 |
|
October 12, 2008 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
01. Mercy
02. Long, Long Way To Go
03. Take Me Up
04. The Burning Man
05. Heaven's Hung In Black
06. Heaven's Blessed
07. Teacher
08. Heaven's Hung In Black (Reprise)
09. Deal With The Devil
|
|
According to Blackie Lawless, political correctness went down with the Twin Towers. With 2007's "Dominator", most of which explores U.S. foreign policy from the metaphor of abusive relationships, it's apparent he hasn't changed his mind. Not that anyone in their right mind would accuse Lawless of being politically correct in the first place.
Filled with strong melodies, powerful riffs, and shredding solos, "Dominator" is a very traditional sounding W.A.S.P. record, and therein lies both its strength and weakness. There are a few surprises, like the BLACK SABBATH style opening riff on "Mercy", the focus on the rhythm section in "Long, Long Way To Go", and the way the ballad "Take Me Up" seethes with anger. Yet after all these years, Lawless is still an "Animal", his crew's just a bunch of "Wasted White Boys", and all anyone needs is their "L.O.V.E. Machine".
W.A.S.P. have always favored reliability over experimentation though, and most of the songs are strong in their own right. By the time "Heaven’s Blessed" and "Teacher" roll around however, things start to get a little tiresome. It doesn't help that the album is only an anemic nine tracks and 43 minutes; between that and the album's familiarity the whole thing feels somewhat rushed. Hopefully by the time the U.S. release finally rolls around, we'll see those long lost DEEP PURPLE and CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL covers surface as bonus tracks.
The centerpiece of the album, however, is the one song where Lawless dares to break the mold. Beginning with a slow rendition of "Johnny Comes Marching Home", as though the true cost of yelling "Johnny Get Your Guns" on "Dying For The World" has hit home, "Heaven's Hung In Black" tells the tale of a soldier dying in Iraq. "Hallowed Ground" and "Trail Of Tears" are the most obvious comparisons, but the song also flirts with Bruce Springsteen's post 9/11 territory. The reprise that comes a few tracks later is pretty enough, but it feels unnecessary, especially on an album this short. Lawless should have given us another standout track, or maybe a full acoustic version like Take #5 of "Hallowed Ground".
"Dying For The World" was Lawless' liberal bating, brutally honest reaction to the aftermath of 9/11. "Dominator" is very much its companion album, an eye opening attack at arrogance and unfulfilled promises of the U.S. government. The only thing missing that keeps "Dominator" from equaling its predecessor, and being the W.A.S.P. album the American people need to hear, is a few more truly exceptional tracks. Fans will probably love this one, but anyone who wasn't impressed before isn't going to jump on board now.
|
|
|
|
