In a brand new interview with eonmusic, W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless has said that new music is “on the back burner,” but that his autobiography will surface soon. Lawless made his comments while speaking ahead of the shock rockers’ 40th anniversary ‘Album ONE Alive’ tour, which hits Europe from June.
In the deep dive chat, the creative behind W.A.S.P. also talked about how grunge and Napster changed the face of music, how 1997’s controversial KFD album was one of the most creative periods of his career, and how follow-up Helldorado was the necessary detox to the darkness of its predecessor.
Speaking about the change in the musical landscape and how it affected the commercial success of The Crimson Idol (1992), Lawless said; “Well, the timing is everything right? I remember from the time I started recording that record to the time I had done the promo and done, literally, two world tours to support it, I came home, and it was early ’93, and I remember I picked up Billboard magazine, and I was looking at the Hot 100 singles, and in that list there was myself with ‘Hold On To Your Heart’, Sammy Hagar had a song, and Mötley had a song. The other ninety-seven artists, I did not recognize one of the names, not a single one, and that stunned me because I thought there’s been some sort of seismic shift that has happened in the time since I started making that record.”
On how he now views the controversial KFD, and his attempt to ‘out-Manson Manson’; “I would say throughout the history of my career, that’s the most creative record I’ve ever made. The imagery of that record is pretty remarkable. I can talk about it now as it’s been so long, I can look at it with with a more objective perspective, and I see it as if it was someone else; like some other artists that had done it, and I listened to it, and, like I said, I look at the lyrical imagery of it, and it’s pretty it’s pretty amazing. I mean, like I said, I think it’s far and away the most creative record I was ever part of.”
When eonmusic interviewer Eamon O’Neill suggested follow-up Helldorado (1999) was seen in some quarters as an ‘overcorrection’ and asked if it was a case of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’, Blackie replied; “Well, you are correct in that sense. What you do is you make records that reflect who you are at the moment.and if you capture that, they’re little snapshots in your life. So if the world sees it as an over correction, okay, fine, but you know, KFD was a very, very dark record, and if that’s what it takes to create that kind of artistry, I don’t want to do it again, because to have have to go to that space and live there for the year that it takes to make that record? No, I don’t want to go back there again. So Helldorado was a rebellion, if you like, against what we had just gone through. It’s like we don’t want to go back to that place, we don’t want to go back inside that pit, it’s like; ‘we’re out, we’re going to have a celebration,’ and so that’s really what ‘Helldorado’ was; it was a celebration of getting your freedom back, getting your life back.”
On new music; “Well, we were working on stuff a couple of years ago during COVID and then we did the European tour two years ago, and the whole thing happened where I broke my back. It was just one catastrophe after another, so the whole idea of recording at that point just got pushed way on the back burner, and we’ve been touring ever since. So yes, there are ideas rattling around, but you know, when you could suspect to see it, I really couldn’t say.”
It was then that he revealed that he’s working towards publishing his autobiography, with hopes for a release in 2026; “Until then, I’m working on a book too, so it’s like, you know, I’ve been kind of busy. It’s about halfway done now, and I’m hoping sometime next year.”
Read the full interview at eonmusic.
W.A.S.P.’s upcoming tour dates are listed below. Tickets are available at WASPnation.com.
Headline Shows Performing Album ONE Alive:
June
7 – Berlin, Germany – Astra
10 – Vaureal, France – Le Forum – SOLD OUT
11 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Effenaar
12 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhal
13 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof
July
11 – Belgrade, Serbia – Hangar Luka Beograd
16 – Milan, Italy – Live Club
20 – Norwich, England – Uea
22 – Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
23 – Belfast, N. Ireland – Telegraph Building
25 – Glasgow, Scotland – Academy
27 – Nottingham, England – Rock City
29 – Riddes, Switzerland – Salle De L’abeille – SOLD OUT
30 – Zurich, Switzerland – Komplex
August
3 – Munich, Germany – Backstage – SOLD OUT
4 – Stuttgart, Germany – Longhorn
September
26 – Newcastle, England – Newcastle O2 City Hall *
27 – Manchester, England – O2 Victoria Warehouse *
28 – London, England – Hammersmith *
October
1 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks
3 – Prague, Czech Republic – Lucerna
6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio
7 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller – SOLD OUT
8 – Lund, Sweden – Mejeriet
10 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Filmstudion
11 – Örebro, Sweden – Conventum Kongress
12 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
14 – Falun, Sweden – Heymakers – SOLD OUT
15 – Östersund, Sweden – Folkets Hus
17 – Oulu, Finland – Tullisali
18 – Helsinki, Finland – House Of Culture – SOLD OUT
19 – Tampere, Finland – Tavara-asema – SOLD OUT
21 – Tallinn, Estonia – Helitehas
25 – Zilina, Slovakia – Event House
* support act – Armored Saint
Festival Shows Performing Greatest Hits:
June
6 – Mystic Festival – Poland
8 – Rock Hard Festival – Germany
14 – Into The Grave – Netherlands
July
10 – Area 53 Festival – Austria
12 – Midalidare Open Air – Bulgaria
14 – Rockwave Festival – Greece
18 – Sun And Thunder Festival – Spain
26 – Steelhouse Festival – Wales
August
1 – Skogsröjet Festival – Sweden
2 – Wacken Open Air – Germany – SOLD OUT
6 – Leyendas Del Rock Festival- Spain
8 – Alcatraz Festival – Belgium
Do you have a rock, hard rock, heavy metal website, blog, podcast, radio show, YouTube channel, Spotify playlist? BraveWords Records wants to send you music!
Submit your info: https://forms.gle/j8wygtJjnv429GzJ6
The post W.A.S.P.’s BLACKIE LAWLESS Says New Music Is “On The Back Burner,” But Hopes To Release Autobiography In 2026 appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
In the deep dive chat, the creative behind W.A.S.P. also talked about how grunge and Napster changed the face of music, how 1997’s controversial KFD album was one of the most creative periods of his career, and how follow-up Helldorado was the necessary detox to the darkness of its predecessor.
Speaking about the change in the musical landscape and how it affected the commercial success of The Crimson Idol (1992), Lawless said; “Well, the timing is everything right? I remember from the time I started recording that record to the time I had done the promo and done, literally, two world tours to support it, I came home, and it was early ’93, and I remember I picked up Billboard magazine, and I was looking at the Hot 100 singles, and in that list there was myself with ‘Hold On To Your Heart’, Sammy Hagar had a song, and Mötley had a song. The other ninety-seven artists, I did not recognize one of the names, not a single one, and that stunned me because I thought there’s been some sort of seismic shift that has happened in the time since I started making that record.”
On how he now views the controversial KFD, and his attempt to ‘out-Manson Manson’; “I would say throughout the history of my career, that’s the most creative record I’ve ever made. The imagery of that record is pretty remarkable. I can talk about it now as it’s been so long, I can look at it with with a more objective perspective, and I see it as if it was someone else; like some other artists that had done it, and I listened to it, and, like I said, I look at the lyrical imagery of it, and it’s pretty it’s pretty amazing. I mean, like I said, I think it’s far and away the most creative record I was ever part of.”
When eonmusic interviewer Eamon O’Neill suggested follow-up Helldorado (1999) was seen in some quarters as an ‘overcorrection’ and asked if it was a case of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’, Blackie replied; “Well, you are correct in that sense. What you do is you make records that reflect who you are at the moment.and if you capture that, they’re little snapshots in your life. So if the world sees it as an over correction, okay, fine, but you know, KFD was a very, very dark record, and if that’s what it takes to create that kind of artistry, I don’t want to do it again, because to have have to go to that space and live there for the year that it takes to make that record? No, I don’t want to go back there again. So Helldorado was a rebellion, if you like, against what we had just gone through. It’s like we don’t want to go back to that place, we don’t want to go back inside that pit, it’s like; ‘we’re out, we’re going to have a celebration,’ and so that’s really what ‘Helldorado’ was; it was a celebration of getting your freedom back, getting your life back.”
On new music; “Well, we were working on stuff a couple of years ago during COVID and then we did the European tour two years ago, and the whole thing happened where I broke my back. It was just one catastrophe after another, so the whole idea of recording at that point just got pushed way on the back burner, and we’ve been touring ever since. So yes, there are ideas rattling around, but you know, when you could suspect to see it, I really couldn’t say.”
It was then that he revealed that he’s working towards publishing his autobiography, with hopes for a release in 2026; “Until then, I’m working on a book too, so it’s like, you know, I’ve been kind of busy. It’s about halfway done now, and I’m hoping sometime next year.”
Read the full interview at eonmusic.
W.A.S.P.’s upcoming tour dates are listed below. Tickets are available at WASPnation.com.
Headline Shows Performing Album ONE Alive:
June
7 – Berlin, Germany – Astra
10 – Vaureal, France – Le Forum – SOLD OUT
11 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Effenaar
12 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhal
13 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof
July
11 – Belgrade, Serbia – Hangar Luka Beograd
16 – Milan, Italy – Live Club
20 – Norwich, England – Uea
22 – Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
23 – Belfast, N. Ireland – Telegraph Building
25 – Glasgow, Scotland – Academy
27 – Nottingham, England – Rock City
29 – Riddes, Switzerland – Salle De L’abeille – SOLD OUT
30 – Zurich, Switzerland – Komplex
August
3 – Munich, Germany – Backstage – SOLD OUT
4 – Stuttgart, Germany – Longhorn
September
26 – Newcastle, England – Newcastle O2 City Hall *
27 – Manchester, England – O2 Victoria Warehouse *
28 – London, England – Hammersmith *
October
1 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks
3 – Prague, Czech Republic – Lucerna
6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio
7 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller – SOLD OUT
8 – Lund, Sweden – Mejeriet
10 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Filmstudion
11 – Örebro, Sweden – Conventum Kongress
12 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
14 – Falun, Sweden – Heymakers – SOLD OUT
15 – Östersund, Sweden – Folkets Hus
17 – Oulu, Finland – Tullisali
18 – Helsinki, Finland – House Of Culture – SOLD OUT
19 – Tampere, Finland – Tavara-asema – SOLD OUT
21 – Tallinn, Estonia – Helitehas
25 – Zilina, Slovakia – Event House
* support act – Armored Saint
Festival Shows Performing Greatest Hits:
June
6 – Mystic Festival – Poland
8 – Rock Hard Festival – Germany
14 – Into The Grave – Netherlands
July
10 – Area 53 Festival – Austria
12 – Midalidare Open Air – Bulgaria
14 – Rockwave Festival – Greece
18 – Sun And Thunder Festival – Spain
26 – Steelhouse Festival – Wales
August
1 – Skogsröjet Festival – Sweden
2 – Wacken Open Air – Germany – SOLD OUT
6 – Leyendas Del Rock Festival- Spain
8 – Alcatraz Festival – Belgium
Do you have a rock, hard rock, heavy metal website, blog, podcast, radio show, YouTube channel, Spotify playlist? BraveWords Records wants to send you music!
Submit your info: https://forms.gle/j8wygtJjnv429GzJ6
The post W.A.S.P.’s BLACKIE LAWLESS Says New Music Is “On The Back Burner,” But Hopes To Release Autobiography In 2026 appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...