Oh GWAR, it’s been a while since the band last graced us with their presence, and now they’re back with a typically over-the-top offering that is both album (a concept album no less), and a graphic novel. Of course, the ever-so-humble band wasted no time in declaring it “the greatest rock record of all time”, which may be overselling it a tad, but it is an incredibly effective outing, aided in no small part by a powerful production job that puts considerable weight behind the band. Indeed, across the fifteen tracks on offer, the band consistently seek to surprise the listener, frequently demonstrating both musical skill and a flair for melody, that sees a number of the tracks set up residence in your head for days after.
Kicking off with a title track that sounds like WASP going head-to-head with Overkill, with bonus autotune thrown in for good measure, the band clearly lost none of their humour during the pandemic. In all honesty, I could do without the random vocal manipulations, but the track itself gets the album off to a solid start. Things get heavier on Blood Libel, which is a surprisingly effective rocker, as is the sweeping Berserker Mode, which mixes NWOBHM with a pinch of thrash. Not dissimilar to the crunchy metal still being touted on any number of Western European independent labels, GWAR may not be pushing to reinvent the wheel, but they tear through these tracks with genuine glee, and you have to admire the ludicrous self-belief these latex-clad monsters continue to exude, nearly thirty-five years after they were first spat into the world. Keeping things heavy, while throwing in the sort of chorus you can imagine being sung back by a field full of beered-up metalheads, Motherfucking Liar is a genuine winner that takes great pleasure in inserting itself into your brain. A brief synthy segue does little other than to remind you that this is a concept album, but the central riff of Unto The Breach is pretty mighty, in a doomy, Dio kinda way. A snippet of dialogue paves the way for Completely Fucked, a fast paced rocker that trades the Sabbathy vibes of its predecessor for driving sleaze rock straight out of the Blackie Lawless school of writing. In contrast, The Cutter has a dirty Anthrax vibe, all thrashy riffs and sneering vocals, harking back to the mid-eighties, when this sort of stuff ruled skate parks the world over, although a melodic mid-section still manages to surprise.
After so energetic a first half, GWAR catch the listener off guard with the funereal organ opening to Rise Again. Fans needn’t worry, for a crunchy riff is never far behind, but it’s still a dynamic track that is more ballad than berserker. Next up, Blothar the Berserker really gets a chance to shine, throwing Alice In Chains’-y harmonies over the angular riffing of The Beast Will Eat Itself, one of the album’s most ambitious offerings. The band aren’t out of surprises yet, either, for Venom of the Platypus kicks off with a dirty synth riff, before plunging into a darker vein of metal. The sleaze returns (with cowbell in tow) for Ratcatcher, one of the album’s weaker tracks, although it still manages to pack in an insistent chorus. Fortunately, Bored to Death is a fantastic track that recalls the anthemic might of Green Jelly’s sneering Cereal Killer album. A short segue, the impressive Temple Ascent is a tribal piece with cinematic ambitions, and it paces the way perfectly for the sinister Starving Gods, which builds up an impressive head of steam. The album concludes with the epic-length Deus Ex Monstrum, a ten-minute instrumental that proves surprisingly evocative.
While still undeniably GWAR, The New Dark Ages is one of the strongest and most varied albums in the band’s catalogue. Like most GWAR albums, it arguably runs a couple of tracks over its fighting weight, but it is, nevertheless, one of the finest entries in the band’s storied canon, underscoring the band’s oft-unsung musical prowess. Indeed, with a solid concept underpinning the writing, and with influences ranging from Dio and Iron Maiden to WASP and Anthrax, the band not only successfully turn in an impressive performance, but also offer a number of classic anthems in the process. Aided no end by a very strong production job, The New Dark Ages is a hell of a ride, and the live shows should be a riot. Good work GWAR, this is one hell of an impressive outing. 8.5/10
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