What's the story behind the 'Neon God' albums of Wasp?

[BlizzardOZ]

?

 

[Jean-Pierre]

No clue, but the first one is pretty lame. The second one isn't bad at all. Yet, I have a sneaking suspicion that I would simply stop liking them if I ever looked into the story.

WASP's first five albums are excellent.

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

The story is hideously, hideously dumb. I mean, the premise–abused orphan meets hypnotist, becomes cult leader–isn't bad, but the details are horrifically retarded and badly written, and Blackie never actually explains what it is that Jesse (the main character) DOES for his cults. Just enjoy the music.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

What Pyrus said. Just enjoy the music. W.A.S.P. is awesome, BTW.

 

[Stormwatch]

I have bought every WASP album up to the first part of the Neon God. No more. The Neon God, and every album since The Headless Children has such fucking awful production it ruins the music. Part One of TNG is also not very good, so I didn't even bother with part 2.
WASP's first 4 albums were great, KFD was great too, but they aren't up to much now. And Blackie should stop trying to be a poet/Pete Townshend/Alice Cooper/Marilyn Manson and write some fucking good tunes again, like "Mean Man" or "Blind In Texas".

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

First FOUR albums? Awful production since THC? Dude, I believe you're forgetting a little release called The Crimson Idol, easily the best thing Wacky Blackie ever came up with.

I just picked up Neon God Part 2 for five bucks. Report once I'm done listening to it.

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

Update: Neon God Part 2 is Teh Winnar. Much better than part 1, hitting that special reserve of total catchiness that is seemingly the private preserve of W.A.S.P. when they're really on their game. I haven't dissected it or anything yet, but basically it's solid all the way through, a bit more on the original side than Part 1 and more focused on individual songs than the overall sound, which works better for a band like W.A.S.P. with a generally song-oriented style (Crimson Idol being the obvious exception.) Definitely worth checking out.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

Part II is defanitly better than Part I.

 

[Stormwatch]

The Crimson Idol was boring. They lost it after THC, although I do still quite like KFD. The main problem I have is Blackie's shit production, which takes ANY power out of the guitars. The drumming also does my head in = play the fucking beat man, we don't need all the constant fills. Where are the riffs on TNG part 1? They're non-existent, and for a band that gave us "Tormentor", "The Torture Never Stops", "Mean Man" etc that's unforgivable.
Blackie's vocals on TNG part 1 were the worst ever too - all high pitched and whiny. Where's the roar he used to have?

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

The Crimson Idol was boring.

I stopped reading here.

Two words: CHAINSAW CHARLIE.

 

[Stormwatch]

One great song. A couple of good ones. Some incredible guitar work like "The Idol". No songs as good as "Mean Man", "Blind In Texas" "Mantronic", "I Wanna Be Somebody". Boring album. Start of the terminal decline.

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Well, Blackie wanted to do more than just catchy straightforward numbers on that album. Understandable to me, and I greatly enjoy it.

I do think Headless Children is the best nowadays, though.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

The Crimson Idol is my favorite W.A.S.P. album.