BLACKIE LAWLESS "BORN AGAIN"?? Seen it all now...

[Rip Rokken]

I haven't kept up with W.A.S.P. for a few years, and was pretty shocked to find out he reconverted to Christianity in 2010 (or claiming to, anyways).

He talks about it on their official site and in tons of interviews, and here is a short video of him saying a prayer at a concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yenctXx6V2o

Sounds every bit as good as anything you'd hear from the podium in an evangelical church.

No offense intended, but I'm HIGHLY skeptical of his sincerity, lol... If anything, he knows how to market himself and the Christian music fanbase is a nice one to tap into. Overall, not very picky as long as you put the official stamp of faith on it -- or, even if you play games and act mysterious about it (like Creed did, and so many others). Apparently, he's made a big deal that he will never play "Animal (F*** Like a Beast)" anymore, but they still sell T-shirts with the phrase on it. And what about songs like "On Your Knees" (which they still play), "Dirty Balls", etc? Looking at a set list from their 2012 30th anniversary tour, they are still playing "Sleeping in the Fire" -- here are the lyrics:

W.A.S.P.
"Sleeping (In The Fire)"
Send "Sleeping (In The Fire)" Ringtone to your Cell

Touch, touch in the flame's desires
Feeling the pain's denial,
And your fingers in the fire

Look, look in the candle light
See in the flame of life
And my spell is our lie

[Chorus:]
Taste the love
The Lucifer's magic that makes you numb
The passion and all the pain are one
You're sleeping in the fire
Taste the love
The Lucifer's magic that makes you numb
You feel what it does and you're drunk on love
You're sleeping in the fire

I gaze at the flame and fire burn
And cry out the name of which I yearn

[Chorus]

Taste the love
The Lucifer's magic that makes you numb
The passion and all the pain are one
You're sleeping in the fire

I can now imagine him introducing this one as representative of what happens when you let darkness take over (cautionary now instead of glorifying). Either way, people will still be jamming on and singing the song.

They also still perform "Heaven's Hung in Black". Not a lot of god-glorifying material in the W.A.S.P. catalog to fill up a set list, I guess.

Dave Mustaine and Alice Cooper are also self-proclaimed born again believers, but it doesn't stop them from playing their stuff either. Again, anything can be rationalized, I suppose.

I have a friend in Arkansas who sings for a death-metal band, and he told me that especially in small towns like theirs, there is a lot of pressure for bands to be "Christian" if they want to get anywhere. So understandably, there are lots of fakers.

[Rip Rokken]

Here's a video interview where he's asked about all this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbWLgHoooOQ

[conversationpc]

Dave Mustaine and Alice Cooper are also self-proclaimed born again believers, but it doesn't stop them from playing their stuff either. Again, anything can be rationalized, I suppose.

Mustaine has stated that there are songs of an occult nature in their back catalog that they no longer perform, like "The Conjuring" from "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?".

I was actually thinking about this subject earlier today. There are songs that I enjoy listening to that are rather dark in nature that I honestly don't think it's wrong to listen to as a Christian. "Fade to Black" by Metallica is an example. The song is obviously about suicide but is Metallica really pushing the idea in their song that suicide is an actual solution to life's problems. I think it's pretty obvious when you know the background behind the song that it was written during a time when they were in a dark place. Musicians write lots of songs when they're in certain frames of mind that represent where they were in life at that particular time and those types of songs can be therapeutic in nature not only for the writer but the listener as well. On the other hand, there are certainly songs that are just straight-out odes to death, destruction, and Satanism and I just won't listen to those.

[conversationpc]

Here's a video interview where he's asked about all this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbWLgHoooOQ

I can see with some of Alice Cooper's stuff where he's coming from but with WASP, most of those early songs were either about violence, occultism, rebellion, etc., so I have my doubts that the guy's very sincere. I will say this, though...He sounds a lot more lucid in that video than the last one I saw of him where acted like he woke up the next morning after a huge day of boozing it up.

[RPM]

His response seemed thought out and clear. Time will tell if he is sincere, I hope he is.

[ebake02]

I call bullshit on this.

[AR]

This is a tough one.

I grew up Catholic and respect what I was taught, but I have a real distaste for organized religion.

Even if you are 'born again" (and that's fine) not playing "Animal" seems silly.

My thoughts anyway.

[Rip Rokken]

I will say this, though...He sounds a lot more lucid in that video than the last one I saw of him where acted like he woke up the next morning after a huge day of boozing it up.

Link, please!

[majik]

Sure its genuine, a genuine exploration of the nature of Self which can show up as...... whatever.

[Rip Rokken]

His response seemed thought out and clear. Time will tell if he is sincere, I hope he is.

Tell ya what... if I hear that he's had an epiphany and makes amends to Chris Holmes for all the rotten things he's alleged to have done to him, and finally pays him for the work on Helldorado (at minimum) that he stiffed him on, then that will say something to me. Actions speak a whole lot louder than words.

[steveo777]

I have no idea who the hell this guy is, so no sweat off my nuts one way or the other.

[conversationpc]

I will say this, though...He sounds a lot more lucid in that video than the last one I saw of him where acted like he woke up the next morning after a huge day of boozing it up.

Link, please!

Here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEoR0XUySTk

I've seen worse but he certainly doesn't look like he's feeling very chipper.