ALBUM REVIEW ~ GWAR ~ 'THE NEW DARK AGES'

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GWAR’s album The New Dark Ages comes out June 3rd, 2022 on Pit Records. I’ve been a fan of GWAR for the last decade, though their fandom stretches back to their beginnings in Richmond, Virginia in 1984. I’ve photographed several of the band’s GWAR-BQ festivals and gotten absolutely splattered in blood at their shows. GWAR has always been fearless, unapologetic, and quite literally out of this world. I expected delightful chaos from The New Dark Ages and was thrilled to get my grubby, maggot hands on a copy to review.

According to the band, The New Dark Ages is a time when “Ancient and unspeakable terrors again plague the Earth, forces that threaten to bring an End to the Age of Man, once and for all. This album tells the story of a timeless evil emerged from GWAR’s distant past to threaten mankind’s pathetic attempts at evolution, twisting and perverting the modern world and using technology to polarize mankind to the point that reality itself has split into two distinct universes, a…Duoverse, if you will (or even if you won’t)!

The New Dark Ages chronicles GWAR’s adventures in the Duoverse, where the band rediscovers old powers such as Blóthar’s terrifying Berserker Mode, and encounter new allies, such as the murderous maven known as The Cutter. Along the way, they battle the living monuments of a lost cause and armies of undead soldiers who Rise Again to fight a New Civil War. The New Dark Ages is a journey through the archetypes of the human imagination, as our anti-heroes live again horrific fairy tales such as that of the old Ratcatcher, the Pied Piper, reminding us that the spirit of GWAR is as old as storytelling itself. Having unleashed destructive technology, humans pray The Beast Will Eat Itself, but it is down to GWAR to charge Unto the Breach in an epic battle between science and the supernatural.”

The song “New Dark Age” didn’t immediately lure me in. It sounded like GWAR, but softer, not in a fun “Sick of You” type way, but in something I wasn’t sure I liked. It was a disappointing start. The lyrics are GWAR-like, but the song didn’t do it for me. “Blood Libel” was a little better, but still not quite what I was hoping for. It would be boring if bands didn’t experiment with new sounds and techniques from time to time. While I’m not typically the type of fan to whine about any slight deviation in sound, this song just didn’t do it for me either.

Thankfully, “Berserker Mode” is when the album became fun. The riff started up and I actually smiled. “Berserker Mode” sounded like the GWAR we all know and fear. The vocals were rough in all the right places and the music chaotic. This is an excellent highlight of The New Dark Ages and when it truly grabbed my attention and made me want to rock out. “Berserker Mode” should have been the first track.

“Mother Fucking Liar” was a great blend of what GWAR was going for with an update to their sound blended with what fans expect. It was new without losing sight of their history and what the fans come back for (chaos and violence!). I can see this being a track played live right before they feed the leader of the latest political scandal towards the meat grinder, and trust me, that’s a good thing. This is when the mythos used to describe the album began to make sense with the sound. It’s when the album’s story sucked me in.

“Completely Fucked” was another stand out track for me. It starts with a killer riff and when the full band joined in, I pictured wild mosh pits and crowd surfers. This is one I hope to see live at future shows. It is the essence of chaos.

I also enjoyed “The Beast Will Eat Itself” because of its catchiness and the slow group vocals. I visualized a trippy music video a la Phallus in Wonderland when listening to this song and it was perfect.

“Venom of the Platypus” is cool too. It takes a minute to get going but then it’s a lot of fun. For those of you who play guitar, this would be a cool one to experiment with.

“Ratcatcher” has an old-school metal vibe. It also sounds like punk rock story time for those of you acquainted with Green Jello. It’s fun.

The New Dark Ages gets off to a rough start, but stick with it for the story and the journey the band takes you on. The whole album is worth a listen at least once, and I have no doubt you will end up with several new GWAR tracks to add to your playlists and music rotation by the time it’s done. I personally recommend “Berserker Mode,” “Completely Fucked,” “The Beast Will Eat Itself,” and “Ratcatcher.” GWAR fans and new listeners alike will find something they like in The New Dark Ages. There’s plenty of variety. It’s no This Toilet Earth, but the times have changed and so has GWAR. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Give it a shot. And has anyone seen Sleazy’s crack rock?

I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Jojo Key