W.A.S.P. -The Last Command (1985)
Members:
Blackie Lawless – lead vocals, bass
Chris Holmes – lead and rhythm guitar
Randy Piper – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Steve Riley – drums, Backing vocals
The Last Command is the second album by heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in November 9, 1985 on Capitol records. The album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who was perhaps best known for producing the six-time platinum selling album "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot in 1983. The Last Command is the first W.A.S.P. album to feature the work of drummer Steve Riley. The album reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200 album chart in early 1986 and sold over one million copies, their first album to do so. It was also the last album to feature founding member Randy Piper on guitar.
First Impressions:
A sophomore release that sounds like a much later release should.
This was the 2nd W.A.S.P. album I ever got but the first one I heard back as a young metalhead. To say this album blew me away would be a drastic understatement to be sure. The song that I first heard from it was the single "Wild Child" which was on a compilation album I got from the local K Mart, by the time it was over, I knew I found something special to fill a musical niche in my life, W.A.S.P. would become my go-to band for many years and take their place along side of my all time favorite band KISS. This band then was a definition of raw potential and rebellion to my 16 year old self and they spoke to my very soul, empowering me in ways I never knew a band could. This album, although not my first from the band has remained my steadfast favorite album from them to this day. From the lyrical content, to the bombastic and sense assaulting musicianship, to the not overly polished (yet at times it's a bit over polished) but very competent production, this album is a watershed moment for metal as a whole back in 1985. Now enough with the banter and nostalgia, let's crack this beast open track by track and see what crawls out. This will be a review of the 1997 remaster so there are some extra tracks that will be explored here....Let's Do This.
Track List:
1."Wild Child" 5:12
A classic intro riff from the one that started my fans journey. The feel of this one is simply mesmerizing in every conceivable way. The lyrics are very memorable and the layered production is awesome...the layers this song has is very deep, textures are everywhere and it just sends you on a journey to the wastelands. This is one of the bands hallmark songs and it has aged very well.
2."Ballcrusher" 3:27
A dirty riff starts this one, a riff that grabs you by the balls and doesn't let you go until it's over. This has been a staple of my playlists for quite some time, it's such an infectious track. Great solos, solid drumming, and Blackie's trademark gritty vocals just flow so great...awesome song which leads directly into...
3."Fistful of Diamonds"4:13
A song that would have been at home on the first album, it carries over that raw feeling that was a staple of the first album. Not my favorite track on this album, but with great solos and lyrics about amassing wealth, it's not all bad. I do like some of the more subtle flourishes this song has woven into it...makes it more fun to listen to.
4."Jack Action" 4:16
Another dirty riff only this band can do well. A track about vengeance that goes from a freight train riff to a more melodic chorus riff, somehow it works though. The bottom end layer on this one is a cool thing and the lyrics are those you would love to hear said in a hollywood action film. I have zero complaints about this one.
5."Widowmaker" 5:17
A haunting power ballad at its core and feels like an outcast from a western in many ways yet with a modern sensibility for 1985 metal. I've always loved this track since I first heard it, plus it was the first song from this band that I covered in my own band in 1989. A great piece of music that was executed very well. Such a cool song even today.
6."Blind in Texas" 4:21
Another trademark song from these guys. What more can be said about this one, it's tight, gritty, and fun. A great song to get a party to the next level of outrageous...a true metal classic.
7."Cries in the Night" 3:41
This song started its life as a song called "Mr. Cool" and was first recorded under a project called Circus Circus with a different bass player. Here's why I bring that up, the song got better lyrics here but had a much fuller feel on the demo. Simple proof that the quality of the musicians on a song really affect the song as a whole. Blackie is a guitar player playing bass and it shows when you have a version to compare to. This one is much thinner sounding because of that. Maybe they should have kept this band's original bass player Rik Fox for a bit longer at least (His demos with the band sounded better as well, look them up on YouTube). Not a bad song but when compared to the demo, it does come up a bit short.
8."The Last Command" 4:10
The title track has a liberation feel yo it, it's even a bit anthemic for a hard rock song. This one as a whole can be a bit of an earworm as well, its hooks are infectious that way. I really dig this on quite a bit and find myself singing it at the most random times, even if I haven't listened to it in quite a while. Great track from a great band.
9."Running Wild in the Streets" 3:30
The 80's angst track, the youthful middle finger to the establishment song. Great lyrics "a heavy dose of mean" is one of my favorites in this one, great mid tempo riffing and loose yet melodic solos, tight drumming that isn't busy, great vocals....good track over all and a fun listen.
10."Sex Drive" 3:12
Well it's that type of track that was a staple of this band for quite a long time in one way or another. Yep, it's a go out and fuck everything song...a thing most teenagers can relate to for sure. It's a fun track with its tongue planted firmly in cheek (who's cheek is up for debate). A good playful closer to the original album.
1997 Digital Re-master bonus tracks
11."Mississippi Queen (Mountain Cover)" 3:21
A well done cover of a classic Mountain song. A bit of that W.A.S.P. venom mixed in makes this cover feel a bit fresher but it does stick to the template to the original song which isn't a bad thing.
12."Savage" 3:32
A 'b' side track that means it was recorded for the album but didn't make the final cut. However it is still a great track and honestly it would fit well on the album proper, it just needs a bit more production polish to get rid of the rough edges...it even has a feel in the solo section of things that would show up on the "Headless Children" album.
Tracks 13 - 17 were culled from the concert that spawned the "Live at the Lyceum" home video. These are great samples from that show and they have a raw feel that this band was known for early on in their live shows. Worth the price of the remaster but not essential if you have ever owned the original video they were taken from.
13."On Your Knees" (Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, October 1984) 4:38
14."Hellion" (Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, October 1984) 4:45
15."Sleeping (In the Fire)"(Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, October 1984) 5:44
16."Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)"(Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, October 1984) 4:37
17."I Wanna Be Somebody"(Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, October 1984) 5:54
Conclusion:
Like the first impression, this is an album that feels like a much later release. Maybe a bit too polished for this band at the time but that polish made it age much better than a lot of their later albums in my opinion. This album was the second release of theirs that I bought, as I mentioned earlier, and it has remained a favorite since I first got it. It's not without its issues but those issues are outweighed by the quality of the music all around. This is a classic 80's metal album that any headbanger worth his salt should own or at least give a chance to. There are better albums from this period of music but there are a lot more worse ones...give it a try, you won't regret it.
Score: 4.5/5
