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Nov 9, 20223 min read

W.A.S.P. - The Last Command (1985)

FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…


37 years ago today, W.A.S.P. released this glorious, anthem filled album… on my birthday at that! How fitting as well, as my brother, my first born son, and myself will be seeing W.A.S.P. at Harpos Theatre in Detroit on Friday, November 11 (a birthday gift from my brother to myself) - E.N. Wells



On November 9, 1985, W.A.S.P. released their second full-length studio album The Last Command via Capital Records.


The album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who was perhaps best known for producing the six-time Platinum selling album Metal Health by Quiet Riot in 1983.



Background:

The song Running Wild in the Streets was originally written by Proffer and demoed by Spectre General a.k.a. Kick Axe and Black Sabbath with Ron Keel before release on this album. Sex Drive was originally written by Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper's previous band Sister. Cries in the Night is based on a song called Mr. Cool, released on a 1976 single by the Killer Kane Band where Blackie was a member at the time.



"In order to keep heavy rock at a peak," Lawless explained to TV host Amanda Redington just before the release of the album. The Last Command has undoubtedly inspired many bands in the world of Heavy Metal to tread new ground. The album is an exhibition of Blackie’s evolution and maturity as a songwriter. W.A.S.P.'s self-titled debut was chocked full of hook-laden, headbanging rockers like I Wanna Be Somebody and Hellion, but on The Last Command, Lawless had pulled out all the stops as far as writing the songs for the album. The Last Command may be brimming with melody, but it is far from a “sell-out” release."



Ultimately, The Last Command proved that Lawless wasn’t willing to rest on his laurels or remain stagnant, always striving and ever-willing to move into new territory. A fact demonstrated in future W.A.S.P. releases like The Headless Children or The Crimson Idol.



The Last Command is the first W.A.S.P. album to feature the work of drummer Steve Riley (of L.A. GUNS fame), the former Keel drummer replaced Richards at the beginning of the 1984-1985 tour. It was also the last album to feature founding member Randy Piper on guitar, as after The Last Command tour, Piper departed the band. Former King Kobra bassist Johnny Rod later joined W.A.S.P. and Lawless went back to playing rhythm guitar.



The Last Command reached No. 49 on the Billboard 200 album chart in early 1986 and sold over one million copies, their first album to do so.


The Last Command is still W.A.S.P.'s highest-charting album, peaking at No. 47 on the Billboard album chart. Blind In Texas is perhaps their best known song, more than 35 years later.



"The meat's gone, the blood's gone, the girl on the rack's gone," Lawless told Amanda Redington about the live show W.A.S.P. had put together to support The Last Command. The heads on poles became the central stage prop for that round of touring, but Lawless's point still held true: Without all of those extra trimmings, what stood out the most at this point in W.A.S.P.'s career was not only the music but the increasingly evident creative ambition behind it.



Critical Reception:

In a review for AllMusic, Greg Prato writes;

“On W.A.S.P.'s sophomore effort, 1985's The Last Command, the band hired Quiet Riot producer Spencer Proffer to man the boards, resulting in a slightly more accessible sound than their rugged self-titled debut. Although the album wasn't the massive commercial breakthrough the band had hoped for, it resulted in their second gold-certified release in a row as they became one of the more popular metal bands of the mid-'80s (touring heavily with the likes of Kiss, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden).
Blackie Lawless' lyrics still relied heavily on sexual fantasies (Sex Drive), as well as tales of revenge (Ballcrusher, Jack Action), and children of the street (Running Wild in the Streets). The album's two singles/videos proved popular on MTV's heavy metal-oriented shows -- the party-hearty Blind in Texas and Wild Child, the latter a tale of a Harley-riding free spirit. (The 1998 CD reissue nearly doubled the original album's length, featuring a cover of Mountain's early-'70s hit Mississippi Queen, the original B-side Savage, and five live tracks recorded at England's Lyceum in October of 1984: On Your Knees, Hellion, L.O.V.E. Machine, Animal, and I Wanna Be Somebody.)”

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells



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