Revolver has teamed with GWAR for an exclusive white vinyl variant of their new album, The New Dark Ages. Only 500 made — order yours now!
GWAR are more than a band at this point, they're an institution. A creative entity unto themselves with gobs of absurdist lore that's been told throughout their 30-plus year run of quality records, comics, books and more. If a prospective scumdog wanted to listen to GWAR for the first time, knowing where in their sprawling discography to start is a dizzying undertaking.
For them, Revolver is here to help with our "Point of Entry" series, in which we ask artists to pick the one standout cut from across their entire catalog that they believe is the best place for virgin listeners to begin their journey. Below, GWAR vocalist Blöthar does the honors. It's a tough choice.
"The Issue of Tissue (Spacecake)"
GWAR is a band of eras. There was the time before we played on the road and only did local shows in Richmond, after which most of our papier-mâché props and costumes would be destroyed. At that time, sonically, we were primarily a punk band that parodied heavy metal. This continued into the first album Hell-o. That record was rough sounding, and I think we have paid for that ever sense. We are a band that some people dismiss musically, but we have always made records that did not pay attention to restrictions of genre, with good lyrics, and solid playing.
An example of this is "The Issue of Tissue" from the album This Toilet Earth. This is not a song GWAR does live very often, it isn't a song we recorded with me singing. I am playing bass. But this tune really demonstrates the side of GWAR that people miss. Clever, opaque lyrics, wonderful theatrical vocal performance, and the band playing a unique brand of post-punk metal in the Nineties.
The tune has a very Killing Joke feel to it, and it is smartly written with Flattus Maximus (Pete Lee) providing a sort of Devo or Killing Joke feel with just enough of heavy metal force behind it. The feel is amplified by Balsac on the rhythm holding it down. It's so rhythmic, and has a motion and a sound I believe are unique to GWAR. The middle breakdown even has a King Crimson feel for a few bars. Totally sick. It really is GWAR at our best.
