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Reidolized (The Soundtrack to The Crimson Idol)

Reidolized (The Soundtrack to The Crimson Idol) is not a revisionist gimmick — it is a reclamation. Released decades after the original The Crimson Idol (1992), this version presents Blackie Lawless’s intended vision in its complete form, restoring narrative elements, dialogue, and structural cohesion that were previously constrained by label pressure and format limitations.

The result is not merely a longer album, but a clearer tragedy.

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A Fully Realized Concept

At its core, The Crimson Idol tells the story of Jonathan Steel — a broken child who grows into a hollow icon, worshipped by millions yet emotionally abandoned. Reidolized sharpens this arc by restoring spoken-word passages and transitions that turn the album into something closer to a rock opera than a traditional metal record.

These narrative interludes do not interrupt the music; they anchor it. The listener is no longer just hearing songs about fame, pain, and alienation — they are following a psychological descent with devastating clarity.

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Themes: Fame as Sacrifice, Love as Absence

What makes Reidolized enduring is its emotional honesty. This is not a glam-metal fantasy of excess; it is a condemnation of idol worship — both the industry’s exploitation of artists and the public’s hunger to consume them.

Songs like “Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)”, “The Idol”, and “Hold On to My Heart” hit harder in this restored context. Jonathan’s rise is no triumph — it is a slow erasure of self, traded for applause and isolation.

The recurring line “I am the Crimson Idol” no longer sounds like a declaration. It sounds like a sentence.

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Musical Identity: Cinematic and Controlled

Musically, Reidolized retains the melodic strength and heavy-metal backbone of the original, but the pacing benefits enormously from the restored structure. Power ballads, aggressive riffs, and theatrical motifs feel intentional rather than episodic.

Blackie Lawless’s vocal performance is central — raw, dramatic, and unguarded. His delivery blurs the line between character and confession, reinforcing the sense that The Crimson Idol was never just fiction.

The album’s production emphasizes atmosphere and storytelling rather than sheer aggression, aligning it more closely with concept-driven works like Operation: Mindcrime or The Wall than with typical early-90s metal releases.

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Why Reidolized Matters

Reidolized does not replace the original album — it reveals it.

It allows listeners to experience The Crimson Idol as it was meant to be: a complete narrative about abandonment, validation, and the cost of being loved by strangers instead of those who matter.

In an era where fame is more accessible — and more hollow — than ever, Reidolized feels disturbingly current. It is not a celebration of rock stardom. It is its autopsy.

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Final Thoughts

Reidolized (The Soundtrack to The Crimson Idol) stands as one of heavy metal’s most emotionally uncompromising concept albums. It proves that W.A.S.P., often misunderstood or underestimated, were capable of creating work that rivals the genre’s most ambitious narratives.

This is not an album to consume casually.
It is an album to endure — and to remember.

No.	Title	Length
1.	“The Titanic Overture”	3:31
2.	“The Invisible Boy”	4:18
3.	“Arena of Pleasure”	6:05
4.	“Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)”	7:44
5.	“The Gypsy Meets the Boy”	4:14
6.	“Michael’s Song”	1:52
7.	“Miss You” (alternate version)	8:07
8.	“Doctor Rockter”	4:02

No.	Title	Length
9.	“I Am One”	6:28
10.	“The Idol”	6:44
11.	“Hold On to My Heart”	4:14
12.	“Hey Mama”	1:41
13.	“The Lost Boy”	4:37
14.	“The Peace”	5:59
15.	“Show Time”	1:11
16.	“The Great Misconceptions of Me”	9:59

Album Cover

W.A.S.P. Band