W.A.S.P. — The 7 Savage 1984-1992( CD boxset)
The Savage 7 is a box set bringing together the early 80s to early 90s studio albums/ selection of rare tracks from W.A.S.P- one of the more consistent, memorable and at points, creative heavy metal bands to appear from the 1980s. The band's sound sits somewhere between the heavier/ rawer side of glam metal, shock rock, and punchy-to-moody heavy metal. This recently released set comes as either a seven-CD set or an eight-vinyl box- I’m reviewing the first of these
The set comes presented in a sturdy twelve-inch-sized slip case, which inside features a hardback sixty-page book, with the seven CDS being found in the back and the front of the book.
Before I discuss the musical side of the set, I want to let you know what to expect from the book. It’s decidedly a colourful/ blood drop splattered affair. It opens with a black glossy ink on black paper page, featuring a quote from W.A.S.P band leader/ key song writer Blackie Lawless. As we move through the tome, we get a good selection of colour & black and white pictures of the band, press cuttings, poster/ album artwork. There are also two to three-page write-ups about each of the six albums featured here, a few general write-ups about the band, as well as full liner notes. So a really nicely presented/ put together book that balances nicely between coffee table browsing and a text-based affair.
W.A.S.P were formed in LA in the year 1982- coming about after the demise of Circus Circus, who existed between 1979 and 1980, and got a few tracks appearing on compilations. The new band brought together key members of the previous band Black Lawless- lead vocals/ bass player, and Randy Piper- Lead & rhythm guitar/ backing vocals. For a year or two, the line-up shifted/ was unstable, but then Chris Holmes- Lead & rhythm guitars joined, and the classic/ early line-up was set. Holmes hung around for the first four albums, but since then it’s been very much a Lawless project, with a shifting lineup. To date, the band has released sixteen albums, though the six albums presented here are seen as their key/ best albums.
So, first up on disc one, we have the band's 1984 self-titled album. This ten-track album first appeared on Capitol Records. It’s a great, punchy, yet swaggering collection of tracks, which largely focuses on a more urgent mix of rawer glam and no-nonsense heavy metal. We open with chugging ‘n’ galloping “I Wanna To Be Somebody” with its chanting ‘n’ fist pumping chorus. Moving onto slugging riff craft, bounding ‘n’ crashing drums, and shouty backing vocals of “School Daze”. Through to building/ rough diamond ballad metallics of “ Sleeping(In The Fire), and finishing off with meaty ‘n’ moody chugging of “The Torture Never Stops”. All in all, the album was a great opening shot from the band, with a flawless running order/ great selection of tracks.
Next, we have the band's second album, 1985’s The Last Command. This ten-track affair turned down a bit on the rawness, added in a few more atmospheric touches, yet still maintained punchiness when needed. We move tight ‘n’ urgent gunning heavy metal of “Ballcrusher”. Onto roaming ‘n’ steady galloping the apocalyptic plains moodiness of “Windowmarker”. Though to the sassy-yet-gunning ‘n’ stomping “Sexdrive” with some nice smoking solo trails here ‘n’ there. All in all, a decent follow-up.
Next, we have 1986’s Inside The Electric Circus. This is a twelve-track affair, and on the whole, the tracks feel more hard rock leaning, with a cleaner/ leaner production. Personally, this feels like the lesser of the early albums, as while it has its moments, and there are some decent tracks on display, it just felt a little like Lawless and co were playing it a little too safe. So the highlights here are the gunning ’n’ darting riffing of the title track, with its great chant-along choruses. There’s the galloping moodiness of “I’m Still Alive” with its atmospheric soloing and the wailing harmonic vocal touches. And the strutting groove, yelling choruses, and clean breakdowns of “Mantronic”.
Next, we have 1987 Live ..In The Raw- which is as its title suggests is a live recording, taking in two California shows from 87. And this is pretty damn good live album- and that’s coming from someone who is not very keen on live albums. We get a good mix of tracks from across all three albums, as well as three new tracks- one of these being a studio-recorded version of "Scream Until You Like It",- which was the theme tune to the fairground set horror film Ghoulies 2. The whole album is just mixed very well, so you can hear the roar of the crowd, as well as the songs themselves, in a balanced, even, yet urgent manner. I can still recall picking this album when it first came out on cassette, and it certainly got more than a few plays on my Walkman.
On disc number five, we have 1989’s The Headless Children, it saw the band offer up a more mature and creative album, which ditched the hedonistic to campy horror-bound lyrics of the past, for more serious/ thoughtful fare. It was the final Holmes album at that point, though he did return to the band six years later. The album is a ten-track affair, and the songs just feel more detailed/ layered in their general sound, with more shifts in pace along many of the tracks' length. It opens with the seven-minute-plus “The Heretic (The Lost Child)” with its shift from brooding/ moody, to more urgent and bounding, to sailing high/ pumped-up. As we go through the album, we go from “Thunderhead”, which moves from atmospheric piano keys/ moody synth tones, to bounding heavy metal, and chanting chorus vocals. Through to the classier metal ballad of “Forever Free” with its throaty to wailing vocals, and shifts between cleaner guitar strumming, build rock, and epic choruses. So The Headless Children was a fairly bold/ brave move for the band, but it really does pay off- as by The Electric Circus, they seemed a little stuck in a rut- but with this album, the band feels energised, inspired, and freshened up.
The sixth disc in the set is 1992’s The Crimson Idol, which saw the band follow on with the more mature/ layered sound of the last album. It’s a concept album/ rock opera based around fictional rock star Jonathan Steel- with its ten tracks charting the rise and fall of Mr Steel. We go from opening “The Titanic Overture” which moves from clear plucked & strummed acoustic guitars/ warbling sing-song vocals, onto building organ/ epic synth-led moody heavy metal craft. Though to bounding riff, crashing drums, and big choruses of “Doctor Rockter” which feels like a more grown-up/sophisticated version of their earlier work. There’s “The Idol”, which opens with groupies/ manager chatter, before moving into clean tolling guitars, and emotional wailing vocals. Before shifting into moody rock ballading/ building rock groove. All and all The Crimson Idol is a decent enough album from W.A.S.P, as well as a fairly good concept album- a few of the tracks do start quite/ pared back, then build, which is somewhat predictable- but over all it's a well written/ put together, more moody/ epic heavy metal record.
The seventh/ final disc is entitled Bonus Tracks and B-sides. It takes in fifteen tracks- these come from over the ten-year period of the boxset. We move their controversial first single “Animal (F**k Like A Beast)”, and finish with the sixteen and a half minutes of “The Story Of Jonathan (Prologue To The Crimson Idol)”. In between, we get some neat surprises like the cowbell hitting/ metal blues of “Mississippi Queen”, the harmonica-laced cover of Led Zeppelin's “When The Levee Breaks”, and the galloping bass/ rocking ‘n’ bashing groove of “Phantoms In The Mirror”.
All in all, it’s great to see the first six W.A.S.P albums being brought together in this boxset, with the classy book/ slipcase presentation, and bonus/ B side disc. If you enjoy 80’s/ early 90’s metal, with punch/ memorability/ mood, then The Savage 7 is something you should certainly be picking up.