It seems unfathomable to think that Gwar has been around for 40 years. A band so weird, extreme and unmarketable, that especially in these times of people being offended by more and more it’s shocking to see them still here and still successful. Their unwavering commitment to their bit and their continued prescence in the metal world should be studied.
The Return of Gor Gor is the bands first release featuring new material since the release of The New Dark Ages in 2022. A multi media project that comprises of the tituler E.P, a 32 page comic book and the accompanying music videos. In addition plush toys of Gor Gor will also be available. All of this will help tie together the story of how the bands pet dinosaur Gor Gor has returned and what he has been doing in his time away from Gwar.
The E.P features 3 brand new songs and 4 live ones. The Great Circus Train Disaster comes flying out of the blocks, a nightmarish, psychotic freak out of a track. It’s classic Gwar that throws the listener right back into the strange world of the band.
Lot Lizard is punchy thrashy number. All gonzo, bug eyed lunacy and maniacal acid trip riffing. This one delves into more of the story, explaining what has become of Gor Gor in the most insane way possible.
The last of the new tracks is Tyrant King, which is arguably the heaviest of the new tracks on offer here. A stomping goliath of a track. Raging around like the titular dinosaur the E.P revolves around. 40 years of doing this has certainly not taking any of the edge or creativity off of Gwar. The 3 new songs on display here all offer something unique, each of with their own flavour and their own part to play in the story of Gor Gor. It’s also a tantalizing tease of where Gwar go from here as they prepare for the next chapter in their storied career.
The 4 live songs taken from Gwars 2024 tour find them in fine form and are further proof of what a great live band are. Even without all the bells and whistles that make up the live experience, they are still a force to be reckoned with live, with their trademark banter caught between the songs, the likes of Crack the Egg, The Founding Fathers and America Must Be Destroyed all sound as beefy and huge as they do on record.
The Return of Gor Gor is a really fun stop gap release from Gwar that reintroduces one of the most popular characters from the bands lore and does it in a fun way that only Gwar can do. The new material shows off the form they are still on and gives the fans something to tide them over until a new album arises.
The Return of Gor Gor is out on July 25th via Pit Records. For further information on Gwar head here
