This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2008) |
Hell-O! | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Studio | Noise New York (New York) | |||
Genre | Hardcore punk | |||
Length | 38:31 | |||
Label | Shimmy Disc Records S.010.CS (Cassette) SDE 8910/CD 08-025221-10 (CD) Metal Blade Records 3984-14004-2, CDZORRO 35 (Remastered CD) | |||
Producer | Kramer | |||
Gwar chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hell-O! is the debut album by Gwar. The album was released in September 1988, on Shimmy Disc Records.
Gwar's angle on the album is that of a morbid punk band (a la The Mentors, The Misfits, Butthole Surfers) obsessed with debauchery, violence and toilet humor. [2] The songs generally support the theme of the group quite well, expanding the band's concept to comic proportions and supporting the back story.
The band play sooth-sayers to the United States ("Americanized" and "Ollie North") and modern human civilization in general ("Slutman City"), who have come to torture and enslave Earth for their own perverse sadistic pleasures ("Time For Death", "Bone Meal", "War Toy", "I'm In Love (With a Dead Dog)").
Despite having superpowers, Gwar is not without enemies - a character known as Techno-Destructo has followed the band to Earth to recruit or enslave them to serve "The Master" in a holy jihad against the universe ("Techno's Song"). Don Drakulich plays Techno on the album (the part would soon be taken over by Hunter Jackson). Other songs follow similarly crazy themes - the "Gwar Theme" is a car-eating anthem, "Je M' Appelle J. Cousteau" features famous aquanaut Jacques-Yves Cousteau in a Dada-esque romp, and "AEIOU" disputes whether the English alphabet is the property of Satan or Gor-Gor, another Gwar character who would later surface in the song/video of the same name.
"Rock N' Roll Party Town", the first song ever written by the band, concludes the album in scenes of rock debauchery vaguely reminiscent of Kiss, of whom the band, with their showmanship and larger-than-life personas, seemed to be an 80s underground version. The original vinyl album contained a comic book about the band, featuring artwork parodying Picasso's Guernica (renamed "Gwarnica" here) and poking fun at the "this is your brain on drugs" commercials ("This is your brain on Gwar...").
The album's cover art features the band gleefully terrorizing Earthlings, particularly skinheads, who would attend the band's early shows and harass them with heckling, violence and throwing food, such as toast, onstage, and bulldozing their bodies into ditches.
Musically and conceptually, the record fits in with and came from the arty 80s noise rock or "scum rock" scene (Butthole Surfers, Pussy Galore, early Ween) with similarities to grunge (Tad, Mudhoney), funny punk (Meatmen, Angry Samoans, Dead Milkmen, Happy Flowers, Nig-Heist), punk (The Mentors, The Misfits, Black Flag, Samhain), hardcore (Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Ministry) and heavy metal (M.O.D., S.O.D., Slayer).
This last genre would be where the band would move on later releases (similar to the transition Suicidal Tendencies underwent between first and second albums). As such, when the album was released on CD, it was remastered (possibly remixed) to bring out the bass and make the production smoother. However, the original vinyl release finds the band squarely in the punk or indie rock universe. In this context, producer Kramer's work on the album makes sense.
Shimmy Disc released "Hell-O!" on cassette and on vinyl 331⁄3 format. The vinyl album was produced in regular black vinyl and a limited rare red vinyl, which was limited to 500 copies. The European Shimmy Disc release of Hell-O! features a bonus track, "Black And Huge," found on Gwar's next album, Scumdogs of the Universe. The song found on some copies of Hell-O! is an earlier version originally recorded to be released as a single on Sub Pop records, and is the first Gwar song to feature Michael Derks as a member, having replaced Stephen Douglas as BalSac The Jaws of Death.
The remastered Metal Blade release of the album does not feature this song. This version of the song fits in with Hell-O! more than it does with Scumdogs, as the guitars are not tuned down a half-step, and the tempo is faster and Oderus' vocals are more of the singing style from this album. A video for the track was also filmed and included on the TVD and The Next Mutation video collections.
The album is a divisive point among fans of the band, who generally love it or hate it. Hell-O is the least-frequently played album in concert and discussed by the band in interviews, although this could be because the band's line-up has changed to the point where no one from this period has remained a constant member of the band (Michael Bishop rejoined in 2014 as new frontman Blothar following the death of Dave Brockie, who portrayed previous frontman Oderus Urungus). "Gwar Theme" and "Pure As The Arctic Snow" are the two songs most often played live (though they are rare in appearance), and occasionally, the band will play a medley of songs from the album, ranging anywhere from three songs to twelve songs, which is more than half the album.
Detractors of the album criticize its raw production. Chuck Varga, who played The Sexecutioner, posted on the Gwar fan page Bohab Central that he was so disgusted with the sound quality of the recording that he walked out of the session after hearing a few tracks. "I know the band's music and it sounded much better than it did on Hell-О!," he said, going on to say that producer Mark Kramer "didn't care how Gwar sounded" and "gave us one of the most embarrassingly recorded LP's in history."
The [low] quality of the production is further indicated by the length of the recording session - the course of a single weekend. However, consensus across the board is that the album wasn't as bad as We Kill Everything , an album especially reviled by Dave Brockie and Michael Derks.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Time for Death" | Dave Brockie | 2:44 |
2. | "AEIOU" | Brockie, Steve Douglas | 1:25 |
3. | "Americanized" | Brockie, Douglas | 1:36 |
4. | "I'm in Love (With a Dead Dog)" | Brockie, Douglas, Michael Bishop, Dewey Rowell | 2:32 |
5. | "Slutman City" | Brockie, Slutman, Ottinger | 3:49 |
6. | "World O Filth" | Brockie, Bishop | 1:14 |
7. | "War Toy" | Brockie, Rowell | 2:22 |
8. | "Captain Crunch" | Brockie, Bishop, Rowell | 3:52 |
9. | "Pure as the Arctic Snow" | Brockie, Ottinger | 2:27 |
10. | "Je M'Appelle J. Cousteau" | Brockie, Douglas, Bishop, Rowell | 3:07 |
11. | "Gwar Theme" | Brockie, Douglas | 2:26 |
12. | "Bone Meal" | Brockie | 0:42 |
13. | "Ollie North" | Brockie, Bishop | 1:55 |
14. | "Techno's Song" (Vocals by Techno Destructo) | Brockie, Douglas, Hunter Jackson, Ottinger | 3:44 |
15. | "U Ain't Shit" | Brockie, Tim Herrman, Russ Bahorsky | 1:19 |
16. | "Rock & Roll Pärty Town" | Brockie, Douglas | 3:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
17. | "Black and Huge" | Brockie, Bishop, Douglas | 2:16 |
Gwar
Production
Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists, and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Since the death of frontman and lead singer Dave Brockie in 2014, the group has continued recording and performing without any of its founding members.
The Dave Brockie Experience or DBX was a rock band formed of three of the then-current members of Heavy metal band Gwar. The band was composed of David "Oderus Urungus" Brockie (vocals/bass), Brad "Jizmak Da Gusha" Roberts (drums), and Mike "Balsac the Jaws of Death" Derks (guitar).
Scumdogs of the Universe is the second album by American satirical heavy metal band Gwar. The album is their first album on Metal Blade Records and was released on January 8, 1990. To date, it is the band's best-selling album.
Ragnarök is the fifth album by the rock/heavy metal/punk band Gwar. It was released on October 24, 1995, on Metal Blade Records and contains the most varied vocal stylings of any Gwar album, with the majority of band members singing at least one track.
Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the American heavy metal band Gwar. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the character's signature flatulence. His speaking mannerisms suggest a childlike intelligence and naivety.
America Must Be Destroyed is Gwar’s third album, released in 1992 as their second album on Metal Blade Records. The album’s lyrical content was inspired by controversy over obscenity charges against the band and an incident in Charlotte, North Carolina in which frontman Dave Brockie’s prosthetic penile attachment, "The Cuttlefish of Cthulhu", was confiscated by police officers.
Carnival of Chaos is Gwar's sixth studio album, released on March 25, 1997, by Metal Blade Records.
We Kill Everything is the seventh album by Gwar, released on April 6, 1999, through Metal Blade Records.
Violence Has Arrived is the eighth studio album by the band Gwar. It was released on November 6, 2001, through Metal Blade Records.
War Party is the ninth studio album by the heavy metal band Gwar. It was released on October 26, 2004, being the band's first album in DRT Entertainment. The album was released to positive reviews.
Beyond Hell is the tenth studio album by Gwar. Released on August 29, 2006, by DRT Entertainment, the album was originally announced through the band's official website on February 23, 2006. Unlike the band's output since 2001, it is a concept album and a rock opera, centering on Gwar's journey to Hell as they escape from the attacking armies of humanity.
David Murray Brockie was a Canadian-American musician, who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus. He performed as a bassist and lead singer in the bands Death Piggy, X-Cops, and the Dave Brockie Experience (DBX), and starred in the comedy/horror TV sitcom Holliston as Oderus Urungus. Brockie died of a heroin overdose in 2014.
Techno Destructo is a former character in the American heavy metal band Gwar, depicted as their long-term nemesis. The character was portrayed and created by Gwar co-founder Hunter Jackson.
Sexecutioner is a supporting character in the heavy metal band Gwar, played originally by Mike Delaney, and finally by Chuck Varga from 1989 until 1995–6, with special appearances in 2000, 2012, and 2014. He sang lead on his trademark song, "Sexecutioner", and "Ragnarok".
Lust in Space is the eleventh studio album by Gwar. It was released on August 18, 2009. It is their first album since returning to their old label Metal Blade Records. The album also saw the return of their former bassist Casey Orr, even though he would later part ways with the band yet again. Lust in Space debuted at #96 on the Billboard top 200 Charts and according to Blabbermouth it was Gwar's highest position reached for the debut of an album.
Battle Maximus is the thirteenth studio album by Gwar. The album was released on September 17, 2013 through Metal Blade Records. The album was the first to feature new guitarist Brent Purgason, portraying the new character Pustulus Maximus, the first album to feature bassist Jamison Land, portraying longtime character, Beefcake the Mighty, and the last to feature vocalist Dave Brockie who portrayed Oderus Urungus, due to Brockie's death from a heroin overdose on March 23, 2014.
Lust In Space – Live At The National is a live DVD by the American heavy metal band Gwar, recorded at The National theater in Richmond, Virginia on October 23, 2009, during the band's Lust in Space tour. It was released on June 26, 2010, under Don Drakulich's Hypereal Productions label. Bonuses include a 10-minute "Behind The Murder" mockumentary.
The Blood of Gods is the fourteenth album by thrash metal band Gwar. It was released on October 20, 2017 by Metal Blade Records. It is the band's first album without founding member Dave Brockie, who portrayed Oderus Urungus, due to his heroin overdose death on March 23, 2014. The album is also the first to feature Michael Bishop since 1999's We Kill Everything, portraying the newest character, lead singer Blöthar the Berserker, as opposed to his role as the original Beefcake the Mighty.
Black Friday is a single by thrash metal band Gwar, that was issued on picture disc for Record Store Day Black Friday 2016. It is the first studio material released by the band since founding member and lead singer Dave Brockie died of a heroin overdose on March 23, 2014.