W.A.S.P. Dominator
 |
|
9.0 |
Editor review
The blurb all over the internet states that this is one of Blackie Lawless' albums with political edge, namely commenting against the shafting of little countries by bigger, more powerful ones.
It's a good job I read all that, because recent live performances have only included one song from Dominator, called Take Me Up. Hmmmm..... take me up inside you, am I more than you can take... Interesting lyrics from the man who wrote Animal (I F..k Like a Beast). Political? Well, I tried.
The first track is available all over the internet, so I figured it was a good one to start with, and that was before I heard the rest. Mercy has the opening line .. I'm gonna take you, lay you face down on my bed.... Hmmm, my heat is rising! It goes on.... I feel your face embrace the sweat falling from my hair... Dear God, dinner's in the oven Blackie, come on over! NOW!
Of course, the problem with all of this (apart from the fact that Blackie may not like my brand of gourmet dinner) is that Mr. Lawless himself likens the rape of countries such as Iraq by the United States in their quest for world domination to the domination of women by men, especially sexually. That's apparently the message he wants to put across. OK, I'm real horny listening to his gloriously throaty voice on this superb album, but political? I don't buy it. Sounds like an excuse for an ageing rocker to write rude songs while trying to sound like they have a modern sense of integrity. Why not just relish sex and write about it?
It's not all hot and horny, however, and this displays the breadth of Blackie's talent. Tracks like Heaven's Hung in Black hark back to the changing narrative voice of such mythological creations as The Neon God (2004)and display a depth of musical creativity that we rarely see in the 21st century from hard rock bands. The album is guitar-led, superbly produced at Blackie's own Apache Studios, and is quite simply musically stunning! The sound is rounded and mature, the guitars layered perfectly, lyrics delightfully comprehensible.
If you liked Unholy Terror (2001) and Dying For The World (2002) you will love this album, for it takes the raw emotional quality of Blackie's vocals from back then but adds a depth and polish I would never have expected.
It's a damn shame that the live performance of The Crimson Idol this year was all pomp, circumstance and mime. This man has limitless talent, and sings gorgeously in the studio, despite being 51 and having had various health problems in recent years. Stuff the live performance. Buy this CD.
And feel political if you like, but it's up there scoring 10 on Krissy's shag rating for songs that grab you by the groin. Blackie at his finest.
| Track Listing | Mercy
Long Way To Go
Take me Up
The Burning Man
Heaven's Hung in Black
Heaven's Blessed
Teacher
Heaven's Hung in Black (Reprise)
Deal with the Devil |
|
| Overall rating: |
|
9.0 |
| Artwork: |
|
8.0 |
| Production: |
|
9.0 |
| Music Quality: |
|
9.0 |
| Lyrics: |
|
10.0 |
| Overall: |
|
9.0 |
Reviewed by Krissy
November 06, 2007
Last updated: November 06, 2007
|
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed