W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, was formed in February 4, 1982. The group originally consisted of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Blackie Lawless (real name Steven Duren), lead guitarist William "Randy" Piper, bassist Rik Fox (real name Richard Suligowski) and drummer Tony Richards.
By the time they recorded their debut album, Lawless had taken over on bass and Chris Holmes had joined on co-lead guitar.
Lawless is the last remaining original member of the group, which currently also features lead guitarist Doug Blair (in 1992 and 2001, and since 2006), bassist Mike Duda (since 1995) and drummer Aquiles Priester (since 2017).
W.A.S.P. evolved from Circus Circus shortly after bassist Rik Fox's addition to the band in February 4, 1982. [1] The group's original lineup also included lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Blackie Lawless, lead guitarist Randy Piper and drummer Tony Richards. [2] By "the end of May", Fox had been dismissed from the group and replaced by Richards' former Dante Fox bandmate Don Costa. [1] Around the same time, Piper also left "for a few months". [3] Towards the end of the year, Costa left to join Ozzy Osbourne's touring band, [4] at which point Lawless decided to switch to bass and bring back Piper on guitar. [3] He was also joined by Chris Holmes. [2]
The band released its first single "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)" in April 1984. [5] This was followed in August by their self-titled full-length debut. [6] Shortly after the album's release, Richards was replaced by former Keel drummer Steve Riley. [7] The group released The Last Command in 1985, before Piper left in July 1986. [8] Lawless subsequently switched back to guitar, with Johnny Rod (real name John Julius Tumminello) leaving King Kobra to take over as bassist. [9] Inside the Electric Circus followed in October, before Riley left during the subsequent tour to join L.A. Guns. [10] He was replaced for future shows by a string of temporary substitutes. [11]
By early 1988, W.A.S.P. had started working on its fourth studio album with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali. [12] By the time The Headless Children was released a year later, Banali had become a full-time member of the band. [13] After a short tour, Holmes stepped back and eventually announced his departure from W.A.S.P. shortly after marrying Lita Ford in the summer of 1990; at the same time, the guitarist also claimed that both Rod and Banali had also departed. [14]
After the departure of Chris Holmes, Blackie Lawless began recording The Crimson Idol with guitarist Bob Kulick and continuing drummer Frankie Banali. [15] The album was intended to be released under the moniker "Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P.", with the eponymous frontman performing vocals, bass and rhythm guitar. [16] Banali recorded only half the album, before stepping back following his mother's death in November 1990. [17] He was replaced by former Impellitteri drummer Stet Howland in January 1991. [18] Upon the album's completion, a new touring lineup of Lawless, Howland, new guitarist Dan McCade and returning bassist Johnny Rod was announced for May and June shows. [19] [20] For a North American tour from July to November, McDade was replaced by Doug Blair. [18]
In September 1993, Lawless announced that he was disbanding W.A.S.P., with a final single "Sunset and Babylon" (recorded during The Crimson Idol sessions) to be released the following month. [21] Throughout 1994, the frontman worked on a new album intended to be his solo debut. [22] When it was eventually released in June 1995, however, Still Not Black Enough was credited to W.A.S.P. [23] The album was not released outside of Japan and Europe until over a year later, when it was announced that Chris Holmes had returned to the band. [24] When the follow-up Kill Fuck Die was released in April 1997, it was revealed that the guitarist and Lawless had been working together "under a blanket of fierce secrecy" since August 1995. [25] [26] The album also featured new bassist Mike Duda and returning drummer Stet Howland. [27]
W.A.S.P.'s lineup remained stable for another four years, spawning one more studio album in Helldorado . [28] During the recording of Unholy Terror , the band started working with drummer Frankie Banali again for certain sessions, as Howland was not available all the time. [29] Shortly after the album's release in April 2001, rumours began to circulate that Holmes had left the band for a second time. [30] His departure was later confirmed by Lawless in June, with Doug Blair temporarily returning to take his place on tour. [31] At the end of July, the group announced former Tuff guitarist Darrell Roberts as Holmes' permanent replacement after months of rumours. [32]
Roberts debuted on 2002's Dying for the World , which was followed in 2004 by The Neon God: Part 1 – The Rise and Part 2 – The Demise in 2004, all of which featured Banali on drums alongside Howland. [28] In February 2006, Stet Howland announced that he had left W.A.S.P. the previous month on amicable terms. [33] He was replaced for a run of shows by Patrick Johansson. [34] In April, Larry Howe was announced as Howland's replacement, [35] however a week later the group's management replied that this was not an official appointment. [36] At the same time, it was revealed that Roberts had also left W.A.S.P. [36] A few weeks later, Mike "Spud" Dupke and former touring member Doug Blair were announced as the band's new drummer and lead guitarist, respectively, the latter succeeding the earlier appointment of Mark Zavon. [37]
With Blair and Dupke, W.A.S.P. released Babylon in 2009 and Golgotha in 2015, before the drummer left in July 2015. [38] Johansson returned to fulfil a run of shows, [39] before former Annihilator drummer Randy Black took over in September. [40] By August 2017, Black had been replaced by Aquiles Priester. [41]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blackie Lawless (Steven Duren) |
|
| all W.A.S.P. releases | |
Mike Duda | 1995–present |
| all W.A.S.P. releases from Kill Fuck Die (1997) onwards | |
Doug Blair | 2006–present (plus touring in 1992 and 2001) |
| all W.A.S.P. releases from Dominator (2007) onwards | |
Aquiles Priester | 2017–present | drums | none to date |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tony Richards (Anthony Orlando) | 1982–1984 |
|
| |
William "Randy" Piper |
|
|
| |
Rik Fox (Richard Suligowski) | 1982 | bass guitar | none | |
Don Costa | 1982 (died 2024) | |||
Brayden Parker | 1982–1983 | |||
Chris Holmes |
|
| all W.A.S.P. releases from "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)" (1984) to The Headless Children (1989), and from Kill Fuck Die (1997) to Unholy Terror (2001) | |
Steve Riley | 1984–1987 (died 2023) |
| all W.A.S.P. releases from Live at the Lyceum, London (1984) to Live... in the Raw (1987) | |
Johnny Rod (John Julius Tumminello) |
|
|
| |
Frankie Banali | 1989–1990 (plus session in 1988–89, 1994–95, 2001–04 and 2017) (died 2020) |
|
| |
Stet Howland |
|
|
| |
Darrell Roberts | 2001–2006 |
|
| |
Mike "Spud" Dupke | 2006–2015 | drums | all W.A.S.P. releases from Dominator (2007) to Reidolized: The Soundtrack to The Crimson Idol (2018) | |
Randy Black | 2015–2017 | none |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chad Nelson | 1987 (touring) | drums | Nelson was briefly the initial touring replacement for Steve Riley.[ citation needed ] | |
Glenn Soderling | Soderling took over from Nelson as the second touring drummer after Riley's departure. [42] | |||
Kelly Martella | 1987–1988 (touring) | Martella was the third touring drummer after Riley left, until early 1988.[ citation needed ] | ||
Bob Kulick |
| lead guitar | After Chris Holmes left, Kulick performed on The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough. [28] | |
Dan McDade | 1992 (touring) | McDade played guitar on W.A.S.P.'s European tour in May/June 1992 after The Crimson Idol. [20] | ||
Philip Wolfe | keyboards | Wolfe performed keyboards on the touring cycle for The Crimson Idol during 1992. [43] | ||
Patrick Johansson |
| drums | Johansson filled in after the departure of Stet Howland in 2006 and Mike Dupke in 2015. [34] [39] | |
Brian Tichy | 2018 (touring) | Tichy filled in for Aquiles Priester, who was temporarily unavailable, for shows in 2018. [44] |
Period | Members | Releases |
---|---|---|
February – late May 1982 |
| none |
Summer – late 1982 |
| |
Late 1982 – early 1983 |
| |
Early 1983 – September 1984 |
|
|
September 1984 – July 1986 |
|
|
July 1986 – spring 1987 |
|
|
Spring 1987 |
| none |
Spring – summer 1987 |
| |
Summer 1987 – early 1988 |
| |
Early 1988 – April 1989 |
|
|
April 1989 – June 1990 |
| none |
June – November 1990 |
|
|
January 1991 – early 1992 |
| |
April – June 1992 |
| none |
July – November 1992 |
| |
Band inactive November 1992 (officially disbanded September 1993) – 1994 | ||
1994–1995 |
|
|
August 1995 – June 2001 |
|
|
June – July 2001 |
| none |
July 2001 – January 2006 |
|
|
February – March 2006 |
|
|
May 2006 – July 2015 |
|
|
July – August 2015 |
| none |
September 2015 – August 2017 |
| |
August 2017 – present |
| none to date |
Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni.
W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from the early 1980s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. The band's popularity peaked that decade, yet they continue to record and tour. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock-themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over twelve million records worldwide, with their first two albums, W.A.S.P. (1984) and The Last Command (1985), being certified as gold by the RIAA.
Steven Edward Duren, better known by his stage name Blackie Lawless, is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
Metal Church is an American heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led by guitarist and songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof, the band has released thirteen studio albums and is considered to be an integral part of the then-emerging Seattle heavy metal music scene of the 1980s. They achieved considerable popularity that decade, with two of their first three albums entering the Top 100 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The band's early lyrical topics such as conflict and paranoia later expanded into philosophical, political and social commentary.
Francesco Felice Banali was an American rock drummer, most widely known for his work with heavy metal band Quiet Riot. His signature tone and iconic drum intros first became famous on their album Metal Health, which was the first metal album to hit number one on the Billboard charts and ushered in the 80's metal band era. He had been the band's manager since 1993. He had also played the drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., as well as with Billy Idol. Banali was briefly a touring drummer for Faster Pussycat and Steppenwolf. In the last few months of his life, he was also an inclined painter.
The Headless Children is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in April 1989 through Capitol Records. The album reached No. 48 on the US Billboard 200 chart, the band's highest chart position, and remained on that chart for 13 weeks. This was the last album W.A.S.P. released before their temporary breakup in 1990, only to reunite two years later for The Crimson Idol (1992).
The Crimson Idol is the fifth studio album by heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in June 1992 through Capitol Records, their last album for the label. It was the first album by W.A.S.P. since the band's temporary breakup in 1990; this was because vocalist and rhythm guitarist Blackie Lawless had intended to release The Crimson Idol as a solo album, until he decided to release it as a W.A.S.P. album. The album charted within the top 40 in five countries. The Crimson Idol is a rock opera, telling the story of the rise and fall of a fictional rock star named Jonathan Steel.
Christopher John Holmes is an American heavy metal guitarist. He started his musical career in the Pasadena, California area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is best known as one of the lead guitarists of heavy metal band W.A.S.P. Holmes was a member of W.A.S.P. first from 1983 to 1990, and again from 1996 to 2001.
Kill Fuck Die is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released by Castle Records in 1997.
Stet Howland is an American drummer, best known as former drummer of W.A.S.P. and the current drummer of Metal Church.
Douglas Blair Lucek, better known as Doug Blair is a heavy metal guitarist and member of W.A.S.P. Blair's early development as a musician took place in his home state of Connecticut. His focus on technical ability with the guitar quickly saw him gaining a reputation locally in the Tri-State area of.
Unholy Terror is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in 2001. It is viewed by many fans and critics alike as an 'issue' album, going into great detail about the world and all its vices. This is the last album to feature longtime guitarist Chris Holmes.
Still Not Black Enough is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., first released in June 1995 in Japan and the UK. It was not released in the U.S. until August 1996 through Castle Records.
Helldorado is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released in 1999.
Mike Dupke is an American drummer who has played with bands W.A.S.P. and John Mellencamp.
The Sting is a live album and DVD by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P. Originally released as a DVD/CD set, it is also available as a CD on its own.
Babylon is the fourteenth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released on October 12, 2009. The album was inspired by biblical visions of "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". The album contains covers of Deep Purple's "Burn" and Chuck Berry's "Promised Land". "Promised Land" was also covered in 1973 by Elvis Presley, and it was Elvis' version that the band had in mind as demonstrated by the ending comment "How about one of them peanut butter & banana sandwiches."
Trigger the Bloodshed were a British death metal band from Bath, England, formed in 2006. The band comprised guitarist Rob Purnell, vocalist Jonny Burgan, bassist Dave Purnell and drummer Dan Wilding. Trigger the Bloodshed has released three studio albums and toured in Europe with Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Meshuggah among others.
Golgotha is the fifteenth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P. The album was released on October 2, 2015 through Napalm Records, and is W.A.S.P.'s first studio album since Babylon (2009), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in their career. Golgotha is also W.A.S.P.'s last studio album with drummer Mike Dupke, who left the band just prior to its release.