ALBUM REVIEW: The New Dark Ages – GWAR
The universes favourite Scumdogs GWAR make a long awaited return with their new album The New Dark Ages and it doesn’t disappoint as the band blast through fifteen high octane gargantuan metal anthems in what could be the most diverse GWAR album to date. The songs on this album are packed full of twists and turns and the band combine a multitude of different styles with a catchy and fun vibe to create an extremely entertaining record.
While their infamous live show is what a lot of people think off straight away when GWAR are mentioned and is still talked about in revered tones (and rightly so as it is a thing of blood and other fluids soaked glory!), the bands recorded output is up there with it, with a whole host of brilliant albums like Scumdogs Of The Universe, Hell-O, Ragnarok and their last album The Blood Of Gods and you can definitely add The New Dark Ages to that list.
Kicking off with New Dark Age, the band tear through the album with an exhilarating pace and don’t let up as they crank out future GWAR anthems like Blood Libel, Mother Fucking Liar, The Cutter (featuring guest vocals from Lzzy Hale whose voice works really well over the GWAR sonic assault), the completely unhinged Venom Of The Platypus and the hypnotic heaviness of Starving Gods. GWAR don’t let up at all as the album rages on and the whole affair radiates with energy, even when the grooves are slowed down, something that, of course, adds to the varied nature of the album.
The album has its own graphic novel that ties in with what’s going on here, but even without that visual element to elevate another GWAR experience, The New Dark Ages is good enough to stand on its own as a great collection of metal songs.
It has to be stated too, even though if he made his GWAR recorded debut as vocalist with their last album, Blothar The Berserker really comes into his own on this album, his commanding and diverse voice really takes centre stage on this album (and he definitely does his own thing and is a fine replacement who admirably stepped into the formidable shoes of the sadly missed and departed from this world GWAR icon that was Oderus Urungus and has proved to be a fine addition for the mighty GWAR), while the rest of the longtime GWAR gang (BalSac, The Jaws Of Death, Jizmak Da Gusha, Pustulus Maximus and Beefcake The Mighty really let loose throughout the album (especially on a song like Completely Fucked).
The New Dark Ages is a great album and one that sees GWAR gorging a new future for themselves in the most vibrant and not giving a fuck way. This a record to forgot all the world problems too and just to have a bloody good deal of fun, the GWAR way!
Rating: 7/10
The New Dark Ages is out now via Pit Records.
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