’ it’s back to the full on rock with
‘Heaven’s Blessed’, a song straight out of the top draw with its streaming
guitar sound and once again that thumping drum beat, great stuff. Equally
impressive is ‘Teacher’, another thumping piece of Blackie enthused rock
that paves the way for the haunting vengeful tones of ‘Heavens Hung In
Black (reprise)’.
The album closes
on a lighter note with the up-tempo rocker ‘Deal With The Devil’. This
track has showstopper written all over it and rates right up their with
‘Blind In Texas’, ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’ and ‘Real Me’. As tracks go, that will
get the live audience buzzing and rounds off a great album that for me is
the best album since 'Crimson Idol' both lyrically and musically, and one
that puts W.A.S.P well and truly
back on the rock n' roll map as far as I’m concerned. |
