EP Review: GWAR - The Return Of Gor Gor
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Intergalactic warlords GWAR have been terrorising metal fans for nigh on forty years now; with their over the top heavy musical output and even more outlandish stage shows they have garnered quite the following, a cult if you will. This July, as their interplanetary clock ticks over to their forty first year, they unleash an new work; an EP combined with comic book ‘The Return of Gor Gor’, which tells the tale of a T-Rex (Gor-Gor) lost in a depraved world that is completely alien to him. Those hardcore fans may recognise Gor Gor from the bands early days, and now he returns a grown up T-Rex out to cause terror.
The EP opens with ‘The Great Circus Train Disaster’ which has a distinctively punk feel – harking back to the bands roots – as it starts the tale of Gor Gor’s return. Jarring riffs and Blothars guttural vocals dominate, whilst lyrically there are hints that the real tale of this story is the destruction of the world being caused by certain governmental administrations at the present time. [Blothar went into greater detail of this in our recent interview with him].
‘Lot Lizzard’ is a fast paced thrashing number, taking the punk feel the first song had and adding a more metal element, harking back to the early GWAR records. Whilst ‘Tyrant King’ brings Gor Gor’s story fully to life as the T-Rex unleashes carnage only he can. Again a thrashy affair that really would fit on the ‘Scumdogs…’ album perfectly.
The EP does contain a number of live bonus tracks, including the great ‘America Must Be Destroyed’. But it's those first three songs that hit the story home. Not only for Gor Gor, but read between the lines and GWAR really do have a hard hitting message for us all in these dark times. Accompanying the EP is a comic book depicting Gor Gor’s rise and as a whole package its worth every penny to pick it all up.
This is only a stop gap before GWAR’s next album, which the band are working as as you read this. But if you’re a fan of the Scumdogs of the Universe, then this EP is a must have for your collection.
