W.A.S.P. – The Headless Children (Half-Speed Master)

With 1989s The Headless Children, WASP wanted to be taken as serious artists (for the most part). And while singer/guitarist/leader Blackie Lawless expressed excitement about the bands current lineup, which included longtime guitarist Chris Holmes, bassist Johnny Rod, Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali, and Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley -- the complete group never toured. With the band concentrating more on the music than the gimmicks (they were pictured sans ghoulish makeup and costumes), The Headless Children remains WASPs most accomplished work. The albums best-known tracks remain their cover of the Whos Quadrophenia anthem "The Real Me" and the rocking "Mean Man" (an autobiographical tale about guitarist Holmes), while a pair of epics -- "The Heretic" and the title track -- and perhaps WASPs best ballad, "Forever Free," were also standouts. While longtime fans may prefer the gross-out heavy metal of their early albums (WASP and The Last Command), The Headless Children is their most well-constructed album. [The 1998 CD reissue contains six added bonus tracks, among them a cover of Jethro Tulls "Locomotive Breath" and live versions of "LOVE Machine" and "Blind in Texas."] ~ Greg Prato