W.A.S.P. (band)

This article is about the band. For other uses, see Wasp (disambiguation).
W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P. performing in 2015
W.A.S.P. performing in 2015
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1982–present
Labels
MembersBlackie Lawless
Doug Blair
Mike Duda
Aquiles Priester
Past membersSee: List of W.A.S.P. band members
Websitewaspnation.com

W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from the early 1980s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. The band's popularity peaked that decade, yet they continue to record and tour. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock-themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over twelve million records worldwide,[5] with their first two albums, W.A.S.P. (1984) and The Last Command (1985), being certified as gold by the RIAA.[6]

W.A.S.P. was a target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live... in the Raw. Their most well-known songs include "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)", "I Wanna Be Somebody", "L.O.V.E. Machine", "Wild Child", "Blind in Texas", "Forever Free", "The Headless Children", "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" and "The Idol", as well as their cover versions of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor" and The Who's "The Real Me".[citation needed] The band's most recent studio album, Golgotha, was released in 2015 and they are currently working on new material.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sharpe-Young 2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ McPadden, Mike. "The Hair Metal 100: Ranking the '80s Greatest Glam Bands—The Final 20!". Vh1.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Roos, John (July 14, 1997). "W.A.S.P.'s 'Shock' Rock Sting Has Lost Its Point". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016.
  4. ^ "W.A.S.P. | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "American heavy metal legends set for Coventry gig". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  6. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "Blackie Lawless: There Will Be No W.A.S.P. Reunion with Chris Holmes". Ultimate-Guitar.com. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "88 of 2021's Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums". Loudwire. December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "W.A.S.P. - Working On New Material". Metal Storm. Retrieved January 16, 2022.