W.A.S.P. Release Lyric Video For 'Scream'

W.A.S.P. will release Golgotha on October 9. One of the tracks on the album is "Scream" and the band just released a lyric video for the song. Definitely sounds like classic W.A.S.P. to me. The band started working on this back in 2011 - so definitely a long time coming. What do you think?

Comments

[Him]

Well, this is certainly not a bad song from the recent WASP catalog. I like the other song ("Last Runaway") a bit more. But, taken together, they promise a solid late-era offering from Blackie and Co.

But, boy oh boy, that video. Now, if that had been released as the video accompaniment for "Scream Until You Like It" back in '87, pretty sure I would have been loving every single minute. Now? Not so much.

At first, it looked like Blackie--or whoever he put in charge of bringing his vision to life--was threading a nice needle, integrating the religious overtones of the album (and his beliefs) into the visual mix. But then it decamps from that POV and just starts spilling blood, adding Jack O' Lanterns, and mixing and mis-matching as many old tropes as it possibly could. At that point, I felt like I was watching a teaser for Blood (the video game) . . . in '97, so at least I leapt forward a decade in my "whaaaaa?"-like reaction.

And, yes, I watched it all. I see what they did at 'round the 1:50 mark, pulling us back into the thematic zone of the album cover (albeit Arizona by way of Mars . . .). But wait? Are those damn crosses levitating atop the pixelated plains? And all that faux-juttering surely would have led that evil crow to decamp from atop the crowned cross, right? My point: the lyrics are pretty on-point, the slow down is epic, and the return to the verses is solid . . . but a damn dinosaur skeleton screams before the Moon spins into a saw-blade (see what he did there?) and the video lurches back into Elvira's opening credits for the rousing finale. The visuals visually absorb, no, suck, the power right out of the song.

I doubt Blackie has the coin to produce a super slick video these days. And, seriously, why bother? Lyric videos are staple and many of them are pretty poor (some fan lyric videos outshine the official product as well . . . . Alice in Chain's "Hollow" being a great example). So why not just release this proper sounding single sans visual accompaniment? Or, taking a cue from above, crowd source the video to fans?

Extended side-bar below:

This video reminded me of a larger issue: once edgy bands trying to keep the posture long after most fans have peeked behind the veil one too many times. Slayer, another band I love, are trying way too hard to keep up the _South of Heaven_ vibe visually (stage show, album cover, lyrics, etc.).

Which is a bit of a priggish point to bring up, given that I (and "we") often give a lot of bands merde when they turn their back on their old look and/or sound ('Tallica in eyeliner? 'Deth reaching for the charts?). So we want it both ways, which means our way.

But WASP, and by extension Slayer, have shown in the past that they could advance their visual and lyrical forces in compliment, extending to cover topics that were both political and religious. Or, in other cases, use the nostalgia for their past as a cue when performing more recently. Blackie's festival gigs are more in keeping with the times than this is, no less when Slayer paid tribute to Hanneman and stopped with the stupid swirling upside down crosses. I guess asking for balance and nuance is missing the point. But I think it is a question some of these bands ignore at their peril.

End extended side-bar above:

I am over-thinking the video, I know. And, again, I like the song. But this video does nothing to suggest that anyone but die-hards are going to flock to their computers to download the song or the album.

That's called a niche. They are in it. I will still buy it . . . and then find a darn computer that can play Duke Nukem, while I gently sip a refreshing Virgin Cola (since Jolt was out at the 7-11 down the block from my local Sam Goody). Those barely post-pubescent boys who find this video while search out songs from Ghost? They are going to torrent the bejeezus out of it! And so a small seed starts to grow a plant which inspires . . . not.

[Dj]

You make great points HIM. And I agree with you to a point. I actually loved this song, but the video was kind of corny, even though I do like the idea of lyric videos. As far as you saying about Slayer and WASP stage show, yeah they are still trying to capitalize what they did in the 80s, but it's a good idea for younger fans to experience what they couldn't during say the South Of Heaven tour since they weren't born yet. I saw Slayer last year and they put the upside down crosses up while they opened up with Hell Awaits, I remember turning to my left and saw this twelve year old kids jaw drop to the floor, and it was priceless. It's also a cool reminder to the older fans who are seeing them for the 10th time. Yeah times change, but there's definitely room for a "nostalgic" factor, even though it can sometimes seem pointless and redundant.

[fletch]

him: you lost me

[Him]

Great point, Dj, about the stage show. Great point. Like I said, it is a fine balance between trafficking in nostalgia and rest on dusty laurels.

Thanks for keeping my perspective in, ahem, perspective.

[Bob]

If I ever need a stage name, it will definitely be Dusty Laurels. :)

[Gary]

Sounds like a stripper Bob....lmfao

[Gary]

Sounds like a stripper Bob....lmfao

[Gary]

Sorry about the double post!!! If I ever need one Bob I think I'll roll with Smokey Burnouts or Patchy Groundfog.....

[fletch]

I always thought that: "fletch and the resonators" was kinda catchy...hmmmmm.

[fletch]

or should I go with my original thought...resinators.