 WASP
 The Headless Children
 Review by Mike Korn
Released in 1989, The Headless Children was WASP.'s fourth album and a quantum leap in their career. Very few bands in metal history have leaped forward as much as WASP did here. Previously known for raucous, raw tunes dealing with sex, drugs and debauchery, The Headless Children dived into social issues, politics and the horror of drug addiction. Although a lot of their former style remained, the material on this album was altogether more epic, melodic and even progressive in places. It was a reinvention of WASP and saw them at their creative peak.
No less than Uriah Heep's Ken Hensley added a huge keyboard sound to the music. The album also marked the first appearance of former Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali as a member while bassist Johnny Rod bowed out after this effort. From this point forward, WASP would alternate between the huger, more epic style of Headless Children and their more straight forward hell-raising metal tunes. The Headless Children became WASP's highest charting album and my personal favorite out of all their work.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023 Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.
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