The Blood of Gods

So anyone who has been fearing a full release post-Oderus, allay your fears. Blothar does a wonderful job in his stead. He doesn't try to be Oderus or mimic his style, but instead brings his own flair to the front-man position. His vocals remind me quite a bit of the late Ronnie James Dio, especially on tracks like "I'll be Your Monster". It's that high-end growl that makes it similar, though Blothar doesn't ever quite reach the vocal heights of Dio. There are a few points where his voice seems strained. Not in a over-used way, but he's trying to keep his character's voice going in particularly difficult sections or quiet portions like on "Phantom Limb". The rest of the band performs at the standard they've set for themselves or just below. Not being entirely their fault because the style has changed a bit which we'll talk about in a second. There were some great leads and the best ones that are offered are a tonal match to the vocal pattern, like on "El Presidente". Those are fun but not impressive. The drums end up pretty cookie-cutter on some tracks, like "Crushed by the Cross", however they excel and bring fresh compositions with the music on "Death to Dickie Duncan". Really great drum track on that one.

The style on The Blood of Gods differs from the evolution of sound on their previous handful of albums. They were getting heavier and more metal. This release is a patchwork of that style, but re-introduces songs that would fit on their early discography. With that comes more punk songs, thrash, silliness ("Death to Dickie Duncan"), and catchy hooks that'll stay with you. With that territory comes more fun and silliness. There are also some songs that I would classify as heavy rock, like the very lame "I'll be Your Monster". I mean, they did cover "If You Want Blood (You Got It)". The heaviest and for sure fastest song is "Crushed by the Cross". It is also for sure the most boring track. This could signal a permanent turning of the tides for the bands direction. That song is an unabashed Slayer copy. Kerry King opens all his solos with a searing whammy bar tone that immediately noddles out of control. Check. High-pitched and scratchy scream in the Tom Araya style and barks of short words for a chorus. Check. Riffs ripped from middle-career Slayer. Check. The most punk it gets is on "Intro/Swarm" (Yes, the disc version calls it that and yes, there is an intro dead middle of the album.) So if you're wanting recent more-metal Gwar, you may skip that song and possibly "Swarm". The album flow is a bit weird in that the songs alternate in theme, emotions, and speed, but in the most jarring of ways. It's not necessarily a bad thing but you'll notice how all-over-the-place it is.

The writing is in tune with the rest of their discography; complete with biting social mockery, puns galore, and fantasy enemies that are reflections of real-life people/celebrities/attitudes. The album has a lot to say this time around; Obesity, American politics, unstable relationships, overpopulation, false religion, the value of human life, and the loss of loved-ones. There's actually a touching track about the late and aforementioned Oderus Urungus. I should also note that I really appreciate getting almost a full-hour in an album. So many this year have skirted around the LP/EP border with 7 tracks or a just over 30 minute run-time. Thank you Gwar.

Best tracks:
--El Presidente
--F*** This Place
--Death to Dickie Duncan
--Intro/Swarm

Technical Skill: 64% Song writing: 87% Originality: 82% Album production/structure: 63%