Customer Reviews

The Crimson Idol

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is by far the most mature release from this band as they display awesome skills never displayed before on a W.A.S.P. album. Gone are the song talking about having a good time as Blackie Lawless tackles important aspects that can affect anybody. The Crimson Idol is a conceptual album that tells the story of a boy named Jonathan in which he is considered the black sheep of his family. In order to prove his father wrong he begins a quest for fame and fortune in the rock n' roll world only to find out that money isn't everything and in the end there are things more important that wealth. Now on the music, it reflects very well within the story. Blackie Lawless uses electric and acustic guitars in order to make an impact to the listener, it works! (at least for me). His voice has improved on this record as he show you a wide range of emotions: anger, happiness, sadness you named it this record has it. Also it should be noted the drummer: He's amazing as he uses different style from the military to the tribal like. This is how drums should sound on every record and not just metal. Every song is well constructed highlights being Invisible Boy, Chainsaw Charlie, I am One & The Idol.
The bottom line is that you should go and buy this record all the props given to this album by me and other people are well deserved.

I've recently discovered this album, and was completely blown away. I had written W.A.S.P. off as a hair band that was about nothing more than sex and violence (not that I have a big problem with that), but with that being said this is one of the most intelligent, multi-layered albums I have ever heard. Blackie Lawless oozes pure emotion on this album, more so than anyone else I can think of in the metal genre. His flair for amazing melodies that stick in your head is unprecedented, and your hunger will be so great to hear them all again that you'll find yourself just pressing repeat on your player and leaving it there for days.

The album is based on a semi-autobiographical story about a troubled youth growing up to become the star he wanted to be, and finding it to be more than he bargained for. Blackie taps into many different moods and still manages to weave all of the tracks together to tell a very mesmerizing and cohesive tale. This may very well be the greatest concept album of all-time. And just in case these words don't seem to carry any validity to you coming from someone who's credibility you know nothing about, it's up there with both Keeper albums by Helloween, head and shoulders above Mindcrime by Queensryche, and neck and neck with Seventh Son by Maiden...yes that's right, the granddaddy of all metal, the mighty Iron Maiden.

As far as this edition goes, it's quite a bargain for 2 discs and is worth every penny and much more. The true album is the first 10 tracks on disc 1, with the bonus being the spoken word 16 minute story of Jonathan, the title character. Disc 2 has some good bonus songs and demos, with a nice array of live extras from the earlier W.A.S.P. era. All this is well and good, especially since the price is the same as a single album, but in truth the original story is the treasure to be found here and should be listened to as a standalone product as it was meant to be in the first place. Buy this now and know true happiness.

Look!! I'm a judas priest fan at heart but I felt compelled to write this to let others know how very impressed i am w/ this record!!
When I was a teen, I liked WASP ok but never a big fan; until now!! The Crimson Idol is THE BEST ALBUM I ever heard, period!!And that includes over Screaming for Vengeance!(hurts to say that, though!)
Can't get enough of it!! The lyrics are very personal, you can tell, to Blackie and because of this, there is INCREDIBLE feeling in his vocals on each track, almost haunting. The drums and guitar are awesome and it just overall, kicks incredible ass!!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!!!

W.A.S.P.'s The Crimson Idol,was their first album of the 90s. In all reality, The Crimson Idol is more or less a Blackie Lawless solo album, since none of the original members are on this album except for Lawless. The Crimson Idol is a concept album or a rock opera, about a singer named Jonathan. Each song is part of Jonathan's story. The Crimson Idol ranks among W.A.S.P. finest albums. This album is great showcase for the talents of Blackie Lawless. Chainsaw Charlie, and HOld on to My Heart are just a couple of the standouts on The Crimson Idol. If you can find The Crimson Idol, you should buy it.

Picture Pink Floyd's "The Wall", then mix in equal parts of black hopelessness, utter despair, and soul grabbing lyrics. Ouch....a true must have for any theme album fans.

This Concept Album From The Mad Mind Of Blackie Lawless Is The BEST That W.A.S.P Has Ever Put Out. From The Opening Riff, To The Closing Of The Story, You Will NOT Be Disappointed.

Wap for another time have released a great album. I like all their albums (till this album). The song i liked most are The idol -> a great metal ballad and the other songs are very good . This album is classic good heavy metal with very very good vocals and very melodic chorus and solos. If you like metal then you will like this album. A must for all metal fans

This is a re-release of the 1999 album from W.A.S.P. I've always been a fan of Blackie Lawless but he outdid himself with this album. It is without a doubt his best work after The Headless Children. This album tells the story (semi-autobiographically) of a kid who want to be a rock star, no matter the cost. He's a disappointment to his father and gets dragged through the dark side of the music business, drugs, groupies, and sycophants.

Highlights are Arena Of Pleasure, I Am One, The Idol, and the acoustic classic Hold On To My Heart. Blackies' version of the Led Zep classic When The Levee Breaks on disc 2 is worth a good listen too.

Musically, this album is top notch. The riffs are great with plenty of hooks to keep you banging your head, and Bobby Benalli's pounding double bass drums are phenomenal. Blackies' lyrics are introspective and way above anything he's written up to this point in his career.

I have enjoyed listening to this band for many years now. With each new album the lyrics have a deeper sense of meaning written from the heart and sung with such passion. Great music, lyrics, and listening

Blackie Lawless demonstrates superior songwriting/storytelling on this Amazing concept album. Front to back, disc 1 is one great song after another. Disc 2 begins with the end of Jonathan, and finishes up with Blackies narration of Jonathan's story, followed by a great cover of "When the Levy breaks, and then saw raw live W.A.S.P.. All in all, a great buy!