One of the problems of being a comedy or parody rock band is that it can be difficult to get anyone to take any of your music seriously. True, wearing garish costumes and singing songs which lyrically do not leave much to the imagination while frequently covering their fans with blood (I thought I was safe standing 40 feet from the stage, I was wrong) does not exactly help their cause. But, at the heart of what they do is their unique blend of punk and thrash which makes an interesting lo-fi independent sound. I was convinced I was long past being surprised by anything these guys said or did, but I must confess I never expected them to release a four-track acoustic EP. I mean, one of these tracks even has a banjo on it!

Lead singer Blóthar the Berserker had this to say: “During the quarantine of 2020 I spent long, lonely days with my hand down my pants, hiding out in a fortress made entirely of rolls of toilet paper, drinking hand sanitizer and watching ‘1000-Lb Sisters’… which is business as usual for me. So I was relieved when I got the call to lay down some vocals on “The Disc With No Name.” We recorded this record over the telephone, which was fine with me, because I can’t stand to be in the same room as the other members of GWAR.”

The highlight of the set is the delicate opener which commences with some lovely classical guitar lines before moving into country and western. Needless to say this is a Spinal Tap moment when one realises they are singing about how much they hate the human race, and say that “Oderus, you left us stranded on this world of pus, and in death you have forsaken us”, a reference of course to singer Dave Brockie who died in 2014. The name of this gentle ditty?, “Fuck This Place”. The quartet of songs is much better than one might expect who has only seen them in their over the top garb, and while it may not gain them many new fans, those who have been following their career will find much in here to enjoy.

Rating: 7/10

Links:
https://gwar.net/