W.A.S.P. released their sophomore effort, 'The Last Command', in 1985 following the mild success of their self-titled debut. I'd like to say that their debut put W.A.S.P. on the map but it was really their widely publicized battles with the P.M.R.C. that gave W.A.S.P. their overnight notoriety (see my epinion for their debut for more on that). But there's no controversy surrounding this record.

'The Last Command' is more polished than their debut, and lead singer Blackie Lawless's songwriting moves up a notch. This is a solid musical effort by a band more known for it's onstage theatrics than its music. The album kicks into gear with "Wild Child", a pacing rocker that really gets this record going. Blackie's vocals are much smoother and definitely benefit from the better production.

"Jack Action" is one of my favorite tunes on this record. It's just a straight ahead metal rocker about seeking revenge on the guy that killed your girlfriend. And the next track, "Widowmaker" is a standout as Blackie sings from the perspective of the Lord of the Wings overseeing death since the beginning of time. "Blind In Texas" is easily the most popular tune on the record giving credence to getting loaded on alcohol until you can't see.

I remember getting the vinyl of this when it originally came out not long after seeing them on their nationwide tour with Metallica early in '85. This is a great album by W.A.S.P. in all aspects, and it got regular rotation on my turnable. It's filled with solid rock tunes with that have that retain that edgy W.A.S.P. sound defined on their previous debut.

This is one of W.A.S.P.'s best releases but still not as good as their debut. I still recommend this disc, which was recently re-released in 1998 with bonus tracks, to fans of 80's metal. It's a fun ride top to bottom.

Track Listing:
1. Wild Child
2. Ballcrusher
3. Fistful of Diamonds
4. Jack Action
5. Widowmaker
6. Blind In Texas
7. Cries in the Night
8. The Last Command
9. Running Wild in the Streets
10. Sex Drive



Recommended: Yes