The Last Command

Having lured the rubes into the tent with a shock-rockin’ debut, W.A.S.P.’s follow-up was less angry and hostile and more fixated on sex, booze, and money (“Ballcrusher,” “Blind in Texas,” “Fistful of Diamonds”). On the opening “Wild Child,” bassist/vocalist Blackie Lawless even attempted to sell himself as a hard-livin’ loverman rebel. Spencer Proffer’s production has a pleasing crunch, giving Chris Holmes and Randy Piper’s guitars a heaviness reminiscent of Dio-era Black Sabbath, while new drummer Steve Riley gets a concussive, gated sound. Lawless has a fierce roar reminiscent of Mountain’s Leslie West (they covered “Mississippi Queen” on a B-side) and the songs mostly punch hard; the token ballad is one of the shortest tracks on the record.