I am genuinely shocked by today’s blog post. I always enjoy doing the Obscurus Metalus reviews, so I was genuinely surprised to find out that I did only one review in this sub-series last year. 1! I’m shocked, and a little disappointed in myself for only getting one of these reviews made. Well, much like my delay in anime reviews, this ends today! Obscurus Metalus has come back to the Heavy Metal Otaku blog, and I hope to make entries in this sub-series obviously more frequently than I did in 2017. With that out of the way, today I figured some Hair Metal was strangely appropriate to mare the return of Obscurus Metal, so sit back, open up your trust umbrella, and take a look at the mid-90s entry of the iconic W.A.S.P., Still Not Black Enough. Let the review begin!
Background
Taken from the Wikipedia page:
“Still Not Black Enough was originally slated for release as a Blackie Lawless solo album, but due to the heavy content, Lawless changed his mind and decided to release it as a W.A.S.P. album. This had also been the case for the previous album, The Crimson Idol. Still Not Black Enough is considered somewhat a successor to The Crimson Idol, bearing a strong resemblance with its lyrical themes. However, instead of telling the story of the fictional character Jonathan, this album is mostly a collection of personal songs from Blackie Lawless, including issues involving the death of his mother and personal crises just after world tour for The Crimson Idol.”
I should also point out that Still Not Black Enough’s first release wasn’t in the United States, but instead it came out first in Japan. In came out in June of 1995 in the land of the rising sun, but wouldn’t come stateside till August of 1996. A really odd move, if you ask me.
Basic Description
The very definition of a 90s hidden gem!
It is utterly baffling that this album isn’t known as much as more iconic titles in the W.A.S.P. discography, because dear god is the music on this record fantastic. From the opening attack of the title track (More on that song in a sec), to the concluding notes of the final song, it’s evident that the band still had a talent for making good music. With one fully solid in their Hair Metal past, but with another foot in 90s production quality & musical evolution/experimentation, Still Not Black Enough is a unique entry in the band’s discography, and one you shouldn’t ignore.
Best Track
Bit of a tie between the title track, and a cover of the Jefferson Airplane classic Somebody To Love. The former is an emotional rollercoaster, with a grim atmosphere that’s reflective of Blackie Lawless’s feelings at the time. You feel a little bit of his pain as you go through the song, yet it’s not overwhelming in any way. The later is an oddball of a track: keeping the original lyrics, W.A.S.P. mixed a little bit of that 60s Rock-N-Roll with a healthy dose of Heavy Metal. The end result is a surprising track, with a nod to it’s forebearer & somehow becomes a song for a new generation.
Still Not Black Enough
Somebody To Love
Worst Track
Really the only flaw with Still Not Black Enough is it’s obscurity. That’s it. Even though the 90s didn’t kill Heavy Metal like a lot of critics say, it none the less unintentionally shoved many classic releases to the side in favor for more easier & more commercial records. Still Not Black Enough was an unfortunate victim of this, but even a lack of time in the spotlight doesn’t harm the material on the album in any way, and I & the rest of the W.A.S.P. fandom appreciate this!
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then check out the link below.
Still Not Black Enough
Overall Impression & Rating
Still Not Black Enough is proof positive that the 90s were still a hotbed for Heavy Metal. Not only that, but the album was also proof that W.A.S.P. was capable of transcending their Hair Metal past, and morph into something newer and more contemporary for the times. Though the group wasn’t as relevant in mid 90s, Blackie Lawless and the gand were still a force to be reckoned with, and Still Not Black Enough was a statement that fit the group nicely.
Still Not Black Enough gets a 10 out of 10. A 90s hidden gem of the highest quality!
So that was a look at W.A.S.P.’s mid 90s classic. An album that should have had more time in the spotlight than it did, it none the less shows that a Hair Metal titan like these guys can still make awesome metal in the 90s, and acts as yet another piece of evidence that Heavy Metal didn’t die in what many consider the last great decade. Well, Wrestlemania 34 isn’t far away now, so see me next week when I take a look at something that’s very personal to me as far as the squared circle is concerned. Until then, keep listening to those obscure albums why don’t you!
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