Master of Mayhem Blackie Lawless, codpiece included, and his cohorts are back with a collection that chronicles some of the heaviest tunes of the band's history.

A surprisingly cheery cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" with Blackie's "I just gargled with glass" voice in top shape, serves as an adequate opener and as a sign of the metal onslaught to come. And the Metal doesn't stop coming at ya! They take us back to 1984 for yet another listen to the classic Metal Anthem "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)" and then bring us forward to 1999 for the very amusing "Dirty Balls."

What makes this album great is that it serves as a testament of the bands musical growth and evolution. From a raw classic like "I Wanna Be Somebody" to he almost over-produced 9-5 N.A.S.T.Y. to the ultra heavy "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" and back full circle to the rawness of "Helldorado." Throw in a few all time classics like "Blind in Texas" and "Wild Child," a couple of unreleased gems, and the rippin' axe-work of Chris Holmes and you've certainly got a winner. The one bone I have to pick with them is that they completely ignored the "K.F.D." album. I think songs like "Kill, Fuck, Die" or "Killahead" would have made great additions to the record.

Which brings me to the question: Why buy this CD? Well, this is a great place to begin for new metal fans who have yet to be exposed to the magic of W.A.S.P. Why buy this CD? Since Brian Warner stole his gimmick to a T, there would be no Marilyn Manson without Blackie Lawless (which may have been a good thing depending on who you ask). Why buy this CD? Blackie was one of the few to give Tipper Gore the middle finger, which gives him instant credibility in my book. Why buy this CD? Because the band chose heaviness over commercialism. Why buy this CD? Because it just plain Rocks!!!

Reviewed by MetalGod

Visit W.A.S.P. on the web at www.snappermusic.com/wasp

Order W.A.S.P.'s The Best of The Best 1984-2000 from