“How was quarantine life?” This seems to be the phrase of the decade, and while there aren’t so many positive answers to that, some people just made the best of it. Virginia’s beloved crossover Thrash, Hardcore Punk, and Shock Rock act, GWAR, deemed their quarantine time as ‘GWARANTINE.’ They killed their boredom by having streaming sessions that led to all kinds of unusual abominations of the band from how they originally became known, until finally landing on their upcoming new EP, The Disc With No Name.
Due out on Friday, May 28, 2021 through Pit Records, the new EP happens to be a re-hashing of some oldies, but goodies done entirely acoustically. Four tracks in total, the idea sparked from 2020’s pit of despair, purgatory, hell on earth quarantine brought about by the band’s acoustic performance for The A.V. Club during their quarantine sessions.
Anyone who is a fan know what makes GWAR so unforgettable are their witty, raunchy lyrics mixed with their “I don’t care about you” punk-styled guitar riffs, and in a live setting their dominating sculptural costumes. Also, in a live setting, no show is complete without secondary characters; including a hand picked celebrity mockery that ends in bloodshed.
Starting the EP off is the tune “Fuck This Place,” which is an ode to the character and old days Vocalist Oderus Urungus (David Brockie) who left planet Earth all too soon. At least he avoided GWARANTINE, but seriously, this is a satisfying bittersweet beginning to the EP. It probably is also the most successful relatable acoustic transition from the original despite its short and sweet nature. Then “Gonna Kill You” barges in, serving as another positively charged tune hoping for better days with less aggravating people in it.
Track three is “I’ll Be Your Monster,” and it is pretty good choice in terms of acoustic translation; meaning it sounds just as interesting without too much electricity. A song that comes from the 2017 The Blood Of Gods, it can endlessly be appreciated in both versions now. For the finale “Road Behind” sends the Disc into another universe, because without previous knowledge, you might not even think it was written by GWAR based on this acoustic rendition.
The moral of the story is that it’s easy to lose the ambition and passion that fills your soul when the world tries to destroy us from the inside out. However, the essence of who a person is always remains like one tiny lit candle flame in the middle of a dark abyss that burns until it can once again set fire to the universe. That time seems to be coming closer everyday, but until it is fully reached, GWAR fans can put on The Disc With No Name, pop a Xanax, and wallow in its insignificance instead of their own. Never fear though, GWAR will ride again, and tour on this planet hopefully with all the bells and whistles they had before the pandemic. For its valiant effort, and cure to the boredom of quarantine, Cryptic Rock gives GWAR’s latest EP 4 out of 5 stars.
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