Golgotha

By now, most are familiar with W.A.S.P., both for their razor sharp riffs and mean attitude, and their history with controversy. In 2015, they put out their fifteenth studio album titled Golgotha, and like many newer albums by bands from the glam train, it gets heavily overlooked. While W.A.S.P.’s sound has evolved immensely throughout the years, this one combines the musical foundation that made up records like Still Not Black Enough, with a friendlier approach to match Blackie Lawless’s views, which are pretty well reflected here.

On the surface, the chops are all over the place, with the epic and fast-paced guitar riffing backed by drumming that rolls all over the kit, creating a heap of energy. You can hear the more uplifting tones in tracks like “Last Runaway,” as the keys are banged out on major scales and the vocals have a reassuring nature to them. Lawless still cranks out his signature high, raspy notes, but naturally, it just comes off as less fierce. This doesn’t hurt the quality though, because the complexity, the strong rhythms, and ultimately the punch are still there. Just listen to the album opener “Scream,” as it wastes no time with this.

Moreover, there’s also a decent amount of emotion to be conveyed through this disc. Previously, the band gave a hellish twist to a lot of the negative issues in the world, where now it’s brought in on a platter with a side of hope. The title track, named after the hill where Jesus Christ was crucified, has an emotional buildup of self-doubt, only to break into harder instrumentation and deliver a powerful chorus. Others like “Miss You” focus more on pure sadness, and it’s probably safe to call this a ballad.

The songs that stand out are mostly the ones mentioned, that have a distinct factor, and as good as the rest of the music is, it can run together if you’re not fully focused. Besides that, this is a solid release that shouldn’t be ignored or hated just because there’s a different attitude; if bands did the same thing over and over, it would be boring

Originally written for Indy Metal Vault