With a whopping four-decades career, when GWAR announced the release of their new EP, The Return of Gor Gor, our expectation went quite high, as regardless of your taste, you can always expect GWAR to deliver fun and outrageous content.
The EP title is bringing the return of the famous dinosaur and sidekick Gor Gor, and the album mixes a blend of a few new songs, and some live (and fun as usual) cuts. Blothar on the return of the beloved character:
“The last time I saw Gor Gor he was just a wee fart dragon. He had crawled on the hood of my Kia Soul and was holding on for dear life while I drove to the store to buy Clamato. I bathed him in wiper fluid and used my wipers to knock him off my sweet ride. Next thing I know, he’s a 20-foot tall trans-species prostitute working a pickle park. Apparently, he’s all grown up and looking for revenge. This record chronicles his struggles as a young Dino- American trying to make his way in a cruel world.”
The concept imagines Gor Gor reborn as a twenty foot trans species prostitute after the death of Oderus Urungus in 2014, and that absurd backstory is part of why fans remain loyal even if newcomers may find the mythology off putting; the missing T Rex saga makes for a fitting pretext to unleash three new cuts and revisit several classics in concert.
The three new tracks show that even after 40 years, the band still has fire in their veins. ‘The Great Circus Train Disaster’ brings their know punk vibe and metal-charged riffs and growled vocals that mock the world while pumping adrenaline into your ears.
‘Lot Lizard‘ is pure thrash glory with maniacal guitar work from Grodius Maximus and lyrics that achieve as much impact as they are nonsensical. Tyrant King closes the studio portion by laying down a heavy groove that conjures images of a dinosaur smashing through walls, and it might be the darkest of the three, yet it remains infused with GWAR style satire and our highlight of the EP.
The live selections include a reimagined America Must Be Destroyed layered with timely samples and a rendition of Fishfuck, which still shocks after all these years. There is also a spoken word skit and Crack in the Egg, which all serve to capture the chaotic thrill of a GWAR show. These tracks work as a souvenir for concert goers, but may feel like extras for those seeking more new material.
Beyond the music, this is a proper multimedia drop with a thirty-two-page comic that expands the myth, plus music videos and collectable toys for diehard fans. It may not convert the uninitiated but it gives loyal followers another reason to celebrate.