Maximum Metal Rating Legend

W.A.S.P. - The Sting - EMI Music 2002 Reviewed by: Ken Pierce

Track Listing1. Heldorado 2. Inside The Electric Circus 3. Chainsaw Charlie 4. Wild Child 5. L.O.V.E. Machine 6. Animal 7. Sleeping In The Fire 8. Damnation Angels 9. Dirty Balls 10. The Real Me 11. I Wanna Be Somebody 12. Blind In Texas

I love W.A.S.P. It's that simply written in my book. When it came down to explosive showmanship and steady delivery of heavy music or catchy tunes my friends and I could always count on Blackie Lawless & Company.

This DVD was filmed at the Key Club in Los Angeles, California. Joining Blackie onstage is Chris Holmes on guitar, Mike Duda on bass & Stet Howland on drums. Chris is a mainstay from the first album. Mike and Stet from around “K.F.D.” (though Stet had also done some drumming s since parts of “Kill, Fuck, Die”, and tracks on “The Crimson Idol”. I like his style a lot, solid and heavy with great double kick drums when necessary. I prefer him to Steve Reilly (who I still thought did a fine job under the material W.A.S.P. did at the time).

Filmed around the time of the “Helldorado” CD, the concert includes a good number of classic tracks as well as some choice numbers from the new release. As I understand this was also a webcast and I don’t know whatever happened on that end since such a thing was often problematic in many cases. So given the limited amount of video material available to the general public as far as W.A.S.P. is concerned I was truly glad to see this item released. There was talk a year or so ago about a re-release of their Videos compilation and the “Live At The Lyceum” concert on one single collection but it never surfaced and thus far no one in the W.A.S.P. camp has answered my inquiries to the reasons why. Oh well, when I find out so will you people. I recommend this item to the die-hard as well as the casual fan despite my listed gripes on the Bonus Features. It runs about 75 minutes and the sound of the band is for the most part crisp and tight. There is a couple of minor microphone flubs, but that is the soundboard fault not the group.

Bonus Features
The Extras on the DVD are very lackluster, to the point of being depressing. There is a photo gallery with some stills from the performance. A Discography and weblinks. That’s it. I really wish more attention was paid to this area of the DVD.

Update For WASP Fans: Most W.A.S.P. Fans already know that the albums “Unholy Terror”, “Dying For The World” and a greatest hits piece called “Best Of The Best” have been released since this DVD was shot. Since then, Blackie has secluded himself in his Fort Apache studio to prepare an alum tentatively titled “The Neon God” for release in 2004. Stet Howland has moved on, and at last check Frankie Banali has returned to the drum kit for the group. Chris Holmes has left the group and fans should make note this is the last place they can see him on video with W.A.S.P. as a result. He was replaced by Darrell Roberts (who also recorded “DFTW”). It is my hope this lineup remains since it still sounds great.

Rating: 8/10

W.A.S.P. Homepage: www.WASPNation.com

--Ken Pierce 06.16.04