I haven't done a review in a month or two so I figure I'll do a review for one of my favorite albums. It wont be great but it's just something for me to put out until I finish my review of Guitar Hero: Metallica and F.E.A.R. and Killzone 1&2 and Burnout: Paradise and Resistance 2 and Ace Combat 5 and my overview the Metal Gear Solid series. As you can possibly tell, I'm a procrastinator. Anyway, here's my review.
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RagNaRok is the fifth album by the heavy metal/shock rock band GWAR. Now I love comedy rock but GWAR's lyrics are hit and miss, but RagNaRok seems like a more serious approach to their music. The music in RagNaRok is sort of a return to their album Scumdogs of the Universe with heavy distorted guitars and heavy drum beats. It really is a more serious apporach which I tought was what direction GWAR would be going until that shit sandwich Carnival of Chaos was released following this and I knew that this kind of would be a rarity. At least it would be until 2004's War Party.
The story of Ragnarök is about the end of the world, and like their other albums the story is kind of hard to follow. So, Oderus and his alien sister Slymenstra being forcibly mated with the aid of rogue space aliens. Meanwhile, a comet is hurdling towards Earth and is inciting the populace to revolt, and anarchy has set in all over the globe. But then an AIDS-like plague cripples the masses (the song "The New Plague" is sung by Dave Brockie as a human with AIDS), who await the meteor's arrival and their subsequent death. However, it turns out that the comet is actually Cardinal Syn, a robotic agent of harsh Catholic dogma. Syn is representing the Warrior Pope, who is demanding that all bow down to him and obey his insane whims. But Syn is drawn to Slymenstra's alien baby, and that's where I lose the story.
The whole concept of the album is a possible a ridicule of Christianity (or really Catholicism) as emphasized in the song "Martyr Dumb".
RagNaRok has the most vocalists on any GWAR album with six. GWAR?s mamagetr Sleazy P. Martini has a rap-rock track, Think You Outta Know This?, about ripping people off as the songs its self is a rip off of a Red Hot Chili Peppers' song. Sexecutioner sings on ?RagNaRok?. Slymenstra has duet with Oderus on ?Fire in the Lions.? Beefcake sings ?Crush Kill Destroy?. And Cardinal Syn sings or actually talks on ?Surf of Syn?.
Lyrically this is one of the stronger GWAR albums. It has comedy in it but you also have a more seriousness in their topics in as well like in the songs "Wharghoul" and "Martyr Dumb". RagNaRok is considered a thrash album, and it does have it's fast songs but the overall sound of it is more of a shock rock album. The guitar styling mostly deals with power cords rather than with the technical aspects of thrash. All in all this is one of GWAR's best albums. The only really weak song is "Crush Kill Destroy". This is one of the few albums I actually listen to all the way through.
Track Listing:
1. "Meat Sandwich" (3:28)
2. "The New Plague" (2:52)
3. "Whargoul" 5:37)
4. "RagNaRok" (Vocals by Sexecutioner) (3:59)
5. "Dirty, Filthy" (2:30)
6. "Stalin's Organs" (2:19)
7. "Knife in Yer Guts" (3:15)
8. "Think You Outta Know This" (Vocals by Sleazy P. Martini) (2:46)
9. "Martyr Dumb" (3:57)
10. "Nudged" (2:39)
11. "Fire in the Loins" (Vocals by Oderus Urungus & Slymenstra Hymen) (3:58)
12. "Surf of Syn" (Vocals by Cardinal Syn) (4:22)
13. "Crush Kill Destroy" (Vocals by Beefcake the Mighty) (1:34)
14. "None But the Brave" (3:50)
Run Time: 47:11
Line-up:
* Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) - Vocals
* Mike Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death) - Rhythm guitar
* Pete Lee (Flattus Maximus - Lead guitar
* Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty) - Bass guitar, Lead vocals on "Crush Kill Destroy"
* Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) - Drums
* Dave Musel (Müsel) - Keyboard, Samples, Lead vocals on "Surf of Syn" as Cardinal Syn
* Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) - Lead vocals on "Fire in the Loins"
* Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) - Lead vocals on "RagNaRok"
* Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) - Lead vocals on "Think You Outta Know This"
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RagNaRok is the fifth album by the heavy metal/shock rock band GWAR. Now I love comedy rock but GWAR's lyrics are hit and miss, but RagNaRok seems like a more serious approach to their music. The music in RagNaRok is sort of a return to their album Scumdogs of the Universe with heavy distorted guitars and heavy drum beats. It really is a more serious apporach which I tought was what direction GWAR would be going until that shit sandwich Carnival of Chaos was released following this and I knew that this kind of would be a rarity. At least it would be until 2004's War Party.
The story of Ragnarök is about the end of the world, and like their other albums the story is kind of hard to follow. So, Oderus and his alien sister Slymenstra being forcibly mated with the aid of rogue space aliens. Meanwhile, a comet is hurdling towards Earth and is inciting the populace to revolt, and anarchy has set in all over the globe. But then an AIDS-like plague cripples the masses (the song "The New Plague" is sung by Dave Brockie as a human with AIDS), who await the meteor's arrival and their subsequent death. However, it turns out that the comet is actually Cardinal Syn, a robotic agent of harsh Catholic dogma. Syn is representing the Warrior Pope, who is demanding that all bow down to him and obey his insane whims. But Syn is drawn to Slymenstra's alien baby, and that's where I lose the story.
The whole concept of the album is a possible a ridicule of Christianity (or really Catholicism) as emphasized in the song "Martyr Dumb".
RagNaRok has the most vocalists on any GWAR album with six. GWAR?s mamagetr Sleazy P. Martini has a rap-rock track, Think You Outta Know This?, about ripping people off as the songs its self is a rip off of a Red Hot Chili Peppers' song. Sexecutioner sings on ?RagNaRok?. Slymenstra has duet with Oderus on ?Fire in the Lions.? Beefcake sings ?Crush Kill Destroy?. And Cardinal Syn sings or actually talks on ?Surf of Syn?.
Lyrically this is one of the stronger GWAR albums. It has comedy in it but you also have a more seriousness in their topics in as well like in the songs "Wharghoul" and "Martyr Dumb". RagNaRok is considered a thrash album, and it does have it's fast songs but the overall sound of it is more of a shock rock album. The guitar styling mostly deals with power cords rather than with the technical aspects of thrash. All in all this is one of GWAR's best albums. The only really weak song is "Crush Kill Destroy". This is one of the few albums I actually listen to all the way through.
Track Listing:
1. "Meat Sandwich" (3:28)
2. "The New Plague" (2:52)
3. "Whargoul" 5:37)
4. "RagNaRok" (Vocals by Sexecutioner) (3:59)
5. "Dirty, Filthy" (2:30)
6. "Stalin's Organs" (2:19)
7. "Knife in Yer Guts" (3:15)
8. "Think You Outta Know This" (Vocals by Sleazy P. Martini) (2:46)
9. "Martyr Dumb" (3:57)
10. "Nudged" (2:39)
11. "Fire in the Loins" (Vocals by Oderus Urungus & Slymenstra Hymen) (3:58)
12. "Surf of Syn" (Vocals by Cardinal Syn) (4:22)
13. "Crush Kill Destroy" (Vocals by Beefcake the Mighty) (1:34)
14. "None But the Brave" (3:50)
Run Time: 47:11
Line-up:
* Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) - Vocals
* Mike Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death) - Rhythm guitar
* Pete Lee (Flattus Maximus - Lead guitar
* Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty) - Bass guitar, Lead vocals on "Crush Kill Destroy"
* Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) - Drums
* Dave Musel (Müsel) - Keyboard, Samples, Lead vocals on "Surf of Syn" as Cardinal Syn
* Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) - Lead vocals on "Fire in the Loins"
* Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) - Lead vocals on "RagNaRok"
* Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) - Lead vocals on "Think You Outta Know This"
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