W.A.S.P. – Babylon (2009)
It has been two and half years since W.A.S.P.’s kick ass album, Dominator. I truly enjoyed the last disc, so I was anxiously awaiting to see what the band could offer on their latest opus, Babylon.
I was immediately disappointed to find that there are two cover songs on this CD, Deep Purple’s “Burn” and Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land”. W.A.S.P. is no stranger when it comes to cover tunes. They have done plenty in their career. I guess I was hoping for more original material this time around.
Lucky for me, the new W.A.S.P. material is very kick ass stuff. Blackie’s vocals haven’t changed much over the years. He sounds great on Babylon. In fact, the classic W.A.S.P. sound is still in tact with thanks to Doug Blair. He seems to have carried on, where he left off with Dominator. I believe his playing is even better on this album.
As soon as I heard “Crazy”, I knew that Babylon was going to be another solid release. This song quickly establishes that W.A.S.P. is still firing on all cylinders. This is a great way to start of this CD.
“Live to Die Another Day” is easily my favorite song on Babylon. Blackie Lawless sings his ass off, and the music is great too. Check it out in the sample below!
The galloping guitars of “Babylon’s Burning” immediately brings Iron Maiden to mind. This is another stadium anthem type of rocker, that could easily become another W.A.S.P. classic.
“Burn” is one of these songs that to me, does not need to be covered. It is such an awesome tune, I doubt too many bands could truly do it justice. Much to my surprise, W.A.S.P. knocked it out of the park. They did nothing to make it their own, but hearing Blackie’s voice on this tune was kind of cool. This is a faithful replica of the Deep Purple classic.
The band slows the pace down with the tune “Into the Fire”. This is a mid-tempo number that absolutely rips. Blair’s guitar solos on this tune are awesome! What a song!
It has been a long time since I have heard the Chuck Berry tune “Promised Land”, and I must admit that the W.A.S.P. version didn’t do much for me. I guess some songs work better as metal tunes than others, and although it isn’t bad, it just doesn’t live up to the original.
Overall, I am very pleased with Babylon. Blackie Lawless and company has cranked out another great CD. Long time W.A.S.P. fans will want to pick this one up! Babylon will be released October 27th, 2009. You can grab a copy of the CD, at this link.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Crazy
2. Live To Die Another Day
3. Babylon’s Burning
4. Burn
5. Into The Fire
6. Thunder Red
7. Seas Of Fire
8. Godless Run
9. Promised Land
W.A.S.P. is:
Blackie Lawless – lead vocals, guitars
Doug Blair – lead & rhythm guitars
Mike Duda – bass
Mike Dupke – drums
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Just got my copy in today. I’m really enjoying it!
J’adores et j’ai toujours aimer W.A.S.P. et tout ce qui on fait comme musique ………….JiSs