If you’ve never seen GWAR, you’re missing out, it’s more then a concert, though I’m not sure I’d go as far as saying it’s theater, maybe performance art. Every GWAR tour has an overall storyline that plays out in a gruesome display of blood and gore. GWAR fans not only expect to leave covered in fake blood and other filth they demand it and usually leave in a tie-dye looking red, green and blue mess. This time GWAR hit the road with impressive supporting acts Every Time I Die and Warbeast.
Warbeast kicked off the show with the title track off their debut album “Krush the Enemy”, putting the show immediately into high gear. They are newer band but with an old school thrash metal sound and they played an awesome set. I’m definitely going to check out the album which is on Phil Anselmo’s label Housecore Records. Every Time I Die never fail to impress. Their hardcore sound was a bit of a change of pace between Warbeast and GWAR, but it all flowed together nicely into one awesome metal show. They played a few older tunes, I guess due to the addition of former bassist Stephen Micciche. They also played a great unreleased song that singer Keith Buckley said was going to be on their next album, which will be released in 2012.
GWAR’s story line usually includes killing a notable figure like the president, the pope or the latest annoying celebrity, this time they killed Snooki. Though the main plot of the show was that the band was in the “castle of death” this after the real life death of long time guitarist Cory Smoot, who played Flattus Maximus. Lead singer, Oderus Urungus, announced that their friend Flattus had returned to his home planet. In case you are wondering, the character Flattus Maximus is now retired out of respect for Smoot. The show started with death, a dark figure with a metal face in the middle of the stage, the crowd chanted both “Cory Smoot” and “GWAR”. The band came out and played a really energetic show, it was funny, gross and entertaining. After battling and dismembering several different characters within the castle of death they have a showdown with death himself and of course GWAR wins! It was a gory horrible mess and I loved it. This was the second to last date on the North American tour, but GWAR will be hitting Europe in January, I highly recommend you check them out whenever they come to your town.
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