BLACKIE LAWLESS: Next W.A.S.P. Album Won't Arrive Before Summer 2024

In a new interview with Mankato, Minnesota's "The Five Count" radio show, W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's next studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "From the time the U.S. tour ended [last December], we went straight back in the studio and we were working really hard to try to get it ready for August of this year, but it's just not gonna happen. It's one of those kinds of things that… I think we've got a big fish on the hook, and I don't wanna let it go before it's ready."

He continued: "I was talking to the guy that does the mixing for our records yesterday, and he asked me what I thought. And I said the best I could tell him would be spring of next year that we'll be ready for him. So if he starts in the spring, that means the soonest it would be ready would be summer."

Last October, Lawless talked to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about his vision for the next W.A.S.P. album. He said at the time: "What's in my heart right now, I want this to be a rock and roll record — an old-time rock and roll record. That's what I'm feeling. And it could be some sort of adverse reaction to what's going on in the world, maybe. I don't know; I don't really wanna think about it that much. I'm just following my gut right now. I want something that feels good. And that's where my head is right now.

"I learned years ago, you make records based on who you are at that moment," Lawless added. "And that's where I am at this moment. I wanna do something that feels really good."

W.A.S.P.'s latest release was "ReIdolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol)", which came out in February 2018. It was a new version of the band's classic 1992 album "The Crimson Idol", which was re-recorded to accompany the movie of the same name to mark the 25th anniversary of the original LP's release. The re-recorded version also features four songs missing from the original album.

W.A.S.P.'s most recent studio album of all-new original material was 2015's "Golgotha".

This past April, W.A.S.P. announced the North American leg of "The 40th Never Stops World Tour 2023". Produced by Live Nation, the 33-city run kicks off on Friday, August 4 at the Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo, California, making stops across North America in Vancouver, British Columbia; Omaha, Nebraska; New York City; Memphis, Tennessee and more before wrapping up on Saturday, September 16 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. Special guest ARMORED SAINT will join the band across all dates of the tour.

W.A.S.P. wrapped up its first U.S. tour in 10 years with a sold-out show on December 11, 2022 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. This marked the 18th sold-out shows for the U.S. tour, which kicked off in late October. W.A.S.P.'s performances included the return of the band's classic song "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)", which hadn't been played live in over 15 years.

Lawless has led W.A.S.P. as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for four decades. He is joined by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band span 28 and 17 years respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.

W.A.S.P.'s first live performance since December 2019 took place on July 23, 2022 at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden.

Last month Lawless complete W.A.S.P.'s European tour while seated after suffering a herniated disc in his back.