CHRIS HOLMES Says BLACKIE LAWLESS Should Have Kept The Debut Album Lineup Of W.A.S.P. – “That’s What Ruined The Band”

Guitarist Chris Holmes spoke to Classic Album Review about the early days of W.A.S.P. and the breakup of their lineup featured on their 1984 full-length debut – Blackie Lawless, Holmes, Tony Richards, and Randy Piper ruined the band. Holmes blamed Lawless’ narcissism for the lineup changes.

“Blackie should have kept the lineup, with Randy and him and I, 'cause the songs and ideas were great,” said Holmes. “When he changed it, that's what ruined the band. What ruined it was the second album. It's the narcissism, the one guy. 'It's gonna be just me, me, me.' Well, great. Just have it be you. But that's the way it is. The first album was four guys working their butts off to make the music do what it does and give it the energy. Then they got rid of Tony. That was a big mistake. They could have dealt with his drug problem. They never even tried. They just threw him out."

Asked if he thinks Blackie Lawless "destroyed W.A.S.P.,” Chris replied, "Oh, yeah. It's him. That's all he wants it to be. He doesn't want anybody else. It's the way it is."

Holmes, with his band Mean Man, performed on Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2023 - April 29 - May 4 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas.

Fan-filmed video of Holmes performing the W.A.S.P. classics "On Your Knees", "L.O.V.E. Machine" and "Wild Child" can be viewed below: