Motörhead released 24 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber (both 1979), Ace of Spades (1980) and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981) cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band.^[2] The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.^[3] By 2025, the band has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.^[4]

Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good and evil, abuse of power, promiscuity, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the last theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".^[5]

Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.^[6] The day after his death, longtime members Dee and Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.

Following the Snakebite EP in 1978, Whitesnake released the albums Trouble (1978) and Lovehunter (1979), which included the live staples "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" and "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues". Whitesnake soon began to make a name for themselves across the UK, Europe and Japan, with their subsequent albums Ready an' Willing (1980), Live... in the Heart of the City (1980), Come an' Get It (1981) and Saints & Sinners (1982) all reaching the top ten on the UK Albums Chart. By the mid-1980s, Coverdale had set his sights on North America, where Whitesnake remained largely unknown. With the backing of American label Geffen Records, Whitesnake released Slide It In in 1984, featuring the singles "Love Ain't No Stranger" and "Slow an' Easy", which furthered the band's exposure through heavy airplay on MTV. In 1987, Whitesnake released their eponymous album, titled 1987 in the UK, their biggest success to date, selling over eight million copies in the United States and spawning the hit singles "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love" and "Still of the Night". Whitesnake also adopted a more contemporary look, akin to the Los Angeles glam metal scene.

After releasing Slip of the Tongue in 1989, Coverdale decided to take a break from the music industry. Aside from a few short-lived reunions related to the release of Greatest Hits (1994) and Restless Heart (1997), Whitesnake remained mostly inactive until 2003, when Coverdale put together a new line-up to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary. Since then Whitesnake have released four more studio albums Good to Be Bad (2008), Forevermore (2011), The Purple Album (2015), Flesh & Blood (2019) and toured extensively around the world.

Whitesnake's early sound has been characterised by critics as blues rock, but by the mid-1980s the band slowly began moving toward a more commercially accessible hard rock style. Topics such as love and sex are common in Whitesnake's lyrics, which make frequent use of sexual innuendos and double entendres. Whitesnake have been nominated for several awards during their career, including Best British Group at the 1988 Brit Awards. They have also been featured on lists of the greatest hard rock bands of all time by several media outlets,^[1][2] while their songs and albums have appeared on many "best of" lists by outlets, such as VH1 and Rolling Stone.

Osbourne began a solo career in the 1980s and formed his band with Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley, with whom he recorded the albums Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981). Throughout the decade, he drew controversy for his antics both onstage and offstage, and was accused of promoting Satanism by the Christian right. Overall, Osbourne released thirteen solo studio albums, the first seven of which were certified multi-platinum in the United States. He reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined from 1997 to 2005, and again in 2012; during this second reunion, he sang on the band's last studio album, 13 (2013), before they embarked on a farewell tour that ended in 2017. On 5 July 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, having announced that it would be his last due to health issues. Although he intended to continue recording music, he died 17 days later.

Osbourne sold more than 100 million albums, including his solo work and Black Sabbath releases.^[3][4] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006^[5] and as a solo artist in 2024.^[6] He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both solo and with Black Sabbath in 2005. He was honoured with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame^[7] on 12 April 2002 and Birmingham Walk of Stars on 6 July 2007. At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, he received the Global Icon Award. In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon founded the heavy metal touring festival Ozzfest, which was held yearly from 1996 to 2010. In the early 2000s, he became a reality television star when he appeared in the MTV reality show The Osbournes (2002–2005) alongside Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack. He co-starred with some of his family in the television series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour (2016–2018) as well as The Osbournes Want to Believe (2020–2021)

It’s about more than tours that have encircled the globe or chart-smashing records that have inspired a fan base that can be found in every time zone. The near mythical status and undeniable cultural impact of Iron Maiden cannot be overstated. Yet it’s the fact that theirs is a tale which is still unfolding to this day which is truly worthy of note.

Maiden, simply, take no prisoners – not then, and not now, and in the decades since they cut their teeth they’ve grown to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence, unswerving dedication to their fans, and a cheerful indifference to their critics that can only be described as legendary.

By 1980 Iron Maiden had already earned themselves a cast-iron reputation for ferocious live-shows and a fiercely loyal following to match. Inspired by heavy rock and tempered by the heat of the burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal, theirs was an upward ascent that would culminate in a landmark self-titled album debut which would immediately elevate them above their peers and serve as the prologue to a truly remarkable story that has captured the imagination of music lovers of every country, colour and creed. Emblazoned with the totemic image of Eddie, a ghoulish yet undeniably handsome and mysterious figure whose tantalizing image would go on to feature on every album and countless t-shirts hence, it was nothing less than a groundbreaking statement of intent. Many more would follow. The rapturous response to 1981 follow-up Killers would confirm the growing suspicion that this was a band in a class of its own,and ensuing tours of Japan and the States as well as the UK and Europe would affirm both Maiden’s international appeal and their relentless commitment to reach fans wherever, wherever they are.

However, it was really the release of their third album – 1982’s incendiary The Number Of The Beast – and a bold line-up change which would see original singer Paul Di’Anno replaced by ex-Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson that would set the scene for the epic chapters to come. A chart-smashing success, it would kick off a decade of now classic annual releases and dogged touring that would come to epitomise the indefatigable gallop that Maiden are so well known for.

That marvellous decade would also yield seven new studio albums, seven world tours and one of the most revered and influential concert albums of all time; the seminal Live After Death. What makes these qualities even more notable is that they developed almost entirely without the acknowledgement of mainstream media. While celebrity culture and the next-big-thing occupied the airwaves, Iron Maiden were embarking on the marathon 192-date 1984/5 World Slavery Tour, playing at the formative, standard-setting Rock In Rio in 1985, and mounting a command performance at the biggest-ever Monsters Of Rock festival at Donington in 1988 with 107,000 fans in attendance. But it’s really Iron Maiden’s gritty resolve to always push the boundaries that gives their career such astonishing distinction.

From historically groundbreaking performances in Poland behind the Iron Curtain in 1984 at the height of the Cold War, around South America in 1991, through the Middle East and India in 2007, and Indonesia in 2011 among many others, Iron Maiden’s relentless forward momentum has left an indelible impression on the globe.

The changing landscape of the ‘90s proved to be a difficult time for heavy metal bands in general, but Iron Maiden pressed ever-forward, notching up yet more success with albums like 1992’s acclaimed Fear Of The Dark and even weathering the departure of Bruce Dickinson in 1993. The band made two strong albums with new singer Blaze Bayley and continued to honour their commitment to intensive touring. However, it was the return of Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith (who originally left the band in 1990) in 1999 when Iron Maiden became a six-piece, that established the ultimate Iron Maiden line-up of Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Steve Harris on bass, Nicko McBrain on drums and “the three amigos” – Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers - on guitar, and heralded a new golden age of Maiden and the band’s monumental third act.

It began with the release of the landmark Brave New World album in 2000, swiftly followed by 2003’s diverse and ingenious Dance Of Death album and its dark and daring follow-up, 2006’s A Matter Of Life And Death. This trio of releases, and the accompanying tours which saw them playing to millions of people around the world, proved Maiden could still dazzle fans and critics alike, all the while upending the notion that veteran acts should bask in the glow of former glories. Maiden instead opted to never be predictable while remaining predictably brilliant.

There is perhaps no better visual illustration of these triumphs than the band’s decision to charter their own 757 – Ed Force One – which would be flown by none other than Bruce Dickinson himself, by then a qualified airline captain. 2008’s ensuing Somewhere Back In Time Tour took the band 50,000 miles around the world in 45 days, and it also made for an unforgettable image – a band taking to the skies under its own steam both figuratively and literally. They did it again under the banner of 2010’s The Final Frontier Tour in support of the album of the same name. Fittingly, the release of 2016’s The Book Of Souls – a 92-minute masterpiece and the band’s first double-album – saw a corresponding upgrade to a 747 Jumbo Jet (again piloted by Dickinson) but revealed no change to their ongoing determination to always reach new lands, this time playing debut shows in El Salvador, Lithuania and China.

The Legacy of the Beast Tour would follow in 2018 – a stunning summation of the band’s creative output to date and a clever tie-in with Iron Maiden’s award winning mobile game of the same name. Only a global pandemic could halt the momentum of that world-beating tour, but rest is not in Maiden’s vocabulary, and September 2021 saw the release of Maiden’s stunning 17th album, Senjutsu – their first record in six years. It would debut at #1 in 27 countries, a colossal achievement only rivaled by the uncompromising artistic vision contained therein: proof positive of Maiden’s trademark ability to summit dizzying heights and keep going. It would also herald an emotional return to the live stage with a fusion of the classic Legacy Of The Best set-list with thrilling new Senjutsu tracks to sold-out arenas around the world, including an unforgettable return to Rock in Rio.

2023 would see Maiden continuing a Herculean upswing with a triumvirate of history-making headlines. First came the news that the Royal Mail UK were set to immortalise Iron Maiden with their very own set of commemorative stamps. A rare honour, it was an expression of Maiden’s undeniable status as one of the United Kingdom’s greatest exports and their unquestionable influence on world culture. Even Eddie got one. Then came Trooper beer’s tenth anniversary – a Bruce-curated range of beers named after the seminal single of the same name from 1983’s Piece Of Mind album. Trooper beer has now sold a staggering 38 million pints in 68 countries around the world.

And finally, spearheaded by artwork that perfectly encapsulates Maiden’s steadfast ability to chart new territory while remaining true to its roots and ever-growing legacy, 2023 saw the launch of The Future Past Tour, a stunning visual and sonic blend of new music from Senjutsu and the band’s desire to revisit 1986’s revered Somewhere in Time album, the world tour continued into 2024 to ecstatic response.

The tour would also see drummer Nicko McBrain announcing taking a step back from the touring life. Having recovered against the odds from a TIA in 2023 that left him originally unable to use his right side, he valiantly returned to the drumstool for both legs of the world tour. The ‘handsome one’ would play his final show with the band after a remarkable 42 years behind the kit at The Future Past’s concluding show in São Paulo. It made for an emotional farewell for the beloved sticksman. Maiden’s world continued to turn however, and it was not long before veteran British Lion drummer Simon Dawson was announced for the Run For Your Lives tour, because if there’s anything to be learned by now it’s that Maiden never sit still for long, and their ability to make the extraordinary seem routine has never wavered.

The first leg of the Run For Your Lives Tour would be met with exceptional reviews as well as a deeply moving and historic homecoming at London Stadium – the home of Steve’s beloved team, West Ham United FC. It would make for an auspicious start to a two year tour which will also see the release of an official book – Infinite Dreams – as well as a feature documentary via Universal Pictures.

Run For Your Lives will continue in 2026 – a stadium tour designed to fire the imagination and continue Maiden’s lifelong commitment to reach ever-loftier summits with a set list and a fully modernized production designed to delight fans of every generation: a world-spanning celebration of the past, the present, and the eternal living legend that is Iron Maiden.

Alexander Milas
Eddietor, the official Iron Maiden Fan Club

AC/DC were founded by brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar), with Colin Burgess (drums), Larry Van Kriedt (bass guitar) and Dave Evans (lead vocals). They underwent several line-up changes before releasing their Australasian-only debut album, High Voltage (1975). Membership stabilised after the release of Let There Be Rock (1977), with the Young brothers, Phil Rudd on drums, Cliff Williams on bass guitar and Bon Scott on lead vocals. Seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and English singer Brian Johnson was then recruited as their new frontman. Their first album with Johnson, Back in Black (1980), dedicated to Scott's memory, became the second best-selling album of all time. Their eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (1981), was their first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. Rudd was fired partway through the Flick of the Switch sessions in 1983 and was replaced by Simon Wright, who was replaced by Chris Slade six years later.

AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of album The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only record to feature Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice, was the second highest-selling record of 2008 and their highest chart peak since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching number one worldwide. The band's line-up remained the same for 20 years until 2014, when Malcolm retired due to early-onset dementia, from which he died three years later; additionally, Rudd was charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Angus and Malcolm's nephew, Stevie Young, replaced Malcolm and debuted on the album Rock or Bust (2014). On the accompanying tour, Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose replaced Johnson for the rest of the tour dates due to a risk of hearing loss. Williams retired at the end of the tour and the band entered a two-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020; the band's seventeenth studio album, Power Up, was released two months later. Its supporting tour was announced in February 2024, with drummer Matt Laug and bassist Chris Chaney replacing Rudd and Williams, though both remain official members.

W.A.S.P. was a target in the mid-1980s by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live... in the Raw. Their most well-known songs include "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)", "I Wanna Be Somebody", "L.O.V.E. Machine", "Wild Child", "Blind in Texas", "Forever Free", "The Headless Children", "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" and "The Idol", as well as their cover versions of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor" and The Who's "The Real Me".^{[citation needed]} The band's most recent studio album, Golgotha, was released in 2015 and they are currently working on new material.

W.A.S.P. began following the demise of Circus Circus, a Los Angeles-based band featuring Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper. The original lineup of W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 by Lawless, Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards. The band became notorious for its raunchy and, at times, shocking live shows. Lawless was known to tie semi-naked models to a torture rack, and to also hurl raw meat into the audience.^[10] The band's debut single, entitled "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)", and its cover were equally controversial.^[10]

The first lineup did not last for long, as Fox was let go and went on to join the band Steeler with vocalist Ron Keel and a then-unknown guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. He was replaced by Don Costa, the bassist in Richards' former band, Dante Fox (which later evolved into Great White). Shortly afterward, Costa also left the band and his position on the bass was filled by Brayden Parker. In 1983, guitarist Chris Holmes joined the band.

W.A.S.P. signed to Capitol Records for their debut album, W.A.S.P., released on August 17, 1984.^[10] The debut was at one time planned for release with the title Winged Assassins. The band's first single, "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)", was omitted from the album in the United States to prevent it from being banned from major chain stores.^[10] W.A.S.P. was accompanied by the band's first world tour, performing with numerous bands such as Kiss,^[11] Iron Maiden,^[12] Dokken,^[11] Krokus,^[13] Helix,^[13] Quiet Riot,^[14] Armored Saint,^[15] and a then-relatively unknown Metallica.^[15]

Shortly afterwards, the band made an appearance in the 1984 film The Dungeonmaster and on the soundtrack to Ghost Warrior with the song "Tormentor".^{[citation needed]}

"L.O.V.E. Machine" and "I Wanna Be Somebody" helped the album sell, and set the band up for "Blind in Texas", a song written in St. Paul, Minnesota, by Lawless. The song was included on their next album The Last Command, which was released in October 1985.^[10] The Last Command remains W.A.S.P.'s highest-charting album, peaking at No. 47 on the Billboard album chart. "Blind in Texas" is perhaps their best known song, more than three decades after its release.^[10] The Last Command was also the first album with new drummer Steve Riley (formerly of Keel),^[10] who had replaced Richards at the beginning of the 1984-1985 tour. W.A.S.P. supported the album by participating in two arena tours, opening for Kiss on their Asylum tour,^[16] and, along with a then-unknown Anthrax, they supported Black Sabbath on their Seventh Star tour.^[17]

After The Last Command tour, Piper departed the band.^[10] Former King Kobra bassist Johnny Rod joined W.A.S.P. as Lawless went back to playing rhythm guitar.^[10] Around this time, W.A.S.P. became a very prominent target of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC),^[10] an organization led by Tipper Gore and dedicated to opposing music with lyrics deemed violent or overtly sexual in content. This lowered the band's reputation to such a degree that concert halls were getting bomb threats, band members were receiving death threats by the hundreds, and Lawless was shot at twice (though not hit). The controversy generated valuable publicity for the band.^[1]

With the lineup changes made, they recorded their third album, titled Inside the Electric Circus.^[10] It was released in October 1986,^[10] and a near year-long world tour in support of the album followed, including supporting Iron Maiden on their Somewhere in Time tour in Europe,^[18] and a headlining North American tour with Slayer, Raven and Saxon.^[19] Inside the Electric Circus received a mixed reaction from the music press: it was considered a big hit with W.A.S.P. fans, while critics, on the other hand, dismissed it as "7th-grader rock".^{[citation needed]} Songs like "Shoot From The Hip" and the minor hit single "95-N.A.S.T.Y." helped the band live up to the reputation of one of the possible meanings of their band name, "We Are Sexual Perverts". However, Blackie Lawless himself, known to be a harsh critic of his own work, cited in the album's re-release liner notes that Inside the Electric Circus was "[a] tired record by a tired band." Ultimately it was an unfavorable critical review of the single "95-N.A.S.T.Y." that convinced Lawless to take some time off and reconsider the band's creative direction.

In 1987, W.A.S.P. had their song "Scream Until You Like It" included on the soundtrack of the movie Ghoulies 2. The same year, a few dates during the Inside the Electric Circus tour were recorded and on November 27, 1987, the Long Beach Arena concert was released as the Live... in the Raw album.^[10] By this time, Riley had left W.A.S.P. to join L.A. Guns, and was replaced by local drummer Chad Nelson.^[10] Then-eighteen-year-old Glenn Soderling, who had recorded an album in 1983 with the band Pandemonium, then joined the band,^[20] but did not play any shows due to Holmes' illness.^[20] Soderling left during rehearsals^[21] and was replaced by Kelly Martella for their Donington appearance and a Top of the Pops performance of "Scream Until You Like It" on the BBC.^[22] Martella went on to join the band Silent Rage in 1988. Soderling later surfaced under the name "Tripp Holland" in the band Engines of Aggression^[23] with former Tomorrow's Child members Rik Schaffer and Craig Dollinger,^[24] and is currently making music for TV shows as staff writer with Supersonic Noise.^[25]

W.A.S.P.'s fourth studio album, The Headless Children, was released in April 1989, and was their first album without any overtly sexually explicit songs.^[10] The album reached the band's highest chart position with No. 48^[26] on the Billboard 200 before falling off the charts in 13 weeks. However, it was W.A.S.P.'s most critically acclaimed work up to that point and, according to a recent Lawless interview,^{[citation needed]} it is now the highest-selling W.A.S.P. album to date. The drumming duties for the album were handled by former Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.^[10] It features two of the band's most highly acclaimed songs, the power ballad "Forever Free" and a cover of The Who's "The Real Me". W.A.S.P. went on tour in the United States with Accept and Metal Church to support The Headless Children, playing at smaller venues such as clubs and theaters, as opposed to the arenas and stadiums that had propelled the band into success.^[27]

Chris Holmes left the band in August 1989, stating that he wanted to "have fun, you know." Lawless responded with a caustic remark about the fact that "some guys want to stay at home and wear aprons," hinting at the nature of Chris Holmes' relationship with his new wife Lita Ford. The band effectively disbanded a few months later, with Blackie Lawless embarking on a short lived solo career.^[10] Lawless was originally slated to play the T-1000 terminator in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but was later replaced by Robert Patrick after Arnold Schwarzenegger deemed Lawless "too tall" (1.93m).^[28] Blackie commenced work on his solo project, but under pressure from both promoters and fans, he released it as a W.A.S.P. album. Ironically, many critics feel that the resulting concept album, The Crimson Idol, has been the best W.A.S.P. output so far.^{[citation needed]}

The follow-up to The Crimson Idol was Still Not Black Enough (1995), a collection of dark, introspective tunes that extended the Crimson Idol mythology.^[10] This time, rather than "hiding behind" alter ego Jonathan Steele, Lawless spoke directly to the audience about his own feelings (as stated in the liner notes). While the album lacked the cohesiveness of its predecessor, the lyrics still explored similar topics to Crimson Idol: being an outcast and misfit, the pressures of fame and society, and the search for love. Still Not Black Enough also included cover songs as "bonus tracks". The initial European edition included a different track listing from the American version and a subsequent American re-issue featured yet a different track listing. No version to date includes all the various tracks on one disc.

Chris Holmes returned to W.A.S.P. in 1996 and together they released Kill.Fuck.Die (1997) and Helldorado (1999).^[10] They also recorded two live albums from these tours, Double Live Assassins and The Sting respectively. The Sting CD and DVD were taken directly from an experimental webcast that Lawless claims to have had no control over. This release angered him as he was unhappy with the sound and picture quality.

The band continued with the album Unholy Terror in 2001. Holmes left the band once again that year, stating that he wanted to "play the blues". He hooked up with fellow ex-W.A.S.P. member Randy Piper's band Animal, but soon dropped out of that project also. Holmes, for his part, has claimed he never played on Unholy Terror.^[29]

Dying for the World, released in 2002, was written and recorded in less than a year which is very fast by Lawless' perfectionist standards. Its liner notes feature one of Lawless' strongest statements about political correctness, inspired by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In April 2004, W.A.S.P. released the first part of The Neon God, subtitled The Rise, a conceptual album about an abused and orphaned boy who finds that he has the ability to read and manipulate people. The second part, The Demise, was released in September 2004.

In 2005, W.A.S.P. headlined American Metal Blast. A video shoot for the track "Never Say Die" was planned with Ward Boult, a fetish photographer, directing. To this day, there has been no news as to whether the shoot resulted in anything concrete. It would have been the first W.A.S.P. promo video in ten years, the last being 1995's "Black Forever".

Early 2006 saw the seemingly stable lineup fall apart. Long-time session and tour drummer Stet Howland left first (on amicable terms), promising more specific information about the reasons for the split to be posted on his website. Larry Howe of Vicious Rumors was considered as a replacement. In May, the departure of guitarist Darrell Roberts, who went on to join the band Five Finger Death Punch, was announced and new guitar player Mark Zavon was brought in several days before the first tour date. The same press release confirmed Mike Dupke, and not Howe, would be the new drummer. Furthermore, two days later, Zavon was out of the picture as well, seeing Doug Blair step in on guitar.

A new album, Dominator was planned for release in October 2006, according to a statement made by Blackie Lawless at a tour stop in Kavarna. He then went on to play a new song from the album, entitled Mercy. A few weeks later, the release of the album was postponed until April 2007, with the band recording two news songs and dropping two cover songs, to be used instead as bonus tracks. In October 2007, W.A.S.P. embarked on The Crimson Idol Tour, to celebrate that album's 15th anniversary. It was the first time that the album, often regarded to be among the band's finest work, was performed in full from start to finish. The tour kicked off in Greece, in Thessaloniki at the Principal Club Theater on October 26, 2007.

The release of the Dominator album was finalized for April 16 in the UK, April 20 in Scandinavia with the rest of mainland Europe following on April 27. The release dates for South America and Russia followed in early May.

Dominator reached No. 72 on the charts in Germany.^[30]

W.A.S.P. canceled their North American tour due to their record label's loss of a distributor.^{[citation needed]} They were going to finish up their shows in Europe and then reschedule their shows in the United States. They were unable to finish the shows in Europe because of a "family illness that needed immediate attention" which forced the band to return to Los Angeles right away. They were originally going to perform at Rocklahoma. As the tour was canceled, W.A.S.P. was not able to perform at Rocklahoma and was replaced by Queensrÿche.

W.A.S.P. announced a European tour which included dates in Scotland, England and other places throughout Europe in late October 2007.

W.A.S.P. released their fourteenth studio album, entitled Babylon in late 2009, via Demolition Records.

Shortly after the release of Babylon, Blackie Lawless declared that he was never going to play the song "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)" live again, due to his religious beliefs.^[31] These beliefs are what have allegedly been behind Blackie Lawless' self-censorship of his own lyrics during the "Babylon World Tour", most notably during the performance of "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)".

On The Beast of Babylon Tour, Blackie canceled two shows within a week of each other. The first cancellation came about at the Gramercy Theater in New York City after the band discovered that the venue had been selling V.I.P. meet and greet tickets for twice the amount of the general admission price. The band made a statement claiming, "We have never charged a fan for an autograph and will never charge any fans for an autograph."^[32] The second cancellation occurred when the Crocodile Rock venue in Allentown, Pennsylvania wanted 50% of all of the band's profit, according to Lawless.

On September 21, 2012, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first ever live show by kicking off a world tour at The Forum in London. The set for the tour was split into three sections: songs from the first four albums, a cut-down rendition of the Crimson Idol performance and a final segment for newer material.^[33]

W.A.S.P.'s fifteenth studio album, Golgotha, was released on October 2, 2015.^[34] The album took four years to materialize.^[35]

W.A.S.P. toured in 2017 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of The Crimson Idol. To coincide with this anniversary, the band released Reidolized (The Soundtrack to the Crimson Idol) on February 2, 2018, which came with the original The Crimson Idol movie on DVD and Blu-ray, and includes six tracks that were originally intended to be part of the original version of the album.^[36]

In December 2017, it was reported that W.A.S.P. had been working on new material for the follow-up to Golgotha.^[7] No news on the album had surfaced for more than three years, until December 2020 when Loudwire listed it as one of the 88 "Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums" of 2021.^[8] Progress on a new album had continued to be slow by January 2022, when frontman Blackie Lawless stated in an interview with Eddie Trunk that the band has "quite a bit of material that [they've] been working on diligently actually."^[9] He reiterated the album's slow progress in July 2024.^[37]

Former W.A.S.P. drummer Frankie Banali died of pancreatic cancer on August 20, 2020,^[38] making him the second deceased member of The Crimson Idol-era lineup, following Bob Kulick who had died three months earlier.^[39]

The band embarked on their first North American tour in over a decade from October to December 2022, with support from Armored Saint, and on selected dates, Michael Schenker.^[40] While on their North American tour, Lawless stated that he and the band use backing tracks in their live performances during a Q&A session.^[41] Additional tours, including in Europe and North America, were rescheduled to spring 2023 and again to 2024 due to the pandemic situation in Europe as well as Lawless' "extensive back injuries".