GWAR – Bloody Pit of Horror
It's hard to believe that politically incorrect costumed freaks (or exiled 'Scumdogs of the Universe' depending on your perspective) GWAR have been assaulting our eardrums (and eyes, if you've ever seen them live) for more than 25 years. Like a nihilistic, X-rated Lordi, GWAR are not so much a band so much as a grotesque, tongue-in-cheek spectacle and, with their heavy reliance on the visual aspects of the band, their audio releases don't always do them justice.
'Bloody Pit Of Horror' is GWAR's thirteenth studio release and, as you would expect, sticks to familiar themes; Gross-out humour and/or apocalyptic imagery are what GWAR are all about (check out 'The Litany of The Slain', or the tastefully titled 'Tick-Tits' which, according to vocalist Oderus Urungus, is "about a chick whose tits are covered in ticks...big fat gray puffy ones")
The first part of the album is taken up with the four tracks that comprise 'The Bloody Pit Of Horror'. These numbers, with the exception of 'Pt 2 - Come The Carnivore' (a mournful track in the style of Forest Of Equilibrium-era Cathedral), are Punk-tinged metal and the rest of the album continues in a similar vein, occasionally venturing into thrashier territory such as on 'KZ Necromancer'.
Considering the scorn occasionally heaped on GWAR by those who take their music too seriously, 'Bloody Pit Of Horror' is surprisingly technical in places and, whilst it's not breaking any new ground, it's a solid slab of humorously pernicious Metal and 'bloody' good fun.