![W.A.S.P. Band Photo W.A.S.P. Band Photo](https://i0.wp.com/www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2014/08/wasp-live-530x363.png?resize=530%2C363&ssl=1)
With the ferocious opening track of their self-titled 1984 debut album, here is Los Angeles shock rock band W.A.S.P. performing “I Wanna Be Somebody.” Despite the band’s later forays into mainstream hair-metal and bogged-down concept albums, this record stands as one of my top ten all-time metal albums.
Watch the official video for “I Wanna Be Somebody” here below.
When I was growing up in rural Indiana in the early 80″²s, there was very limited access to heavy music. These were the days before MTV blew up with the whole hair metal, Headbangers Ball phenomenon. But on Sunday nights, there was a two-hour radio show that came from WOXY, the radio station of Miami University of Ohio, just across the state line in Oxford, Ohio. It was called Massive Metal for the Masses and I would wait all week for it to air. It was through this show that I was introduced to bands like Venom, Bathory, WASP, Michael Schenker Group, Slayer, and countless others. This Monday weekly column is my tip of the hat to that show. I call it Massive Metal Monday. Every week, I will pay tribute to defining moments by the artists that laid the groundwork for heavy metal to become the worldwide cultural bond for all of us metalheads.
Video
I grew up in NWI myself and WASP are my number one very favorite band to this day. I own every album and have seen them live 5 times.
Interestingly I also was introduced to metal in the early 80s from a hard to reach radio station as well, WVVX from the Chicago suburbs. WASP was one of the first bands I heard the first night I was flipping through radio stations and it fuzzily came in. They are an iconic band that sometimes gets lumped in with the “hair band” crowd, and though theres nothing wrong with hair bands…they are so much more. Hail Blackie Lawless! And Hail Ides for including them! Thank you!
Comment by TALKHARD — August 25, 2014 @ 3:36 pm
I agree on all points and thank you for your kind words!
Comment by Ides Bergen — August 25, 2014 @ 4:38 pm
Awesome! Looking forward to more of these articles.
m/ m/
Comment by Tony Miller — August 26, 2014 @ 7:35 pm