With the music industry in the crapper I tend to look in unexpected areas for stimulating music. Enter W.A.S.P. Sure you heard of them, the controversial L.A. shock rock band from the eighties that gave us such radio friendly favorites as "Animal, I F**K Like A Beast", and other fist pumping metal anthems. Well Blackie Lawless has returned with The Neon God, a two-part story/CD that is quite surprisingly a very impressive release. Part 1 is a twisted tale of an abused orphan and his trials and tribulations thru his early life of abandonment. Sounds pretty cheesy at first but after a good listen W.A.S.P. have actually accomplished something original and very well crafted. Who would have ever thought that Blackie Lawless could still command such a powerful voice all these years? Staying true to their metal roots W.A.S.P. keep to their original sound but at the same time have grown well beyond their early releases with out loosing the vibe that has helped them etch their names into metal history. The only complaint is that the production seems a little muddy at times but with tracks like "Wishing Well", "Sister Sadie", and " X.T.C. Riders" W.A.S.P. still have what it takes to keep the fists in the air. With part 2 of The Neon God scheduled for a summer release I'm sure this wont break any big sales records but W.A.S.P. get 2 devil horns for still keeping their metal credibility intact.