W.A.S.P. Is 'Pretty Far Into The Writing Process' For Next Studio Album

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless, who underwent two successful surgeries in August to treat two herniated discs and a broken vertebra, was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're pretty far into it right now. But when this thing happened on the tour," referring to the injuries he sustained, "and then I blew a gasket, then all that got put on the back burner. But we're pretty far into the writing process right now. And we're excited about it, but it looks like we won't be able to get back to it until after the first of the year."

Addressing the high musical standard of W.A.S.P. most recent albums, Blackie said: "Nobody makes money making records anymore. So if you're going to make records now, you're doing it because of your legacy. And if you're going to do that, then you really have to make sure that it's as strong as it can be, because it's always gonna be measured against what you did to begin with."

He continued: "All bands, they make their bones the first five years they're together, the first five or six records they make; their whole legacy is cemented there. It doesn't mean you can't make good records later on down the line, but everything is gonna be constantly compared to that… In other words, think of whatever new record you do now as your opening act. It's always gonna be compared to that early stuff. And so for it to get an honest review or a fair shake, so to speak, that new record has to maybe be even better than the original stuff was, because people have had so many years to romance those older songs in their heads. And when you go up against people that have been doing that for a long time, it's hard to erase those memories, and you don't wanna do that anyway. But you just want the new stuff to have a chance to compete. And the only way that new stuff can do that is they have to be solid records."

Back in October 2022, Blackie told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he and his bandmates had started work on a new album "over a year" earlier. Asked by host Eddie Trunk if W.A.S.P.'s next album will be a concept record, Blackie said: "What's in my heart right now, I want this to be a rock and roll record — an old-time rock and roll record. That's what I'm feeling. And it could be some sort of adverse reaction to what's going on in the world, maybe. I don't know; I don't really wanna think about it that much. I'm just following my gut right now. I want something that feels good. And that's where my head is right now.

"I learned years ago, you make records based on who you are at that moment," Lawless added. "And that's where I am at this moment. I wanna do something that feels really good."

W.A.S.P.'s latest release was "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol)", which came out in February 2018. It was a new version of the band's classic 1992 album "The Crimson Idol", which was re-recorded to accompany the movie of the same name to mark the 25th anniversary of the original LP's release. The re-recorded version also features four songs missing from the original album.

W.A.S.P.'s most recent studio album of all-new original material was 2015's "Golgotha".

Because of the extensive back injuries Blackie suffered during the European leg of W.A.S.P.'s 40th-anniversary tour, the band's previously announced 2023 U.S. tour was canceled and will be rescheduled for spring 2024.

W.A.S.P. wrapped up its first U.S. tour in 10 years with a sold-out show on December 11, 2022 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. This marked the 18th sold-out shows for the U.S. tour, which kicked off in late October 2022. W.A.S.P.'s performances included the return of the band's classic song "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)", which hadn't been played live in over 15 years.

Lawless has led W.A.S.P. as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for four decades. He is joined in W.A.S.P.'s current lineup by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 26 and 17 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.