GWAR: Ushering In A New Dark Age
The universe’s favourite Scumdogs GWAR have returned with a new album called The New Dark Ages and it is a high energy affair that encapsulates everything you love about the band with a whole host of diverse and fun elements going on consistently. With the band riding rising high on the album’s release, we caught up with GWAR vocalist Blothar The Berserker to get the inside scoop on The New Dark Ages and all things GWAR in an extremely entertaining interview. The Scumdogs are back, all hail the Scumdogs.
GWAR have never been a band who would bother themselves with the opinions of puny humans but the reviews for The New Dark Ages have been resoundingly positive, something that Blothar The Berserker is happy about about as he tells us in his frank and upfront manner. “As happy as a grumpy old space Viking can be. Frankly, we are delighted that humans are falling for it. The reviews have been great, but I think it is as it should be. GWAR has quietly been making great records for a long time. It’s time to get loud about it. I suppose most of the old journos who never listened and assumed the band sucked forever, have graduated to other shitty jobs. Or maybe those young enough to have open minds to GWAR have graduated to positions of power. Either way, it does feel like there is a shift in how the band is being received.”
As it turns out, all the chaos that has engulfed the earth in the past two and a half years has been an inspiration for The New Dark Ages, one album cut is aptly titled Completely Fucked and Blothar not only feels that GWAR have played a big part in that but is revelling in both of those aspects. “We are watching the world die and having a party in its ashes. Not the Earth itself, but mankind. The planet is walling off humanity like a virus, to be done with it, and move on. We recognise these times. We’ve always been there watching. Disease, death, technology run amok, science and religion at odds, uncertainty, loss of truth. The world outlook of the Dark Ages was substantially theological and driven by cruel feudalism. Now again, humans are clannish fools, stupid enough to put people in power who believe women should be breeding slaves, and that the world is doomed to end in a fiery conflagration. Why not give them unlimited power and the bomb to work with? Why not stand by and watch murder and genocide? In the middle of it all, GWAR exists like the survivors of the SS Minnow of Gilligan’s Island, stranded on this shit ball for all time. We may as well have some fun.”
The album features a guest appearance from none other than Lzzy Hale who guests on the album track The Cutter. Blothar talks enthusiastically about working with Lzzy and having her feature on a GWAR album. “Lzzy is not of the human race. She is from the Freakazoid Nebulon and she is an intergalactic superstar. She was perfect for the role of the Cutter, a powerful young female who decides to slice open the world rather than her own body. Not to mention, she is such a great singer and a dynamic performer, and hot as Vulcan’s forge!”
There is also a graphic novel that accompanies the new album called In The Duoverse Of Absurdity, which Blothar tells us about in some detail. “This is the first time that we have linked a graphic novel to an album. The album deals with a new age of human suffering where technology has grown beyond human control. The graphic novel takes one aspect of this story, the fracturing of human reality, the fact that people cannot find truth or recognize it, and where all conspiracy theories are true, and presents a world literally divided into multiple realities. In one of these realities, GWAR meets the ALT-GWAR, ourselves but from an alternative universe.”
As it turns out, the members of GWAR have ties with the comic book world that go deep. “GWAR started as a comic book. Dave Brockie was an excellent and hilarious comic artist, as were many of the founding members of the band including the human slaves of some of the founding members. Specifically, underground comics have been important to GWAR. Punk rock inherited this from the hippy movement. Chuck Varga, Hunter Jackson, Don Drakulich, all of these members of GWAR were part of that integration of punk rock and underground comics and important comic artists in their own right. Artists like Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Robert Wiliams, and Richard Corben have all been vital influences on the band.”
Of course GWAR are not of this world but Blothar and the rest of the band still find musical influences that hail from right here on Earth that Blothar talks to us about. “Old ones mostly. Serge Gainsbourg, Weird Al, Eric B and Rakim. We have very broad influences. In general, Earth musicians suck. Dorks who take themselves too seriously, like Kerry King, or douchebag ego maniacs like Sting. GWAR is rooted in the theatricality of British Glam and acts like GENESIS, and ALICE COOPER, but also the stupidity of big rock and metal, the gothicism of BLACK SABBATH, and the punk rock love of humour and novelty song. We love everything from JUDAS PRIEST and the SCORPIONS to TRIO and PINK FLOYD.”
GWAR are looking forward to returning to the UK in August on a tour that includes a date at Bloodstock. Blothar tells us all about what he loves about our fair isles. “We love the UK. The land of shitty food and ugly women. I confine myself to drinking beer and playing snooker the whole time I am over there. I love the dark, crappy weather, the constant dreariness of it all. I confess I do enjoy fried Mars Bars and mushy peas. We love playing for rabid Brits. They are so passionate and fun. Our shows have been great. On the last tour we did, we wrestled Vladimir Putin and President Xi of China in a tag team match-up. It was incredible. Shows have been packed, and people come away stunned and amazed, as always. GWAR is among the greatest live rock bands in history, and all true rock fans should experience the band live.”
The New Dark Ages is out now via Pit Records.
Like GWAR on Facebook.