The metal band, Gwar release their animated video for “Viking Death Machine” a visual treat filled with grotesque, viking monsters who traverse fast and furiously, fighting enemies while they chase each other. These filthy, aggressive animated characters have yellow teeth and horns, shouting venomous threats and raising their fists to society, screaming ‘oy, oy, oy’ at one point. The monster spews venom lyrics, “I’m on fire, so obscene. In my Viking Death Machine.” The Viking Death Machine mobile wages war as it rages on. At one point, the viking monster shouts, “I’m a Viking god, do you understand?”
Of the video, Blothar has the following to say: “Humans, are you ready to ride the ‘Viking Death Machine’? Our latest video is a faithful animated schlockumentary depicting my harrowing, blood-drenched defeat of the Load Warriors and the other denizens of Saturday morning raceway hijinks, including all of my fellow bandmates in GWAR. I am delighted to take my rightful place as the King of Cartoon Violence, and champion of the first annual Suck-It-Up-Butter Cup! Watch the video now! It’ll make you shit.”
GWAR has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and numerous singles and other recordings, since they formed in Virginia back in 1984. Their concerts are filled with fluids like fake blood and urine being sprayed into the audience. They have a large cult like following and their shows are filled with mutilations of US Presidents, Adolf Hitler, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Paris Hilton, Jerry Springer and many more celebrities or politicians. In one of their shows, they show a mutilation of Donald Trump with blood spewing out from his chest. The band is known for its “shock rock” at their live shows.
Gwar’s core thematic and visual concept revolves around an elaborate science fiction-themed mythology which portrays the band members as barbaric interplanetary warriors, a narrative which serves as the basis for all of the band’s albums, videos, live shows and other media.
GWAR was featured in the pilot episode of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, which featured members of the metal shock-rockers. The episode aired in December of 2012 and featured GWAR’s Oderus Urungus and Beefcake the Mighty. The silhouettes of the two intergalactic warriors, shown in a crowd during the episode, were spotted by a GWAR fan, aka a bohab.
GWAR tour dates
w/ Hatebreed
10/6 – Camden, NJ @ Rock Allegiance*
10/7 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
10/9 – Lawrence, KS @ Granda Theater
10/10 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
10/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/12 – Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
10/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival*
10/15 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
10/16 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
10/19 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/22 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
10/24 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/25 – Sauget, IL @ Pops
10/26 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live
10/28 – Peoria, IL @ Monarch Music Hall
*=festival appearance
GWAR headline tour dates
10/29 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
10/30 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
10/31 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/2 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
11/3 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/4 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater
11/6 – Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
11/7 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/8 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/9 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
11/10 – Richmond, VA @ The National#
#=w/ Municipal Waste, High on Fire, Toxic Holocaust
GWAR tour date
12/31 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna