W.A.S.P.'s BLACKIE LAWLESS Has Changed His Mind About 'Operation: Mindcrime' Being A Better Album Than 'The Crimson Idol'

During a "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session at a recent W.A.S.P. concert, frontman Blackie Lawless spoke about going back and hearing some of the band's earlier albums for the first time in years while digitizing the recordings. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I listened to stuff I hadn't heard in ages. And I was amazed, because I'm listening to it with ears that I didn't have then. And plus, when you're doing something and you're first doing it, I don't think any artist can really hear what is really is. You have to distance yourself from it for a few years to really understand what it is.

"I'll give you an example. 'The Crimson Idol' and 'Operation: Mindcrime' from QUEENSRŸCHE have always been the two records that our generation wants to compare to each other. And for the longest time, I thought 'Mindcrime' was a better record; I really did. I thought track for track it was a better record than 'The Crimson Idol'. But I went and I listened to 'The Idol' about two years ago and I heard it in a way I'd never heard it before 'cause I hadn't heard it for so long. And I listened to it and I thought, you know what? 'Mindcrime', as great as it is, I would say it's probably not better; I would just say they're different. 'Mindcrime' is a great record, but 'The Idol' has this thing, and I can't really put my finger on what it is. I can hear it now more like you guys hear it."

He continued: "See, the thing is, when you make a record, although you're privy to a lot of the inside stuff that happens, the artist will never get to hear the record for the first time. You remember where you were the first time you heard 'Back In Black' or whatever record that really moved you. Well, the person that makes it will never get to hear it for the first time. It takes years for us to remove ourselves from it, and even then I don't know if you can ever really hear it… I mean, I remember where I was the first time I heard [THE BEATLES'] 'Sgt. Pepper' ['Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'] or any record that is a milestone record. You remember where you were. The first time I heard 'Black Sabbath' by BLACK SABBATH, I was over at my friend's house; we were seniors in high school playing pool at his house. He put that record on. And that's one of those monumental moments in your life that you won't forget. But the artist never gets that moment, because you are the one in the kitchen cooking it. So you never get to taste it quite the same."

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".

W.A.S.P.'s first live performance since December 2019 took place on July 23 at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden. A week later (July 30),W.A.S.P. also played at Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden.

W.A.S.P. recently postponed its European 40th-anniversary tour, originally scheduled for spring of 2022, until the spring of 2023. The new dates will take place in March, April and May of 2023. All tickets previously purchased for the 2022 tour will be valid at the rescheduled 2023 shows.

W.A.S.P. kicked off its first U.S. tour in a decade last month. The trek coincides with the band's 40th anniversary and includes support from ARMORED SAINT and MICHAEL SCHENKER on select shows.

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 18 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.