A new maximum of battle.
On the 1st of September, spacefaring punk and metal icons GWAR released the 10th Anniversary Edition of their 2013 concept album Battle Maximus, now with three bonus tracks. How do these new additions change the experience of this epic thrasher work?
Some of you may ask, who the hell are GWAR? The answer is simple. GWAR are the only metal/punk band whose members dress up in bulky latex costumes and masquerade as space aliens who fell in love with rock and roll and decided to play it together. Their music typically falls somewhere in the realm of crossover thrash, their lyrics typically fall somewhere in the realm of a Beavis and Butthead episode and their live shows typically leave fans covered in fake bodily fluids. GWAR’s outlandish antics and their total commitment to the bit have made them into icons within metal, just as much as their consistent thrash output has.
At the time of the release of Battle Maximus, GWAR was recovering from significant lineup changes. This was nothing unusual for the band, who had already had 12 people join and leave, but the recent losses of Cory Smoot (alter ego of Flattus Maximus – lead guitar, backing vocals) and Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty – bass, backing vocals) hit hard. Before the recording of the album, the role of Beefcake was filled by Jamison Land, but the role Flattus was retired and replaced by his supposed cousin, Pustulus, played by Brent Purgason. The in-universe death of Flattus was a significant event in the band’s lore and it featured prominently in the lyrics on Battle Maximus. The arrival of Purgason had consequences outside of thematic content as well, as his previous experience in the death metal comedy act Cannabis Corpse led to the album becoming the hardest hitting GWAR record yet. None of the songs quite reach the brutality of death metal, but the riffs and drumming definitely get kicked up a notch compared to previous records. It’s also just a good album. There are plenty of catchy and satisfying thrash bangers, but also some interesting interludes – the punky vocals make it sound special. It’s no wonder that GWAR decided to revisit this album 10 years later.
The three bonus songs in the 10th Anniversary Edition of Battle Maximus are “Tammy, The Swine Queen,” a cover of Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Wheel of Punishment.” “Tammy” fits right in with the other thrash bangers on this album, with its dynamic grooving guitars, bumpin’ drums, and catchy punk wailing. Sadly, though, a look at the lyrics reveals a fixation on slut-shaming this imaginary woman Tammy, which clashes with the masculine promiscuity often featured in GWAR’s lyrics. The cover of “Carry On Wayward Son” comes in later on in the track list, it is a strange moment in the album because it feels like the band is intentionally butchering the song. Instrumentally, there isn’t much out of the ordinary except the slightly cliché thrash version of the verses. Of course GWAR are known for their asinine lyrics, but in the context of a cover of such a classic and epic song, the shenanigans really don’t sit well. The closer, “Wheel of Punishment,” cleans the palate with some solid but not particularly memorable thrash.