W.A.S.P. is a Los Angeles heavy metal and hard rock band led by vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Blackie Lawless, known for combining theatrical shock-rock imagery with anthemic riffs and melodic metal songwriting. The band became a major force in 1980s metal with its self-titled debut and The Last Command, producing signature songs including “I Wanna Be Somebody,” “L.O.V.E. Machine,” “Wild Child,” “Blind in Texas,” and “Sleeping (In the Fire).” W.A.S.P. later moved toward darker and more ambitious material on albums such as The Headless Children and the concept album The Crimson Idol, while later releases including Dominator, Babylon, and Golgotha continued the band’s melodic heavy-metal approach. Lawless remains the sole constant member, joined in the current lineup by guitarist Doug Blair, bassist Mike Duda, and drummer Aquiles Priester.
