Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of The Metal Voice recently spoke to Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in a multi-part series interview. In Part 2, Blackie discusses the passing of former W.A.S.P. drummer, Steve Riley, the PMRC hearings and free speech, plus gives an update on the progress of new W.A.S.P. album, and more.

On the new W.A.S.P. album, which is currently in the works

Lawless: "There are a number of subjects that I am looking at right now that are knocking on the door of what we are talking about. We're pretty far into it right now, but when this thing happened (back issues) on the tour and I blew a gasket, then all that got put on the back-burner. But we're pretty far into the writing process right now and we're excited about it. It just looks like we won't be able to get back to it until after the new year. Nobody makes money making records anymore, so if you're going to make (new) records, now you're doing it because of your legacy. And if you're going to do that, then you really have to make sure that it's as strong as it can be because it's always going to be measured against what you did to begin with. All bands make their bones the first five years they're together, the first five or six records they make their whole legacy. Their legacy is cemented there. It doesn't mean you can't make good records later on down the line, but everything's going to be constantly compared to that early stuff. So for it to get an honest review or a fair shake, so to speak, that new record has to maybe be even better than the original stuff because people have had so many years to romance those older songs in their heads."

The 7 Savage: 1984-1992 is strictly limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. Order here.

W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless comments, "It’s great to see this collection of records be re-released with this detail. For the original recordings to have a new light shown on them with expanded notes and additional photography is special for me, and will be for all those that hold these albums in a special place in their hearts and times in their lives."

Their first five studio albums (W.A.S.P., The Last Command, Inside the Electric Circus, The Headless Children, and The Crimson Idol) contributed enough on their own for W.A.S.P. to be considered one of the greatest rock bands of all-time. Those LPs are all presented in this set, mastered half-speed at Air Studios, London for a superior, sharper, more direct and engaging sound.

Packaged within a deluxe red leatherette effect double slipcase, 'The 7 Savage: 1984-1992 is completed on vinyl with two more LPs: 1987’s Live… in The Raw and new compilation Bonus Tracks & B-Sides, featuring the controversial breakthrough anthem, "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)".

Compiled with the full cooperation of Blackie Lawless, the box set also includes a 60-page book with exclusive and rare pictures from legendary metal photographers (including Ross Halfin, Tony Mottram, David Plastik and Paul Natkin), along with extensive liner notes from Amit Sharma (Kerrang!, Planet Rock). Also included is an exclusive Blackie Lawless poster, plus an individually numbered circular saw shaped certificate.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1 - W.A.S.P. (Half-Speed Master)

Side A
"I Wanna Be Somebody"
"L.O.V.E. Machine"
"The Flame"
"B.A.D."
"School Daze"

Side B
"Hellion"
"Sleeping (In The Fire)"
"On Your Knees"
"Tormentor"
"The Torture Never Stops"

Disc 2 - The Last Command (Half-Speed Master)

Side A
"Wild Child"
"Ballcrusher"
"Fistful Of Diamonds"
"Jack Action"
"Widowmaker"

Side B
Blind In Texas"
"Cries In The Night"
"The Last Command"
"Running Wild In The Streets"
"Sex Drive"

Disc 3 - Inside the Electric Circus (Half-Speed Master)

Side A
"The Big Welcome"
"Inside The Electric Circus"
"I Don't Need No Doctor"
"9.5. - N.A.S.T.Y."
"Restless Gypsy [04:59]
"Shoot From The Hip"

Side B
"I'm Alive"
"Easy Living"
"Sweet Cheetah"
"Mantronic"
"King Of Sodom And Gomorrah"
"The Rock Rolls On"

Disc 4 - The Headless Children (Half-Speed Master)

Side A
"The Heretic (The Lost Child)"
"The Real Me"
"The Headless Children"
"Thunderhead"

Side B
"Mean Man"
"The Neutron Bomber"
"Mephisto Waltz"
"Forever Free"
"Maneater"
"Rebel In The F.D.G."

Disc 5 & 6 - The Crimson Idol (Half-Speed Master)

Side A
"The Titanic Overture"
"The Invisible Boy"
"Arena Of Pleasure"
"Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)"

Side B
"The Gypsy Meets The Boy"
"Doctor Rockter"
"I Am One"

Side C
"The Idol"
"Hold On To My Heart"
"The Great Misconceptions Of Me"

Side D
"The Story Of Jonathan (Prologue To The Crimson Idol)["
"Phantoms In The Mirror"
"The Eulogy"

Disc 7 - Live... In The Raw

Side A
"Inside The Electric Circus" (live)
"I Don't Need No Doctor" (live)
"L.O.V.E. Machine" (live)
"Wild Child" (live)
"9.5. - N.A.S.T.Y." (live)
"Sleeping (In The Fire)" (live)

Side B
"The Manimal" (live)
"I Wanna Be Somebody" (live)
"Harder Faster" (live)
"Blind In Texas" (live)
"Scream Until You Like It" (Theme from Ghoulies II)

Disc 8 - Bonus Tracks & B-Sides

Side A
"Animal (F**k Like A Beast)"
"Show No Mercy"
"Paint It Black"
"Savage"
"Mississippi Queen"
"Flesh And Fire"
"D.B. Blues"

Side B
"Locomotive Breath"
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
"Lake Of Fools"
"War Cry"
"When The Levee Breaks"

(Photo - Jay Gilbert)