W.A.S.P.'s BLACKIE LAWLESS: 'METALLICA Did Not Become METALLICA Until About '…And Justice For All''

During an appearance on the August 15 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless was asked if he had any idea METALLICA would become as big as they did when the James Hetfield-fronted outfit supported W.A.S.P. on a U.S. tour in early 1985. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Honestly, I don't think anybody has the ability to look into a crystal ball and see that. I see it differently. I mean, for me, METALLICA is James. And I don't say to slight any of the rest of the band — certainly not at all — but being a singer, I relate to the singer. And even to this day, I listen to how James drives songs and that singer lingo for when we drive a track, that means we're pushing the crap out of it. We're really hitting it hard, using the vocal to carry the track. And the way James drives it, I mean, he had that even then.

"Just before I came on the air here, there was that commercial for the '80s thing, and the first thing I heard was [late QUIET RIOT singer] Kevin DuBrow's voice," he continued. "Kevin was one of the best at driving a track there ever was. I mean, the power that comes out of these guys, I mean, it's just — it's unrelenting and it's a force to be reckoned with. So James had that even then. So, like I said, I could see that early on, but predicting what that would become? No, of course not.

"To be completely honest about it, METALLICA did not become METALLICA until about '…And Justice For All', at least not in the mass sense that we know it now," Blackie added. "Did they have a following before that? Of course they did. But to get into where it became supersonic, like it is now, no. And it takes a while for that to happen. And literally the planets aligned for them. I mean, they had done '…And Justice For All. The 'Black Album' comes out, and it's got that song ['Enter Sandman'] on it, man. And history is rewritten at that point."

During a "VIP Experience" question-and-answer session before one of W.A.S.P.'s concerts on the band's fall 2022 U.S. tour, Lawless spoke about his memories of playing with METALLICA on January 30, 1985 at Sherwood Country Club in Indianapolis, Indiana. He said: "We had gotten there late. We had a long drive the night before. Nobody got soundchecks that day. We were scrambling to try to make it happen. So we were flip-flopping [with METALLICA] every night [on that tour] — one night they'd close, one night we'd close — and this happened to be one of the nights we were closing. The dressing rooms were all downstairs, and it was like a maze down there; I mean, nobody knew where they were. Usually you get in early in the afternoon, and everybody gets kind of a feel for what's going on, signs are posted with arrows going this way and that way, what's where. I'm in there shaving and I hear METALLICA's intro start. And I'm looking up in the mirror and I'm shaving; I've got the razor at my throat. The door flies open behind me. There's Cliff [Burton, METALLICA bassist] standing there with his bass on. Now, their intro was playing. And Cliff's standing there. He goes, 'Blackie, Blackie, how do I get to the stage? How do I get to the stage?' I didn't know. I hadn't been up there yet. And I looked in the mirror. He was behind me. And I said, 'Cliff, honestly, I don't know.' And he goes, 'Oh, fuck you, Blackie.' He thinks I'm busting his chops. Two minutes goes by. I'm still down there shaving. They are already into the first song, and I hear the bass finally come in."

W.A.S.P. will embark on a North American tour, dubbed "Album ONE Alive", this fall. Support on the trek will come from ARMORED SAINT and UNTO OTHERS.

August 17, 2024, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.'s first album. To celebrate this classic metal album, W.A.S.P. will, for the first time in 40 years, play the entire album from top to bottom, start to finish, on "Album ONE Alive".

The 39-city run kicks off on Saturday, October 26 in San Luis Obispo, California, making stops across North America in Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; New York City; Orlando, Florida; and more before wrapping up on Saturday, December 14 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

W.A.S.P. will again offer fans VIP tickets that give fans a chance to meet Lawless, get a personal photo with Blackie, autographs and take part in a very personal question-and-answer session with Blackie. VIP tickets can be purchased at waspnation.myshopify.com.

In August 2023, Blackie underwent a successful surgery to treat two herniated discs and a broken vertebra.

Because of the extensive back injuries Lawless 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.