Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of The Metal Voice recently spoke to Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in a multi part series interview.

In part 3 Blackie discusses his religious convictions and songs, friendship with Ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and the use of backing tracks live.

Do you struggle with your religious convictions and the songs of your past 
“No, that’s all part of the growth period. Everybody does that. Anybody that really comes to Faith, it’s just all part of the growth process. It gives you contrast and I don’t mean to go into a Biblical analogy here but you’re literally going from the dark to the light but that creates that contrast. And from a writing perspective it really is a kind of a cool thing because it gives you a different way of looking at things. It enables me to get into more in-depth ideas. As a songwriter how many times and how long can you write songs about your girlfriend’s red high heel shoes before it starts to get a little mundane. It’s nice to have a fresh perspective. “

When asked about his connection with Ace Frehley of Kiss in his early years 
“We were just kids, I met him right around the time the band got started. It was just one of those things, more of a meeting of the minds. And you develop a friendship because they’re kindred spirits. So it was really no more than that. And we’ve been able to maintain that friendship for many many years.”

Then asked if they in the same gang together
“No, let’s put it this way. I can remember him and I collecting Coke bottles to cash in for deposits and going and buying .25 cent beers at happy hours. So that gives you an idea how far it goes back.”

When asked if he is getting tired people asking him about W.A.S.P.  using backing tracks live
No. The conclusion that I came to was this. Up until about five years ago we did everything. It was literally a four-piece band. What you heard is what you got.  And I came to the conclusion that when we did the anniversary tour for the Crimson Idol, we then brought in all that orchestration and I stood in the middle of the room and I listened to that in rehearsal for the first time and it was like an out-of- body experience. I mean it was unbelievable. And I remember thinking I’ve never heard this sound like this other than the record and I thought this is what I want to do from now on. I want this. I want it to sound exactly like the record. If you listen to a record like ‘Live at Leeds’ The Who. That’s a rock band doing a three-piece musical version of Tommy or some of the other earlier songs. It’s great for what it is but it doesn’t sound like Tommy.  What they do now with all the pieces that they take out, those performances sound like the record. So you have to make a decision  as an artist what do you want that performance to sound like? Now as a singer, I take a lot of pride in what I do.  When you’ve been given a gift like I’ve been given most singers I know want to show that thing off and I’m no different. So yeah, that’s me singing out there but as far as any other Orchestra tracks or backing vocal tracks, I’m sorry there’s just not enough of us on stage to make it sound like that record it’s impossible. So again, the artist has to make the decision of what they want to sound like when they go out. And from that first time, like I said I, stood in the middle of the room and I listened to that orchestration, it blew me away and I thought this is what I’m doing from here on out.”

When asked about the meaning of half speed on the new W.A.S.P. The 7 Savage Box set 
 “Well when they do half speed Masters that’s what we use to make the Press copies from in the factory. So in other words it is the closest thing to the original recording you’re ever going to hear. It’s the final product that we make that goes from the multitrack down to what’s called a half inch master and  it’s a pristine copy.”

W.A.S.P. announce ‘The 7 Savage: 1984-1992’ deluxe 8LP boxset from their ‘Capitol Years’, with studio album half-speed mastering, LP of bonus tracks, 60 page book, posters and numbered certificate. The 7 Savage: 1984-1992 will be released Friday 27th October 2023 on Madfish and is strictly limited to 2000 copies worldwide.

Compiled with the full cooperation of Blackie Lawless, the box set also includes a 60-page book with exclusive and rare pictures from legendary metal photographers (including Ross Halfin, Tony Mottram, David Plastik and Paul Natkin), along with extensive liner notes from Amit Sharma (Kerrang!, Planet Rock). Also included is an exclusive Blackie Lawless poster, plus an individually numbered circular saw shaped certificate.