Golgotha

Golgotha layers W.A.S.P.’s heavy guitar riffs, dramatic vocals and dark storytelling into theatrical heavy metal. It does more than attack with force, using quiet openings and long afterglow to widen its emotional range. Feelings resembling prayer and regret mix into the roughness, giving the album distinctive weight. Its strength is in revealing human shadow beyond its outward rock spectacle. A fitting record for listeners who want to enter the band’s darker side more deeply.