W.A.S.P. : Dying For the World
Sanctuary

For some reason, I expected more, and that says a whole lot more about what I think of Blackie Lawless than Dying For The World.
    Coming not too long after the remorseless Unholy Terror, it really pisses me off to have to say that this isn't as good a record.
    Dying For The World appears to be built on a foundation of anger and hurt, whereas Unholy Terror chose to use anger and pain as it's rock to build on. Subtle difference. This type of social commentary from Blackie Lawless is somewhat lacklustre when compared to the opinion of Blackie Lawless. Another subtle difference.

So what seems to have happened? I'm not wholly sure, but the weight of great songs is really quite outnumbered by the sheer weight of songs that are just okay. Hallowed Ground, My Wicked Heart and Trail Of Tears are amongst the great, but it's really Shadow Man that is the main offender here - being the album opener. It's just so inexplicably weak. Odd, but it really hampers the rest of the album. All the right ingredients are here, but other songs that really should rock - namely Stone Cold Killers and Black Bone Torso - just seem undercooked to me.
    I think some of the problem may be that with Blackie's addressing his inner demons, fighting the Catholic church and attempting to address the aftermath of 9.11. It just goes to prove that you can say anything you want to say, but you really shouldn't try to say it all at once.
    I would also question the production here. I know Blackie wasn't happy with Unholy Terror, but it wasn't just me who thought it sounded great. By way of comparison, Dying For The World seems undernourished. Maybe we're getting too used to digital sounds. There's food for thought.

Realistically though, it's not that bad an album; just disappointing when you buffer it up against the likes of Headless Children and Crimson Idol. One of us has missed the point, and I don't think it's me. Damn shame - and that's hard to put into writing.

:: Sion Smith