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August 29, 2008 |
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W.A.S.P. - The Neon God: Part 1 - The Rise
Sanctuary (2004) |
8.5/10 |
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01. Overture
02. Why Am I Here
03. Wishing Well
04. Sister Sadie (And The Black Habits)
05. The Rise
06. Why Am I Nothing
07. Asylum #9
08. The Red Room Of The Rising Sun
09. What I'll Never Find
10. Someone To Love Me (All I Need)
11. X.T.C. Riders
12. Me & The Devil
13. The Running Man
14. The Raging Storm
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Blackie & Co. are back...and he's got a little story to tell. W.A.S.P.'s latest release, "The Neon God: Part 1 - The Rise", tells the detailed story of Jesse Slane, a neglected, abused, and orphaned child who is unwanted by his mother, and placed in an orphanage at age eight. The story goes on to detail Jesse's struggles within the orphanage, the friends he makes, his attempted suicide, and of course his time on the outside. Finding he has the ability to see right through people and manipulate them as he deems necessary, he recruits loyal followers as he drifts from town to town. Jessie is a self-procalaimed "Neon God".
This CD, disc 1 of a 2 CD release, has been a few years in the making, and is one that I personally have been waiting for. The idea of Blackie making another concept disc is one I've been anxious for since the spectacular "The Crimson Idol". This time around, Blackie has decided to enlist the studio services of long-time friend/member Frankie Banali (drums & percussion), Stet Howland (drums), Darrell Roberts (Vocals, guitar & drums) and Mike Duda (bass & vocals). First and successive listens indicate he made the right decisions with respect to these musicians. "The Neon God" comes across as not only as well-written but also musically exceptional.
An instrumental intro song, "Overture", sets the mood with a sound that is instantly recognizable as W.A.S.P. to past fans. Keyboards, guitars, and some great offbeat drumming (which is present in almost every track throughout the entire album) prepare the listener for the lyrical journey ahead. "Why Am I Here" is a short spoken piece in which Blackie's voice sounds as good as ever. This song runs right into "Wishing Well", which is the first real song on the album. The tune tears along at a very quick pace, offers more offbeat drumming, and the bass lines...WOW! "Wishing Well" will probably become a staple in W.A.S.P.'s live set for years to come. The song really reminds me of their cover of "The Real Me" off "The Headless Children".
"Sister Sadie (And The Black Habits)" is equally as fast and very upbeat as it gallops along. A few guitar solo breaks show some impressive fretwork. Both "The Rise" and "Why Am I Nothing" slow things down, the former being very similar musically to the intro track "Overture". This track details a conversation between Jesse and the "Invisible Circus" before Jesse talks to God in the soft-spoken, keyboard and acoustic track "Why Am I Nothing". "Asylum #9" picks up the pace again and I found it to be almost orchestra-like in it's composition. This is sure to be another great song performed live. It's got a great guitar sound and Blackie's vocals excel once again.
The fast-slow/up-down rollercoaster ride continues with "The Red Room Of The Rising Sun", a mid-paced song with Blackie using his softer singing voice, almost talking rather than singing. "What I'll Never Find" tells of the suicide of Jesse's closest friend Billy. Another mid-paced tune with strong basslines and accompanying drumming. The guitar solo is perfectly suited to this emotional song. In a live setting, I can just picture the smoke-filled stage with the lone spotlight on the guitarist - it's that type of song.
"Someone To Love Me" is an intro to "X.T.C. Riders", a straight-ahead rockin' track from beginning to end. Another of the heavier songs on "The Neon God", the music may very well have been written back in "The Last Command" days. "Me & The Devil" slows things down again and serves as an acoustic, spoken intro to "The Running Man", perhaps the fastest track on the album. It's filled with some outstanding guitar and drum work, is loaded with feeling, and is to become a W.A.S.P. classic.
Closing out Part 1 is "The Raging Storm", a mid-paced song which instrumentally and vocally sums up the entire album into a single song. Blackie pours his heart & soul into the vocals and it is a great outro track for the first part of this 2 part story.
Lyrically, "The Neon God: Part 1" is very detailed, and Blackie has done a fantastic job expressing all his thoughts & visions regarding Jesse Slane and his pre-adult trials and tribulations. I found production to be a bit of a setback as the drums seem buried in the mix on at least 3 different songs. As previously mentioned, Frankie & Stet did an amazing job here so it's a shame to have to struggle to really appreciate their efforts on a few ocassions.
W.A.S.P. have come a long way since their self-titled release 20 years ago - not that I didn't enjoy it back then, but in 2004, I'd rather listen to what "The Neon God" has to offer. I wait in anticipation for the release of Part 2, and the conclusion to Blackie's movie-like effort.
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