W.A.S.P. release their self-titled debut album

W.A.S.P. is the debut eponymous album by W.A.S.P., released August 17, 1984.

The album has been known under three different names. The spine of the vinyl release has Winged Assassins printed on it. Cassette releases of the album had the first track of the album, I Wanna Be Somebody printed in bold letters, as was common for albums named after the first track. The album is now usually referred to as W.A.S.P..

The song "Sleeping (In the Fire)" has been covered by Tiamat and Anders Manga, "Hellion" by Children of Bodom, "L.O.V.E. Machine" by Fallen Man in 2007, Lullacry and Fozzy, "I Wanna Be Somebody" by Sentenced, Catamenia, Witchery, and Gates of Ishtar, and "The Torture Never Stops" by the death metal group Torture Division. The song "School Daze" has been noted to be an adaptation of Alice Cooper's "School's Out."

On its original release, iconic track "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" was removed after record company objections. It was released on an independent label in the UK as a single, then re-instated for the 1998 reissue. Songs are written and composed by Lawless, except "Tormentor" by Lawless & Holmes and "The Flame" by Lawless, Holmes & J. Marquez.

Their song "I Wanna Be Somebody" achieved such success that it was ranked #84 on VH1's list of the top 100 hard rock songs.

This album is regarded among fans as the best W.A.S.P album, along with The Headless Children.