W.A.S.P. – The Making Of Golgotha #2: "Say Hello To My Little Friends"

Almost six years have passed since the world saw a new studio album from W.A.S.P. On October 2nd, the wait ends, as Blackie Lawless and co. will release their new album, and Napalm Records debut, Golgotha.

Installment #2 of The Making Of Golgotha, written by Blackie Lawless, reads as follows:

“The rehearsals for this album started in the Spring of 2011.  A lot of time was spent just talking about the direction of the songs and really trying to turn the songs inside out to see exactly where they wanted to go.  One thing you learn over the years in the song writing process, is that after the songs begin to take shape, they will eventually start to talk back to you and they will tell you where they wanna go.  The trick is learning to listen when they speak.  This process of writing and arranging and the demo’s went on for several months before we even began to record the album for real.  One of the first tracks we recorded was ‘Miss You’.  It’s interesting because ironically it was the first song ever written for the Crimson Idol.  There were three songs that were originally supposed to be on the Idol but never made it and ‘Miss You’ was one of them.  When you see the lyrics you’ll understand that Jonathan is clearly talking to his brother Michael, as he kneels at his graveside.  I feel strongly that Doug’s solo on it is as close to perfection as you’re ever going to hear.

The first batch of songs for the album was recorded before we left to start the 2012 Thirty Years of Thunder tour. The intention was to resume in February of 2013 and finish by the end of the year. Then my leg blew up and those plans were scrapped. The morning after the surgery the doctor came in and said, ‘I’m going to be honest with you, this is going to take 6 months to heal.’ I was lying in the bed pretty medicated at the time, but I could still understand the concept of 6 months, and it seemed like an eternity at the moment. Looking back now, if it had only been 6 months I would have been happy. It ended up being about 2 years to get the strength back in it. In the mean time, we discovered I’m in a group of only 4% of people who have an allergic reaction to titanium. Now, this is a bit of a problem, as this thing is now a permanent part of me!! The reaction to the titanium was actually worse than the break itself and I got hives all over my body. I’ve never had them before, and trust me……you don’t want them……it’s a hell all it’s own because you’ll scratch yourself until you bleed!! So to help with the insane itching and the unreal pain from the leg…….Say Hello to My Little Friends…….Professionally known as Oxycodone/Acetaminphen!! Known on the streets as Percocets!! 

Now, I don’t like taking drugs, but when you hurt bad enough you’ll do anything!! I remember coming out of the recovery room after the surgery and I didn’t even know it was possible to have that kind of pain and I told the nurse, “either give me some pain killers or a hammer so I can hit myself in the head, either way this pain was going to go away”!!!

I WAS NOT JOKING!!!

So after 5 days they let me go home, and in about 2 weeks after that we start to get the reaction to the titanium under control. That was the longest 3 weeks of my life. But a strange thing happened then. The pain just kind of went away. So, I’m taking 2 percocets a day, (which for me is a lot), but considering what I went through, that’s not a lot. I take 2 a day for about a month. Then for then next 2 months between 1 and 2 a day. Then for the next 3 months just 1 a day. Now you understand WHY the pain “just went away”. Call it naïve, but I’d never been through anything like this before. After I was home for a couple of months I’d go into my writing room and write for a couple of hour a day. I’d go back the next day to listen to what I did the day before…… I didn’t remember recording ANY OF IT !! That freaked me out!!! And it was happening every day. Normally I can remember even small bits of things I recorded while I was writing from 20 years ago. Now, most of everything I was doing the day before I couldn’t even remember at all!! Again, call me naïve, but I had yet to figure out in my head the concept that no pain equaled great loss of memory. Why? Because I was loaded all the time and didn’t know it!!

Percocets are sneaky. You’re bombed but don’t feel like it. You stay high for so long you don’t realize what normal is like anymore, and that becomes the NEW NORMAL!!! UNTIL…..it was time to stop taking them completely. I’ve never had to detox before from anything. After taking them for 6 months, I WAS TOTALLY HOOKED!!! It took an additional 3 more months to slowly wean myself off of them.

I’ve since said, if I never ever have to put another one of those things in my mouth I’d be happy!!

One of the strange side notes of that whole experience was even though I didn’t remember writing and recording a lot of the stuff, a lot of it was really, really good, the problem was, most of it was really abstract and unusable.  But I DO NOT advocate using ANY kind of medication to help anybody write!!!!

One of the reasons I’ve told this part about the drugs is to warn people, whatever you do, don’t even think about taking that stuff recreationally.

Honestly, I don’t see why anyone would want to. Those things are MONSTERS!!!! I hope I never have to take them ever again.

Anyway, the recording continued on……….Golgotha was getting closer!”

Check out Part 1 of The Making Of Golgotha here.

Blackie Lawless on Golgotha: “There are times in any band’s career that somehow all things mesh together. Their experiences, influences, and personal timing bring them into a common space. This has happened with this record. Four years in the making has provided direction, but even greater reflection. Golgotha, where Christ was crucified – Hebrew for “the place of the skull”.”

Golgotha is available for pre-order from the Napalm Records webstore in North America here and Europe here.

Golgotha tracklisting:

“Scream”
“Last Runaway”
“Shotgun”
“Miss You”
“Fallen Under”
“Slaves Of The New World Order”
“Eyes Of My Maker”
“Hero Of The World”
“Golgotha”

Golgotha will continue down the path that 2007’s Dominator and 2009’s Babylon started on, both in production style and theme. Years in the making, Golgotha will undoubtedly lead the listeners on the emotionally epic undertaking that W.A.S.P. has become acclaimed for.

To view their complete tour schedule, visit this location.