Show No Mercy: Tribute to WASP

Dwell Records released several heavy metal tribute compilations featuring little-known power, death, and traditional metal bands covering the likes of Judas Priest and Slayer and other seminal metal outfits. Many might question the necessity of a WASP tribute considering that the band had never been given much respect within even the staunchest of metal print and radio outlets. But like Kiss before them, the shock rockers had a serious influence on many a pre-teen musician. WASP attracted scores of youngsters out of the '80s pop wreckage with frontman Blackie Lawless' devil-man persona and campy sex-and-death shtick, and Show No Mercy documents the brutal results of so many youths misguided. Most the bands do a fine job twisting WASP's anthemic metal on this 14-track homage. Standout tracks include the Seven Witches' "Widowmaker," the Soulless version of "Tormentor," New Eden's "Love Machine," and Mystifier's "The Torture Never Stops." Sure, it's not for everybody, but revisiting WASP's mid-'80s material after at least 15 years might be just the guilty pleasure so many nu-metal tough guys need in order to stop taking themselves so seriously. If it's good enough for the dwellers of the metal underground, then it might be good enough for fans of hard music everywhere.