Wasp - Headless Children (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

One of their best

John Alapick | Wilkes-Barre, PA United States | 08/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Headless Children is a very strong album from W.A.S.P. and certainly among their best. This album was certainly a welcome surprise upon its release after their previous uneven studio album Inside The Electric Circus and their okay live album Live...In The Raw. Blackie Lawless wanted to go in a heavier and more serious direction on this album and most of the time it works. The lyrics on this album are certainly among his best and only their next album The Crimson Idol rivals its intensity.

The first half of this album is simply killer as "The Heretic (The Lost Child)", "Thunderhead", and the title track are all among their best work. Frankie Banali's drumming on this album is fantastic, much better and heavier than on his albums with Quiet Riot. The band also added Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley on this album and his work on the title track, "Thunderhead" and "The Neutron Bomber" makes these tracks even more powerful. The band's version of "The Real Me", highlighted by Johnny Rod's bass playing and Lawless's vocals, is an excellent track. "Forever Free" is also a strong track, certainly one of their best ballads. The other tracks aren't as strong as the rest of the album with "Mean Man" being the best of them. The remastered version features several bonus tracks including their cover of Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath" and live versions of "Blind In Texas" and "L.O.V.E. Machine." This album along with W.A.S.P. and The Crimson Idol is their best work."

Fluctuates between brilliance and corniness

Patrick Thompson | Sydney, NSW Australia | 08/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was a very cool album when it was released and still sounds good, even now. For the main part it is brilliant in its darkness and fear of what we are becoming (well so it seemed at the time). The headless children and the heretic embody this like very few other songs do: the mess and immorality, decay and bereftness of society and the overarching fear of war and destruction. The track, the real me, sandwiched between these two tracks, makes it personal. So this starts with a triple shot bang...1-2-3...bang-bang-bang. Great stuff. It tends to lose its way a little after the headless children: thunderhead is corny and dumb. Mean man redeems this for the most part (except for the line about a heavy metal creature-> never refer to yourself) Forever free is a good ballad, not WASP's best (Hold on to my heart, Crimson Idol takes that honor) but not bad either: it was surprising at the time because it was un-wasplike! Meaneater and neutron bomber are kinda benignly blah: filler. And rebel in the FDG (f**king degenerate generation) is okay. Mephisto Waltz is the track that most annoys me since it could have, should have been developed into a song. Such a waste of a good melody. A crime that it was used as a segue rather than being explored in its own right- hence devaluing its hauntedness.SO there are some very, very killer songs here and some others that just emphasize how good the really good ones are by their lack of quality. The fact that i give this 4 stars: one each for the really good songs."

Stronger than ever!

Max Steel | Rome, Italy | 11/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Masterpiece! No doubt about it, i consider this stuff the definitive heavy metal album cos' that's really complete.

Great production with a blasting sound, great lyrics, a thunderous drumming, killer guitars and the wonderful voice of Blackie. On the album there is an incredible variety of songs and that's the most important factor.

W.A.S.P. leave behind the old wild image and themes and focus on a more mature sound and image.

the opener 'The Heretic' is fast, heavy but melodic with an incredible guitar work. The middle part's riff is pure heaven!

The Title Track is another 90's piece with perfect vocals by Blackie and a killer drumming. Frankie Banali's performance is onre of the best 10 of all times,IMO.

Jhonny Rod has his moment of glory on the great Who's 'The Real Me'. He proves his ability on this album more than on 'Electric Circus' and the King Kobra's works.

The intro of 'Thunderead' is worth of a tear, so beautiful and sad. Then the song becomes heavy and progressive.

'Mean Man' is dedicated to Chris Holmes and it's the perfect link with the past of the band. That's a wild and powerful stuff with the classic trade mark of W.A.S.P. That song always gives me strength, i love it!

'Man Eater' is pure power and speed with a great solo from Chris Holmes.

'The Neutron Bomber' is another solid stuff, very very good.

Prepare to cry for 'Forever Free', a touching and intense power ballad with an excellent lead solo and a DIVINE performance from Blackie.

'Rebel in the F.D.G.' closes the album, that's another wild and powerful stuff remembering the old W.A.S.P.

The bonus tracks are excellent too and make tha album shine brighter: 'Lake of Tears' is a progressive song that should have been on the album. That's different from anything W.A.S.P. ever did and it reminds me to Pink Floyd.

Jetro Tull's 'Locomotive Breath' is good enough but 'Warcry' is another masterpiece, a track about the war.

'For Whom The Bells Tolls' (No Metallica here!) is a great track and that's the first version of the song 'The Gipsy Meets the Boy' on the Idol album. Two strong live versions of 'L.O.v.E. Machine' and 'Blind in Texas' complete the OPERA.

No other words, this album is a legacy. Buy it, no way!

"

WASP grow up...

king beagley | 11/23/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is said by a lot of critics (and fans also) that this is WASP's best album...that it is a lot more mature, deep etc etc. than their previous releases. While that may be true to an extent, it lacks the solidity of the first 3 albums (more than likely because it was a step in a different direction). Some of the songs are great (Mean Man, Headless Children, Forever Free, Rebel In The FDG, Maneater)...but the rest are more or less filler. It lacks the energy that WASP displayed in their first 3 studio outings (as well as the live album)...and for me doesn't really compare. However, it is definitely worth getting if you are a fan of WASP, and more importantly, Blackie. If you are only getting into them now, I'd recommend The Last Command as the album to start with."

Oh no no, here comes ronnie!!!!!!!!!!!!

king beagley | warsaw, in usa | 12/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"just kidding! "the neutron bomber" was the reason i bought this album in the first place, plus, i like the live version of l.o.v.e. machine and where a loyal fan gets on the stage and tries to sing "blind in texas". this album kicks [...]."

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