Scumdogs of the Universe

After a rather lackluster debut (Hell-O!), Gwar decided to head back into the studio and completely reinvent their sound and go for a more upbeat thrash-oriented sound. Of course, one could see this as them following the current trends, but this new sound proved to be completely necessary. No more is the painfully generic punk sound here. We have a truly thrashing and fun album on our hands right here.

I'm not going to outright call myself a Gwar expert. I couldn't name a single character outside of Oderus and Balsac, but this doesn't mean I do not have a lot to say about them. I have listened to their entire discography and have heard their high points and low points, and overall, I think this and America Must Be Destroyed are tied at the high point, with Scumdogs of the Universe being only a smidgen better. This is due to such amazing (or Gwartastic) tracks such as The Salaminizer, Sick of You, King Queen, Maggots, Slaughterama, amongst many others.

The opener is the aforementioned The Salaminizer, and it's a huge departure from the content featured on Hell-O! The track has fast riffs, a catchy chorus, and absolutely hilarious lyrics. The rest of the album is kind of consistent in these regards, though there are some oddballs, with the most notable one being Slaughterama, which is a parody of gameshow themes, mixed in with some rap / hip hop (I cannot tell the difference) and some metal. It's pretty neat, but not my personal cup of tea (I can't help but hum it from time to time though). King Queen is a banger as well, and has a pretty good riff amongst funny lyrics, as per usual. I cannot stand the extended 8 minute version on the 30th anniversary remix though (that remix sounds awful by the way).

This album's main highlight and the band's biggest song is the iconic and catchy Sick of You. "SICK! OF! YOU! I'M SO SICK, SO SICK OF YOU!" is so fun to sing along to, it should be illegal. You can also hear the Misfits influence in this song in particular, and I guess this song is the most punk sounding song on the entire album (I'd assume this one was written way back during the Hell-O! days but was fully fleshed out for this album), but it still has more going to it than a normal punk song. It's just beyond fantastic and I adore it.

There are some tracks on this album that I feel are mildly unnecessary. I'm not a giant fan of Cool Place to Park or Death Pod, not bad by any means, just pretty average compared to the rest of the beyond stellar album. There's one song that I just cannot get personally - Sexecutioner. I'm not going to say this track is bad, because it isn't, but I just don't personally get why people rave about it so much. It just feels like a lesser version of the rest of the songs on the album. Overall though, Scumdogs of the Universe is an amazing album, and I think it should be listened to at least once by everyone that calls themselves a metalhead.

The overall sound on this album is very thrash oriented, with some leftover punk elements from Hell-O!. This means the songs manage to be fast and catchy at the same time, and for something that's this offensive, I think that's completely necessary for this album. Oh yeah, and the mixing is very impressive as well. I'm not a fan of that remix that released recently either. It completely ruins the overall tone and style of this album. If you're gonna listen to it, please listen to the original mix.

I give Scumdogs of the Universe a 9/10, and a 95%. Check out: Sick of You, Salaminizer, King Queen, Maggots, Slaughterama

Nearly two years ago, I took an amble look at GWAR’s debut ‘Hell-O’ and stated that the band is typically known for only three albums in terms of musical/critical acclaim. You’ll get some that really like ‘Lust in Space’, “Beyond Hell’, or hell, even ‘RagNaRok’ but the one album that the band consistently promotes and the album that fans clamor for is ‘Scumdogs of the Universe’. While this album isn’t my personal favorite, it’s one of the best GWAR has to offer and for good reason too. Not only does it represent a musical evolution from the clunky, unprofessional, yet enjoyable ‘Hell-O’, it’s also a sideshow attraction of hearty, meaty and impressive songs. Though not technical, the songs are more complex than those of GWAR’s old, and the improved production went a long way to emphasize it. Strap yourselves in bohabs, GWAR is sick of you and wrote these songs as a way of showing how they intend to destroy you.

GWAR’s musical style has always been difficult to pin down, especially with each album and even certain sections, changing things up ever so slightly, or not slightly at all. Scumdogs, I believe stands in defiance of that funnily enough, at least for the 90s era, being their most stylistically consistent of the bunch. This album is pure thrashing fun, and as someone who isn’t particularly fond of thrash, this album nails it on the head. I’ve heard certain enjoy thrash because of the riffs, so if that’s the case, this album has riffs for days. From the second you hit play on this album, it serenades you with the catchiest, most invigorating and memorable thrash riffs I have ever heard. They encapsulate the word ‘thrash’, because that’s what they make me want to do! It may seem like a base level compliment, but it’s a feeling I only get listening to good old GWAR. Only a grossly cartoonish band like GWAR could put pen to paper and make thrash riffs as animated as they are on Scumdogs.

Speaking of animated, have you read any of the lyrics on this album? They’re hysterical! The show stealer here is ‘Slaughterama’, Don Drakulich’s (a.k.a Sleazy) song. The presentation of a morbid game show cracking even more morbid jokes, all the while decapitating, scalping and killing people is just too fun to pass up. It also helps that Drakulich’s skeevy persona is a match made in heaven for the idea, so much so that I can’t imagine the song with Oderus in his place. In fact, almost every song is deserving of their own micro-dissection, with the glorious, arena rocking, chanting ‘Sick of You’ to the blazing intro of “The Salaminizer’ to Beefcake’s odd, yet awesome parking job in ‘Cool Place to Park’. Every song on here has something unique going on and deserve their own meticulous marveling to fully appreciate them. There are a few duds however, as ‘The Years without Light’ is largely forgettable, especially on the first few listens and so is ‘Vlad the Impaler’. Granted the latter has grown on me with that catchy choir, but I still get into it all that much. It also might be sacrilegious to say but ‘Love Surgery’ took a while to grow on me, along with ‘King Queen’. At the end of the day, I love all but maybe two tracks, and the rest are golden glimmers of crack addicting mayhem.

Another thing that lures me into praising this album is the production and sound of it all. Just as GWAR’s style being consistently inconsistent, the same can be same for their sound. Barring some of the later albums, none of them sound identical and you can almost always name the album based off sound alone. This isn’t my favorite GWAR album in terms of sound, but it has a certain laid-back tone and smooth, clean sound that I can really appreciate. The bass though, stands out in all of its thickeningl-ly, twangy goodness. I’m not a bass aficionado, nor do I claim to be but holy moly this is one of my favorite bass performances of all time. Mike Bishop is probably one of the most underappreciated GWAR musicians and his bass adds a whole new dimension to the record. But don’t let Bishop’s bass burgle the bevy of this bombastic album, as everyone featured on the record crushes it with sickening skill. Flattus’ (Dewey Rowell) leads are hypnotizing and Balsac’s (Mike Derks) rhythms are superbly tight and as catchy as herpes. Jizmak (Brad Roberts) is animalistic on drums and sounds like he cannot be stopped, thumping, stomping and crashing throughout the record with amazing accuracy. And of course, the crème de la crème, the infamous baby crusher, big man and all around dick, Oderus Urungus. Dave Brockie’s vocal delivery for these Saturday morning cartoon rejects could only be ordained by a genius beyond our comprehension. The inflection in his voice delivering line that range from impending doom to making fun of such, is gut-busting. He makes the lyrics his own and plays with them like a child’s [lay thing to great effect. Guest vocal songs are a GWAR staple and ‘Sexecutioner’ singing his own song detailing who he is, is great. I might also add that Beefcake’s song is fun as well, unknowingly foreshadowing Bishop’s later role in the band.

All these praises despite this not being my favorite GWAR album should go to show how great this record is. Though the characters existed previously in GWAR’s lore, Scumdogs introduced Derks and Roberts to the world of GWAR, and they’re still in the band today, which should amplify how well they performed on this album as well as subsequent ones. This album is so good, that it vastly overshadows its predecessor, so much so that I think many would incorrectly describe Scumdogs as GWAR’s first album. After listening to it, I can honestly see someone making that mistake or at least calling it GWAR’s first “true” album. There could be a case to be made for that position, as it introduced integral members to the band, amped up production, created fan favorite songs, kicked off a new decade and marked an era of GWAR’s uprising. At the end of the day however, this record is just a perfect reflection of the GWAR spirit: dudes in alien costumes playing catchy as all hell thrash with crude imagery and lyrics. It’s a simple album and that’s what many admire about it, myself included.

“I’m on this planet, I’m running amok, I should give a shit, but I don’t give a fuck!”

Metal, as a genre, is at its best when its bands aren’t taking themselves too seriously. Certainly there is room for topics of gravity; in fact, every musician should be encouraged to explore these for themselves. But in the realm of heavy metal, it is rarely a good idea to completely abandon its less-serious façade, as it is that “fun,” head-banging, beer-drinking element that has united the great majority of metal’s fans the world over. However the reverse is also true. Never should a so-called “joke” band devolve to the point that there isn’t anything to gain from listening to it (see: The Great Kat, a lot of grindcore) other than a brief chuckle. It is for this reason that I usually abstain from the legion of travelling comedy troupes posing as musicians: I want to listen to music, not a fucking slapstick routine.

GWAR is a pretty notable exception. With their over-the-top stage antics, elaborate costumes, and filthy, juvenile humor, they demand to be noticed. And with their infectiously catchy riffs and punk-inspired recklessness, the demand to be listened to also. Though their catalogue wavers in quality, their second album, Scumdogs of the Universe, is an essential tableau of one of the most musically proficient shock-metal outfits in all of history.

Scumdogs sees the intergalactic space misfits refining their punky spatter into catchy, coherent heavy metal of all shapes and sizes, delivered in a crude packaging that is as entertaining as it is offensive to the faint of heart. Full disclosure: anyone who’s read my Hell-O review could tell you that a primary reason I dislike that album (the band’s unsavory sense of humor) is one of the exact reasons that I enjoy Scumdogs. Hypocrisy, perhaps? I'd like to think it's a bit deeper than that, because while Hell-O was a dirty, repulsive punk album, Scumdogs is nothing less than dirty, repulsive HEAVY METAL, where I’m willing to allow a little gimmicky gross-out tomfoolery to occur as long as the band is metal thrashing mad. It’s like hearing the same joke told by two different comedians: the words may be the same, but the delivery makes all the difference.

In this case, the better musical delivery for the GWAR mythos is obviously metal. And in Scumdogs’ case, it’s basically thrash metal, with a side of punk. And not hardcore punk: this is directly descended from the Ramones/Sex Pistols style punk. Just listen to some of the vocal harmonies and the various “ooh” and “ohs” delivered by Oderus. But otherwise, it’s mostly mid-paced thrash brilliance, riffs like those of “The Salaminizer,” “Horror of Yig,” or “Maggots,” M.O.D. would kill for, and even Exodus would probably be a bit envious of them. For an unserious, marketing experiment, GWAR are surprisingly adept musicians and formidable metalheads. And while their mid-era albums would be marked by experimentation and parodies of other forms of music, here it’s pretty consistently awesome riffage, with the only stylistic variation occurring in some doomy sections, like those of “Love Surgery” or “Sexicutioner” (hilariously sung by Sexicutioner, one of the many characters in the GWAR universe), Oderus even commenting on the mood of the former during one particularly grim moment (“Ooooh scary!”). Another ‘different’ track is “Slaughterama,” sung by the band’s manager Sleazy P. Martini and itself more of a skit than a song in its comically violent lyrical presentation, but it still rules. Unlike most of GWAR’s other albums, there isn’t a weak track in the lot.

“But what good is all the violence in the world, unless it is tempered with limitless sex? Bring on the limitless sex object!”

However, the true brilliance of the album is how, despite the extreme vulgarity in the lyrics, every song is as infectiously catchy as venereal disease. Which, as it happens, is common subject matter throughout the album. Take a sample line like “Your socks they smell, your feet they stink, you never take a bath!” from their anthem “Sick of You.” Could you ever imagine yourself singing along to such a corny lyric? From any other band, probably not, but I assure you, with GWAR you pretty much haven’t a choice. Same goes for raunchier tunes like “Black and Huge” and “King Queen,” so if you’re one of those who absentmindedly find themselves singing in public places, you might want to think twice before listening, lest you belt out “Gay apparel! You put it on, put it on!” in mixed company. And sometimes it’s not even that it’s simply catchy music, sometimes it’s just that it’s freakin’ epic. The bridge bit of “Sexicutioner” has a dramatic slow part with female vocal harmonies which would sound great no matter what band was playing it, but here, with the ridiculous lyrics (“I am from France, and when you are in France, you pull down your pants!”), the result is something so beautifully absurd that it defies all logic. Joke bands aren’t supposed to be this musical. Quality musicians aren’t supposed to be this hilarious. I haven’t heard a band yet that captures this balance in quite the same way GWAR does.

Of course, not everyone has a sense of humor, and there’s a fairly good chance that someone (read: pussies) could be offended by taking the band too seriously (or in this case, even the slightest bit seriously). After all, every GWAR album is a learning experience even for fans and it takes time for the band’s music to really adhere to your tastes. But Scumdogs is the most immediately palatable and the most consistently enjoyable of their albums, as well as one of the most quotable (seriously, read them lyrics). It’s the place to start if you want to know what all the racket is about.

Ohw yes, this is one of the best and most memorable GWAR albums. The band was most popular in Europe in the early nineties with this album and their next and of course the legendary “Phallus in Wonderland” video.

Gwar was different, Gwar was fun. Gwar was highly memorable live. I’ve bought some of their albums after this one and even though “America Must Be Destroyed” was almost just as good as this one, around 1995 (the “Ragnarök” album) me and most others started to loose interest. The band began repeating itself, the scene had changed and the albums just weren’t as good as this one anymore.

What then makes this album better than anything after it (except “America Must Be Destroyed”). Of course the element of surprise is important but also this album has a perfect balance in which no style dominates the other too much and the songs themselves are extremely catchy and full of character.

Gwar sounds like a mixture of well played tight midpaced punk and pounding mid paced thrash metal with rude vocals. Talking about the vocals, Dave Brockie aka ''Oderus Urungus' has nothing less than a characteristic voice and performance which gives the music exactly the right amount of theatre it needs on record without the visual aspect.

Opener “Salaminizer” is one of the fastests song here and the punk influence is most obvious. Second song “Maggots” is uptempo as well and has a strong and catchy chorus. The Fly-sounds are a nice detail as well by the way. (Maggots….BZZZZZ….Maggots….BZZZZZ… maggots are falling like rain). So much fun!

The midpaced “Sick Of You” is a classic. The chorus is highly catchy punk and once you’ve heard it, you’ll never forget it. Most theatrical song is “Slaughterama” which works on album just as well as live. Filled with breaks and jokes it still is extremely funny and heavy. Other highlights include the catchy “vlad The Impaler” and the mighty “Sexecutioner”.

So there is a lot of fun. The lyrics, the outfits, the shows. But the fact remains that these boys (and a girl) can really play (they’re way better than other bands trying to be funny like Green Jelly) and write good compact and often catchy songs. This album was so much better than the rather generic and badly produced first album “Hell-O”. This is the album which (in terms of popularity) actually started it all for GWAR.

Gwar doesn't often get the credit they deserve. Usually they are dismissed by "true" metal fans as too gimicky, and Gwar is dismissed by the "unwashed masses" as being to outrageous.

Fact is, Gwar are fine muscians, and in the early 90s they put together some great albums. Case in point, "Scumdogs Of The Universe."

I first heard this around 1990 while in High School. At the time, my favorite bands were Metallica (hey, Black album hadn't come out yet!), Slayer, and Sepultura. I have to admit that the album cover and lyrics amused me greatly.

As for the music, there really isn't a bad song on the disc. Each musician does a fine job, the production is good, all instruments are plainly heard, and Oderus belts out some great vocals. In fact having seen Gwar in concert a couple of times, I'm convinced that Oderus is the best frontman out there (from an entertainment aspect). He has a great rapport with the audience.

Back to the music. Style wise, the music is mostly slow to mid-paced thrash. There are various sound effects and odd instrumentalization thrown in for enhancement purposes. (Fly sounds in the song "Maggots", accordian on "Horror Of Yig") . The lyrics are completely juvenile yet endlessly entertaining (definately not to be taken seriously).

Generally songs are very accessible, and I don't believe there is a single blast beat to be found.

While it's certainly not the fastest or most extreme music available (even during the time it was released), Scumdogs... is definately a superb album that every metal fan should give a chance.

It's unfortunate that I have to give a numeric rating, as this album is 15 years old now, and I'm very biased towards it due the the part it played in my high school years.