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W.A.S.P. > Still Not Black Enough > 1995, 12" vinyl, Raw Power (Limited edition) > Reviews
W.A.S.P. - Still Not Black Enough

No Colour Seen In My Eyes - 95%

Sweetie, March 2nd, 2021

What I see as the third in a trilogy, Still Not Black Enough is like that album that clearly shows ideas from prior works. Often times an album of leftovers is going to get looked down on, but Blackie and co. managed to swing one last record in the latest batting style out of the park. Though Headless and Crimson are definitely superior, we get a taste of what just didn't quite come to fruition before but works as a release on its own. One thing's for sure, Still Not Black Enough is far less consistent and less thematic than the prior two, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

In other words, basically the entire first half is your "here's more of this" plus an absolute banger take on Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love." "Scared To Death" and the title track are extremely reflective of the Crimson album, as this is where the emotional heavies sink in the hardest. Beefy riffs with pummeling drums backed by synth is the name of the game. There's even a similar chord-progression and writing style among these tunes that are a bit too obvious to ignore. But really, if you're making a derivative from perfection, it's going to be good. The balladry that follows later on was probably also born from the success of "Hold On To My Heart," but it winds up throwing the back-half even further from center.

There are far more fierce and politically charged monsters that reflect the Headless days in this end as well. The obvious "Goodbye America" is an eruptive number with rhythmic chugging and steady taps under hoarse vocal work and great intensity. "Black Forever" is similar in energy, but it lays things on right from the gate. Admittedly, the closer "No Way Out Of Here" feels a bit too throwaway compared to the rest, being the weakest link that somehow snuck itself away from the other songs constructed of its style.

Everything else is where we start to get a bit weird. The back-side has both ballads and both outliers, making for an odd but fun flow. For one, W.A.S.P. probably softened more than any point in their career here. "Breathe" is slow from start to end and works in layers with toned down vocals, keys, and sugary harmony. This is like your "Hold On To My Heart Pt. 2" but even the electric guitar gets buried. While I see how this may turn some off, I like it. "Keep Holding On" has a tad more flavor with its piano lead and standout hooks, but still unusually soft (plus, the plucking-string and bongo style with some string backing is way out-of-character). Then we have "I Can't," a tune like nothing else on the record that has a western-style chant, build, and instrumentation. "Rock And Roll To Death" is nothing short of a Chuck Berry song reworked with far louder and heavier guitars. So all this in mind, you can imagine that Still Not Black Enough is all over the place and probably throws some listeners off.

But I'm cool with that. Much like Inside The Electric Circus it's the third in its trilogy that people have mixed opinions on. But I hold both very near and dear to myself as I think they sprout great songs for what they are. If you're here for a good time, it'll sit well with you. If you're here for a smooth ride, be warned that you'll encounter some turbulence.

The Black Pirate with the Crimson Eye-Patch Strikes Again - 54%

bayern, July 29th, 2020

Blackie, Blackie… you shouldn’t have put the lathe too high with this fabulous “Crimson Idol”… how were the audience going to react to your future endeavours if they would fail to reach its standard? Well, the audience probably knew that the man didn’t have material for another such ascension, but it’s hard to accept this goofy rockabilia that he offered here. Not only that it was a sure step back quality-wise from its mighty predecessor, but it also refused to acknowledge the changes on the music arena provided that Blackie was actually planning such a tribute… a belated nostalgia that sticks awkwardly between the band’s magnum opus and his only flirtation with the numetal vogues.

Regardless of how black the man wants to be, after the 1992 release a hefty crimson patch will indelibly be attached to him wherever he may roam, and no matter how hard he emphasizes on his favourite colour (the album-title, “Black Forever”, etc.) the fans know that Blackie can also work quite well with other nuances; and also with other genres apart from the good old rock’n roll which here is very well covered. The mid-90’s period was a vacillating one for W.A.S.P., and it reminds me quite a bit of the stylistic meanderings of Quorthon (R.I.P.) from the same time when the Swede was jumping awkwardly between genres before finding his stride again with “Blood on Ice”. Blackie held himself with more dignity overall during these hesitant times, but the album reviewed here doesn’t seem to add up much to his otherwise impressive resume.

Betting on the good old hard rock has always seemed like a safe option, but only if you have nothing else to provide, a sure exit from a creative cul-de-sac or from depleted artistic storage. There must have been some leftovers from the “The Crimson Idol” sessions… but those wouldn’t have fitted comfortably next to pleasant dramatic rockers like the title-track, for instance, which at least doesn’t betray the band’s staple sound from before the “Idol”. Yes, but Blackie is only too eager to display his radio-friendly fondness, and here comes the cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”, a supremely cheesy rocker that clearly shows the man’s intentions; if it was thrown at the end as an afterthought then it would have been forgivable, but splashing it right at the start it means only one thing: please welcome our sincere rock’n roll hearts, or rather heart as this is pretty much a one-man show, as there won’t be much heavy metal on offer here. And the album marches on with a crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser, the staple balladic pieces (the heavy satisfying “Scared to Death”, the lyrical soporific “Keep Holding On”) merging with the rest as there’s very little dynamics running around, with patriotic pageants (“Goodbye America”) sitting comfortably next to rousing nods to Elvis (“Rock and Roll to Death”) and marginally rowdier sing-alongers (“No Way Out of Here”).

There isn’t any party atmosphere achieved, either, as this is too leisurely and blasé performed, with Blackie taking some more time off to think over his potential engagement with the noisier/groovier side of the spectre… and why not please the masses with some unpretentious rock’n roll tunes in the mean time? Everyone likes jumping and rocking around, and everyone likes AC/DC, too, as this effort reminds of the Aussie legends’ repertoire quite a bit at times, a predilection also expressed with a cover of “Whole Lotta Rosie” added as a bonus track. A sure way to dissipate the dark clouds during the angry 90’s, youthful bare-chested optimism that might as well bring a small revolution in the numetal trends’ backyard…

sure thing, but if it was immediately followed by the easy rider/living-esque rock carnival “Helldorado”… why bring a ray of sunshine if you’ve already built a cosy shack in the court of the dark lords? And not only but “K.F.D.” was a well-measured, carefully-assembled adaptation of the vintage W.A.S.P. sound to the prevalent noisier parametres at the time, a confident slab of more modern belligerent tunes that sounded way better than the mild rock tactics utilized here. Blackie did a pretty good job on that instalment, cancelling outright his earlier softer shenanigans… was he going to serve the groovy/aggro forces on a full-time basis?

No, he wasn’t as “Helldorado” showed only too well; there was more rock passion to be purged and Blackie waited for no second invitation. And it’s good that he indulged in such purging therapies, otherwise we wouldn’t have had grand heavy metal pillars like “Unholy Terror” and “Dying for the World” which followed soon after, the man giving his handsome contribution to the second rise of the old school at the dawn of the new millennium alongside the revitalized Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Pretty Maids, Halford… his career has been going steady ever since, with black fading to crimson again in 2018 when he reminded of his masterpiece by re-releasing it as the soundtrack to the finally unleashed “The Crimson Idol” feature (will have to see the film). It suits him, this crimson patch; but let’s hope he doesn’t start screaming, or rather rocking, again that he isn’t black enough…

Still not Blackie enough - 55%

Felix 1666, May 18th, 2019
Written based on this version: 2001, CD, Metal-Is Records (Reissue, Remastered)

Once I saw a guy in a shirt with the imprint "I wear black until they invent something darker" and another one in a pink shirt that told us "Black was sold out". Guess that the title "Still Not Black Enough" lies somewhere in between these two findings and the terrible, absolutely unacceptable ballad "Keep Holding On" is its pink shirt. Lawless wants to cuddle with the audience, but I hate it. No musical substance, no inspiring idea, just pure unadulterated kitsch of an artist who rides a dead horse. Things don't get better as the first tones of "Breathe" set in. This number has a bit more in common with my understand of rock or metal music, nevertheless, it gives me nothing and is just a waste of time. The egomaniacal liner notes explain that Blackie writes best when he is angry about something. and out of this experience comes "Still Not Black Enough". If this is true, I don't want to hear any song which has been created while Lawless was newly in love.

The remaining material, we can heave a sigh of relief, does not make us feel to listen to a soundtrack of a party in the old people's home. Blackie moves within his clearly defined limits. He presents solid, minimally boring riffs, mostly a good flow, a powerful yet harmless production and delivers a good vocal performance. The black shirt of the album wears the fitting name "Black Forever" and offers an iota of metallic harshness. However, there are not much songs that put a smile on my face. "Scared to Death" wants to be very dramatic with its explosive moments and the female background vocals and I admit that the song does not suffer from major flaws. Nevertheless, if this track would be a type of ice cream, it would be too sweet. Blackie wants to express his emotions with a mallet and, aggravating this situation, he misses the right moment to stop hammering. Thus, more or less aggressive songs like "Goodbye America" must save the album and they do it, but naturally only up to a certain point.

Finally, it will always remain an enigma to me why such a self-confident one-man-show always puts a cover version on the second position of his albums. "Somebody to Love" does not set an impulse, neither positive nor negative. And seen in its entirety, the same goes for the complete material. "Still Not Black Enough", I understand this very well, was not created in order to make black thrash metal fans like me happy. Perhaps convinced supporters of W.A.S.P. will identify much more enjoyable aspects here. Either way, even if you do not put the focus on the style of the formation, you can appreciate some of their full-lengths very much, but the lukewarm output from the beginning of our century does not belong to these works. Only recommended for people who think they must have each and every album of Blackie (and a pink shirt).

It’s Black Enough For Me - 96%

OzzyApu, February 16th, 2010
Written based on this version: 1996, CD, Castle Records

Between the monumental The Headless Children, the haunting The Crimson Idol, and the horrific Kill Fuck Die we have, after two break-ups, what I consider Blackie Lawless’ forgotten masterpiece. While I deem it just that, it hardly gets the same praise from critics and fans alike, who cite this as a weak and disjointed effort attempting to walk in the footsteps of The Crimson Idol. If anything, this is Lawless’ most touching album, and next in aggressiveness after The Headless Children, Dying For The World, and Kill Fuck Die. After that, it attempts to also show a lively and fun side which, to greater effect, makes Still Not Black Enough even more compelling.

Even though Lawless dislikes the bass guitar, he plays the shit out of it on here. The lead and rhythm guitars, much like on The Crimson Idol, have been toned down quite a bit (except solos) and play a greater role with harmonies and light atmospheric duties. Main atmospheric duties are controlled by keys, which do a fantastic job at bringing down a high-like haze of black and blue tinges – an ethereal otherworld of forgotten love. Acoustics and clean chords play a huge role, much like the last album – these lines, played by Lawless himself once again, pour like grape juice – sweet, somber, and with a introspective richness. Bob Kulick handles lead duties, sure, but even he nails every solo and harmony with precision and unrelenting force.

Where Kulick has the energy, Lawless himself has the passion, the character, the creativity, and the soul. I must say that he’s never had a better performance. Has he been angrier? No doubt - Kill Fuck Die proves that, but Still Not Black Enough is a melancholic album that reflects on the despondent moments of life where reality can truly be as bleaker as it seems. Beyond observations of the insanity around us, Lawless echoes personal struggles and endeavors, namely in tracks like “I Can’t” and “No Way Out Of Here” – the tragic, poignant build-up of the former is matched only by the most epic of W.A.S.P. tracks while the latter contains dialectic lead sweeps and a hair-raising break that shows just how much one man can contain before snapping (the scream before the solo is insane!). The only time Blackie was this pissed off before was on the title-track of The Headless Children (“This Frankenstein of flesh, stitched together back from death!”) – his screams resonate like the turmoil of a raven’s life: despicable, shunned, and pitiful. His vocal style – those trademark grainy, hoarse yells and singing – goes from spiteful and raw to humid and tender. The ballads of “Keep Holding On” and “Breathe” compete well against “Hold On To My Heart” and “The Idol” off the previous album, but there is a stronger sense of searching for a lost identity – when Blackie speaks you can hear, and feel, the anguish lessening its death-grip on his soul.

Frankie Banali handles all the drumming aside from some stuff on “Scared To Death,” but drum rolls still encompass a great deal of his duties; it makes everything a bit more theatrical. Otherwise, he lays some nasty beats down with tons of double bass hops that sort of keep Blackie under control. For some, people will constantly be thinking about those drum rolls, as they’re almost on every song. Still, it’s good for operatic purposes and doesn’t cloud Banali’s rhythmic galloping. The snares are a tad airy, but the rest of the kit is beefy and in the same pit of misery as everyone else. Whereas the drum bass collides with the foundations of the album, the bass guitar collides with the very foundations of the earth. Their grumbles are gargantuan, fluffy, and slick enough to compete with the lead harmonies in a low, cavernous form (think thick rubber bands a Kleenex box).

With the groundwork of the music down, I’d prefer to turn out attention to the tracks themselves, which are much more direct compared to The Crimson Idol. The Jefferson Airplane cover and “Rock And Roll To Death” seem out of place compared to the others, especially the latter (with its 1950’s jive reminiscent of Marty McFly’s climactic song in Back To The Future). Remember though that I consider these short outbursts of euphoria – a side-effect to paranoia and depression that plagued Blackie’s life at the time. The tracks that bear witness to his disorder – the apocalyptic “Scared To Death”, the urgent title track, the profound “Goodbye America,” and the claustrophobic “No Way Out Of Here” – all showcase the inescapable beast in all of us. Some disparaging excerpts from a couple of these tracks prove Lawless’ capabilities to perceptually educate us on what life means today.

Scared To Death
“Grit your teeth and listen for the gun
Get in the runners block and kneel
And run the human race
That decadent decathlon
Let the games begin for real…

Am I a prisoner of the universe? Is destiny fixed among the stars?
Should I cry or laugh?
All I know is that
The best time to laugh is any time you can…”

Goodbye America
“I'm engaged in a frenzy of mass self-destruction
I feed upon your famine to fuel my corruption
I'm whole-selling hatred and international incest
To carnivorous hyenas in a global theft fest
I've mastered the arts of death and foreign nations genocide
And those who turn on me commit national suicide”

This would also be the last W.A.S.P. album thus far where b-sides would play a large role in adding on to the whole piece (as it especially did with the previous two albums before this). The Black Forever / Goodbye America single showed that not only did Blackie still know how to write some killer tracks off record, but that he also managed to write / arrange the best ones of his career. The b-sides associated with Still Not Black Enough include the two AC/DC covers (“Long Way To The Top” and “Whole Lotta Rosie,” the latter having a psychotic lead trade-off), a jolly Queen cover, and two original tracks that every W.A.S.P. fan must hear to fully experience Blackie’s darkest hour – “Skin Walker” and “One Tribe.”

“Skin Walker” is the more conventional of the two, but its surrealistic tone grovels at the itch for conformity like nothing else. “One Tribe,” however, is the real deal.. Nothing else on this album competes – "One Tribe" is very rare on print and if anyone has a copy of Still Not Black Enough and hasn’t heard this, then they are missing more than their money’s worth. The dreary keys, the livid acoustics, the sensual harmonies, and arguably Lawless’ most passionate vocal performance outside of ballads lay herein. So much vigor decanted yet so few words to describe the full experience: the vocal and acoustic blemishes crescendo to a blissful violin solo, lead out to the rest of the dauntless charge, and henceforth carve a path for the charismatic, back-to-back solos which then run like an unopposed river of fiery colors. Such a lush song that amazes me every time I hear it, and even more so since it’s regarded as a b-side and sounds quite unique in W.A.S.P.’s huge library of songs.

Blackie has said that W.A.S.P. albums reflect how the band feels at the time. Well then, Still Not Black Enough couldn’t have been any blacker without giving up its very theme. Blackie managed to resurrect the once dead band (for the second time) to roam the planet once more; kind of reminds me of The Crow. Think about it: rockstar dies, comes back from the dead after a crow becomes his guardian angel (crow on the album art and in the “Black Forever” music video), thus allowing him to reflect upon his last days alive and exact retribution on those who’ve caused him pain. Wow, it fits Lawless so damn well – right down to the face paint he’ll soon be applying. Now all he needs to do is get revenge on the perpetrators, and boy does Kill Fuck Die do just that.

Mirror to Blackie's Soul - 96%

heavymetalbackwards, July 13th, 2009

Disturbed and unsettling, this is the soul of madman Blackie Lawless. Is he bi-polar? Who knows? All we can conclude is that he was having some sort of a breakdown when he wrote this, and he makes this quite clear in the liner notes. His previous album, “The Crimson Idol,” emotionally drained him and this album is what was left of his mind.

This is the lightest W.A.S.P. record in regards to musical aggressiveness, with the guitar being far too thin to be suitable for most metalheads. However, this release does not need to rely on heavy aesthetics to get its heaviness across; that comes naturally from the outpour of passion. Songs like “I Can’t,” where a grown man cries out the tale of his relationship with his recently deceased mother, really expose the human hiding behind the rock star.

Only Blackie would know what his romantic life was like at this time, but it seemed to have spawned two of the most beautiful love ballads I’ve heard. The first, “Keep Holding On,” is one that deals with depression after a breakup, while the second, “Breathe,” is simply about the ecstasy his woman brings him. They are polar opposites, and represent the volatile nature of this CD. The one thing they share in common is that they are unusually gentle for metal. Seriously, even glam bands don’t go this light; this is Elton John territory. Regardless, both are touching and showcase Blackie’s singing ability better than any other W.A.S.P. songs.

The weirdest aspect of this output is probably “Rock and Roll to Death,” which is 1950’s style metallic rock and roll which reminds me of Lemmy’s cover of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It is completely unexpected in this introspective album, as is the excellent cover of “Somebody to Love.”

If you want to know the kind of nightmares that were running through Blackie’s brain during the mid 90’s, read the lyrics to the paranoid “Scared to Death.” If they interest you, then you should very much enjoy this album.

It's still not black enough for me.. - 90%

UnleashtheHeathen, March 14th, 2004

"Still Not Black Enough", what many call the continuation or sequel to “The Crimson Idol” (which can be understood, as Blackie makes references to ‘the mirror’), is one of W.A.S.P.’s underrated albums. Blackie Lawless uses his gifted skill at songwriting like he did on “The Crimson Idol” on this album. The title track begins the roller coaster of darkness. The Jefferson Airplane cover of “Somebody to Love” is pretty decent, although I personally tend to lean towards the original, but the cover isn’t bad, it’s very good. “Black Forever” is a continuation of “Still Not Black Enough”, and kicks ass with a great chorus (the video isn’t bad either). “Scared to Death” reaches into people’s minds, and yanks out the fears that they have, “Goodbye America”, I’d like to think of the song saying about all the bad things people in America have done in the past. “Keep Holding On” and “Breathe”, are the main ballads of the album, and are emotional, and express lots of sadness (although, “Breathe” is more of a happier version I suppose). “Rock N’ Roll to Death” is going back to the W.A.S.P. we know, a real kick in the face song. “No Way out of Here” ends the dark album, and is also an enjoyable song.

Now, if you have the remastered CD, then you’ll find some bonus tracks. The two covers, “Whole Lotta Rosie” (AC/DC) and “Tie Your Mother Down” (Queen) are just as good, if not better than the originals. “One Tribe” is a decent song, has a sound similar to “The Crimson Idol”, which the other songs don’t possess.

In a nutshell, if you’re lucky enough to find this album, do so and buy it. It’s a true gem.

I like it! - 86%

Nightcrawler, November 15th, 2003

Most people seem to think that Still Not Black Enough is where W.A.S.P. started to drop in the songwriting quality compared to the first five classics. And while this sure as hell is no Crimson Idol or The Last Command, it is actually much stronger than Inside The Electric Circus, and several songs on here could definitely hold their own against alot of their classic material.

Still Not Black Enough is as already stated very similar in terms of songwriting and atmosphere to The Crimson Idol, with many catchy rockers to be found but also three ballads, and a rather dark and melancholic atmosphere over the songs. The production and guitar tone is also very much in the vein of their previous release, which works just as well this time, adding a perfect balance of raw heaviness and melody.


The songwriting is very consistent, and in my opinion every song on here is more or less excellent. The dark and emotional rocker Still Not Black Enough, the catchy and memorable Black Forever, and even the cover of Somebody To Love, they all kick ass. Goodbye America has a super-cool sampled intro speech, with the classic quote: "I am politically incorrect, and damn proud of it." The song itself is classic W.A.S.P., which of course equals amazing.
Keep Holding On and Breathe are two more traditional ballads, the first one more sorrowful than the latter, both excellent. The third ballad, I Can't, is more original, and thus also stands out more. Very interesting and emotional songwriting, being quite melancholic and sad until it kicks into the powerful chorus. The second best song on here.
Rock N' Roll To Death is catchy fucking heavy metal, with a definite groovy 70's vibe but with the classic W.A.S.P. touch. "If rock n' roll dies, I'll take my last breath!"
Closing track No Way Out Of Here is a bit of a filler and kinda forgettable, but not really a bad song.
My personal favourite on here is Scared To Death, which has some spinechilling layered guitarwork and atmospheres, perfected by Blackie's mesmerizing melodic-yet-raw vocal performance and the female backing vocals added exclusively for this song. Excellent song, and a true Wasp classic.


All the songs are just incredibly solid, and they're backed up by killer musicianship. Chris Holmes rejoined the band for this album after being absent on The Crimson Idol, yet strangely the guitarwork is more similar to The Crimson Idol than any of the previous albums.
The drumming style also is very similar to their 1992 masterpiece, with the crazy tom fills used for the rhythm section. It's very, very strange, but incredibly cool.

So yeah, this is pretty much a simplified and less epic version of The Crimson Idol, and definitely another indispensable W.A.S.P. classic.