Concert Reviews
W.A.S.P Pittsburgh: Photos and Review
WASP’s 40th Anniversary World Tour 2022 – Pittsburgh PA
By Josh Drespling with additional photos by Ron S.
The winged assassins, W.A.S.P. made their way to the blue collar town of Greensburg Pennsylvania which sits just outside of Pittsburgh. For one night only they took up residence in the over one hundred year old majestic Palace Theater.
What was dubbed “The 40th Anniversary World Tour” saw the band set foot in the United States for the first time in over a decade. There were rumors that front man and W.A.S.P. mastermind, Blackie Lawless swore to never tour in the US again due to the logistics and financial ramifications. He spun the new tour, touting the influence of the fans and their action to make promoters realize that bringing W.A.S.P. to any given town was a viable decision.
In reference to the world tour that kicked off in Milan, Italy on March18th of this year, Blackie had this to say “For the W.A.S.P. 40th Anniversary World Tour we’re going back to the beginning. We’re taking the show back to where it all started. Complete with all the fire and all the blood that shocked the world the first time. We only did this type of show on the first world tour and never did it again…until now! I’m gonna scream and I’m gonna bleed, cause I wanna be somebody! We’re taking everybody back…back to the beginning!”
For the sold out show in Greensburg, Armored Saint held down the opening slot duties with their signature brand of metal. Despite vocalist John Bush being under the weather they plowed through a set that spanned their entire career including the track “Chemical Euphoria” from their 1987 release Raising Fear along with “Can U Deliver” from the band’s first full length, 1984’s March of Saints. The band also performed “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” from their mid-pandemic release, Punching the Sky.
WASP proudly took to the stage following an intro comprised of small clips of some of the band’s most memorable numbers mashed together into a whirlwind of chaotic sound. Blackie Lawless was clad in a black WASP t-shirt with added arm coverings, paired with his signature white leather fringed boots and knee pads. The balance of the band: bassist Mike Duda, guitarist Doug Blair, and drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester preceded Blackie on the stage. With his fist raised triumphantly in the air he pointed to the sky as the band broke into the opening riff of “On Your Knees” from W.A.S.P.’s 1984 self-titled debut album.
Every voice in the theater shouted along to every single word of a medley of the classics “On Your Knees”, “The Flame”, “The Torture Never Stops” and “Inside the Electric Circus”. The voices in the crow overpowered much of the vocals coming from the stage. Despite the thousand back-up singers, Blackie’s voice cut through the mayhem and his signature gravely voice sounded better than I could ever imagined. In fact, I might suggest that some of these other aging rock stars embrace whatever vocal exercises Blackie has been performing. We will gloss over the moment that bassist Mike Dude took a step backward and tripped over a wire, his own feet, or a shadow and landed on his rear-end. Guitarist Doug Blair was quick to the rescue and lent him a hand up as they both laughed off the comical incident in an otherwise “serious” rock show.
Without missing a beat W.A.S.P. pummeled the audience with another crowd pleasing number in the iconic classic “L.O.V.E. Machine” also from their debut release as the MTV era music video played on large screens behind the band. Moving ahead to “Wild Child, the lead track from 1985’s The Last Command. The band also performed amid the music video projected on the screens making up part of their backdrop.
Once the crowd had been properly whipped into a frenzy, Blackie announced that “In addition to it being the 40th anniversary of the band, it is also the 30th anniversary of The Crimson Idol album. We are going do do a few songs from that album right now.” They began with “The Idol”, who’s lush and extended guitar solo exhibited what an amazing guitar player Doug Blair is. He mesmerized the entire crowd with his playing of the nearly four-minute solo. Falling is order were “The Great Misconceptions of Me” and “Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)” which saw the band bathed in bans of blue light and atmospheric smoke.
Breaking the more subdued tone of the Crimson Idol section of the set was the iconic drinking anthem “Blind in Texas” which once again had the entire venue singing along to every word before the band exited the stage.
After a brief pause Blackie and his fellow musicians returned to the stage and preformed the controversial and cartoon-like “Animal” one of the most famous W.A.S.P. songs, but without a doubt one of the most lack luster selections in the band’s expansive catalog. This was a shortened version on the song they transformed into “The Real Me”, The Who cover song from the bands most underrated release The Headless Children.
At this point Blackie stepped up to Elvis, his mic-stand monument made of a cold steel spinal column topped with a skull and crossbones and two arms with human skeleton hands holding what appear to be motorcycle handlebars. He proceed to profess how thankful he was for the fans and explained how promoters did not believe that WASP could still sell tickets. He said that “Tonight is sold out, last night was sold out, and many more of the dates on this tour are sold out.” He continued “It is all because of you the fans. You guys got on social media. It was not hundreds of you, but thousands of you and I’m grateful for that” With that he shouted “I WANNA BE SOMEBODY!” as the band broke into the signature song of the same name. While the band played photos and the names on every past and present member of WASP were projected on the screens behind them along with a list of thank yous of people who helped make WASP “somebody”.
As the song wound down, Blackie climbed on top of “Elvis” and threw his hands up, shouting “We Love You. Thank you!” He stepped down and spoke into he mic; saying “Good night. We will see you next time.” Thus lighting the flame of hope for them returning for another tour.
Few bands in history have generate such a catalog of rebellious sing-a-long anthems and managed to mature into a band that produced epic concept albums and straight ahead rockers that have moved multiple generations of fans. Despite the loss of several key members over the years (Chris Holmes, Randy Piper, the late Frankie Banali, and Johnny Rod) Blackie has been able to steer the freight train that is WASP towards musical perfection time and time again.
The 40th Anniversary World Tour will soon be winding down, but hopefully due to the success of this leg of the tour they will consider scheduling more dates in the US and abroad. If you have the opportunity I encourage you to catch the show, it is undoubtedly a memorable one.
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Wed13 is on tour now with Above Snakes and they bring the Halloween spirit and a good time.
This was my first time getting to see Above Snakes and they put on a good show, they get the crowd pumped and ready for the show and adding a lil cover mix of popular 90s songs deff got the crowd even more into it. The lead singer kinda reminds me a lil of Edsel from Dope but with a little bit of his own personal flavor. The band deff has a great sound and got the crowd pumped up.
Wednesday 13 brought the spooky stage set with him with pumpkins and all kinds of spooky stuff. I love when it’s a headliner show cause you know you’re gonna get much more than an opening short set. I love that they played “Ghost of Vincent Price” right into “Something wicked, this way comes”.
We also got to hear the classics and some murderdolls songs as well. Wednesday brought back the backwards mask of himself and the headless version of him, and he threw out candy this time from a bucket not from the nether regions.
It was great to see the full band, and hanging out with my good buddy Ashes and his new stage grill he wearing. Such a great show as always and a great time getting to see Wednesday 13 play but see him during the spooky season just makes it better.
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NATHAN JAMES AND GENITORTURERS CAME INTO BALTIMORE BRINGING SOME METAL, SOME MOSHING AND SOME SEXY PEOPLE.
Before Nathan James hit the stage, Empire Extreme got to sit down and talk to him about the tour, music, career changes and movies. Check it out below.
This was my first time seeing Nathan James live and I was excited to check out his style of nu nu metal. His energy and stage presence is amazing and he just commands the stage and gets the fans super hype. Though his music is very agro aggressive at times, Nathan himself is a very soft spoken and just an all around nice guy. I love that during his rendition of Pure Imagination he had an all female mosh pit. It was great to see him interact with his fans as well. Such an awesome show.
Of course when it comes to Genitorturers you’re gonna get some skin and sin. Which is what we all want. Gen looked and sounded amazing and the set was a good blend of classics with a few new ones added in. This is a tour you don’t wanna miss, when it comes to your city go and check it out.
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A Twenty-Year Assault in the Basement
There’s something almost cruel about scheduling a show this heavy on a Sunday night. But when Boston’s Revocation rolled into New Kensington for their “20 Years of Torment” tour, the Preserving Underground faithful didn’t seem to care about Monday morning. They came to worship at the altar of technical death metal, and the four-band bill delivered a sermon in pure brutality.
Preserving Underground is a record shop and venue housed in a former church which has become a vital hub for Pittsburgh’s heavy music scene. With its intimate main stage, a record store on the first floor, and the basement venue there’s an undeniable charm in seeing a band as technically demanding as Revocation in a room this size. The lack of distance between band and crowd makes the musicianship hit differently. You’re not watching from the nosebleeds; you’re standing close enough to see every fretboard contortion, every stick hit, every bead of sweat.
Weeping: A Suffocating Start
New Jersey’s Weeping opened the night with a set that lived up to their name, suffocatingly heavy sludge and death-doom that felt like standing in a tar pit. The band’s crushing tempos and sudden bursts of chaotic blast beats set the tone for what was to come: no filler, no crowd-pleasing banter, just pure sonic weight. For a band tasked with warming up a room on a Sunday, they did the opposite. They made it feel like the walls were closing in.
Fuming Mouth: Buzzsaw Death Metal
Massachusetts’ Fuming Mouth followed with an entirely different kind of assault. Their HM-2 fueled nasty, grinding, buzzsaw guitar tone is the kind of thing that makes the hairs on your arm stand up, and live, those riffs hit like a freight train. The band’s blend of death metal and metallic hardcore brought the energy, but the band’s frontman was all punk attitude. The pit was off and running (or two-stepping), from the first song and frontman Mark Whelan, threatened the crowd to keep it up all set. Fuming Mouth is one of those bands that sounds massive on record but somehow even bigger live. A testament to the sheer force of their delivery.
Defeated Sanity: Technical Devastation
Germany’s Defeated Sanity were the night’s wild card for anyone unfamiliar with their catalog, but by the end of their set, it was clear why they were on this bill. Technical brutal death metal is a niche within a niche, and Defeated Sanity occupies a space in that niche all their own. Mind-bending time signatures? Yes. Slam riffs that land with the impact of a demolition ball? Absolutely. The band’s precision was staggering—the kind of performance that makes you wonder how four humans can lock into patterns this complex without derailing entirely. For fans of extreme technicality, this was a masterclass.
Revocation: Twenty Years of Torment, Zero Signs of Fatigue
And then came the main event.
Revocation has been at this for two decades now. Empire of the Obscene dropped in 2008, and since then, Dave Davidson and company have released seven more albums of increasingly intricate, aggressive, and gloriously heavy music . The “20 Years of Torment” tour is a celebration of that legacy, and the band treated the Preserving crowd to a set that spanned their entire discography.
From the moment the band took the stage, the energy in the room was relentless. Davidson’s guitar work remains a thing of wonder. The way he shifts between technical precision, thrash riffing, death metal groove, and wild, almost jazzy solos without ever losing the thread is why he’s one of the most respected guitarists in modern extreme metal . His signature red guitar, with matching Nikes cut through the mix with razor clarity.
But if there’s one member of Revocation who deserves more recognition coming out of this show, it’s Ash Pearson. The drummer is criminally underrated. Watching him live makes it obvious how much he contributes to the band’s sound. His speed and precision are impressive, sure, but it’s the control and feel that stand out even with a photographer hassling him at the kit (not me)… He can unleash absolute hell when the song demands it, yet everything stays locked in and musical. The double-kick work was ridiculous. The transitions were razor sharp. Pearson has been behind the kit for years, and he deserves to be mentioned alongside the more celebrated drummers in modern extreme metal.
The newer additions to the lineup: rhythm guitarist Harry Lannon and bassist Alex Weber have clearly gelled with Davidson and Pearson. Lannon’s rhythm work provides a rock-solid foundation that allows Davidson to soar, while Weber’s bass lines were thick and propulsive throughout the set. The current iteration of Revocation is firing on all cylinders.
The set-list drew from across the band’s catalog, with a healthy dose of material from the new album, New Gods, New Masters. That record that was released in 2025 and finds the band exploring themes of AI and its detrimental effect on us, along with the technological dystopia, and the human tendency to worship new gods of our own creation. This came with the exception of bassist Alex Weber’s use of it. Which got called out on stage by singer Dave Davidson. Songs like “Confines of Infinity” and “Dystopian Vermin” translated live with crushing intensity, their lyrical paranoia matched by the music’s unrelenting aggression.
Revocation’s music is extreme for extreme times, as Davidson has said. Tonight, in a converted church basement in New Kensington, that mission statement felt more relevant than ever.
The Verdict
Four bands. Four distinct approaches to heaviness. One unforgettable Sunday night.
Revocation’s “20 Years of Torment” tour is a victory lap for a band that has spent two decades refining their craft without ever compromising their intensity. If you have the chance to catch this tour, don’t hesitate. And if you haven’t been to Preserving Underground yet, you’re missing out on one of the most vital venues Pittsburgh has to offer.
SETLIST
– Nihilistic Violence
– Scorched Earth Policy
– Fracked
– Confines of Infinity
– The All Seeing
– Data Corpse
– Of Unworldly Origin
– Dismantle the Dictator
– Chaos of Forms
– Summon the Spawn
– Only the Spineless Survive
– Bound by Desire
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Wednesday 13 invades Harrisburg bringing in the spooky season and lots of fun.
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