Gwar "Hell-O" LP (1988, Shimmy Disc) with concert poster, insert and comic book
$
75
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Description
Baron Elmo proudly presents a real treat for devotees of heavy metal circus zombies GWAR: a first edition copy of Hell-O!, their debut album, issued in 1988 by the Shimmy Disc label, now long out of print in any format. None know for certain what universe Gwar originally hails from, but their message of mayhem, violence and toilet humor has thrilled their gore-drenched fans for years. This album introduced the basic Gwar concept: a group of intergalactic warriors who have been sidetracked from their mission of total destruction and turned into a rock band by manager Sleazy P. Martini. They use their subsequent fame as the means by which to torture and enslave Earth for their own sadistic pleasures, as explained in such ditties as "Time For Death," "Bone Meal," "War Toy," and "I'm In Love (With a Dead Dog)," a tender episode in canine-alien relations. However, they are not without enemies – a character known as Techno-Destructo has followed the band to Earth to recruit (or enslave) them to serve "The Master" in a holy jihad against the universe, as he explains in "Techno's Song." Ultimately, you've got to see the live show to get what Gwar is truly about – but serious fans need this album as the first step on what has turned out to be a lengthy journey, with the band still playing and cutting records to this day. This copy of Hell-O! comes with some choice loot, too: a lyric sheet, an eight-page black and white comic book that lays out the origins of the band (as well as setting up the plot for their debut tour), plus, best of all, a genuine 18 x 24" tour poster from a Canadian gig (with tickets going for a measly six dollars) bearing the boast "Shoving Heavy Metal So Far Up Your Ass You're Gonna Shit Molten Lead for a Year," with the photos of the band members from the back cover of this album. It's a landslide of Gwar treasure to fill your home! Both the record (the black vinyl version) and cover show very slight wear, but this LP looks great and plays beautifully.
A $3.00 charge will be added to the winning total for shipment within the USA, $7.00 to Mexico and Canada, $13.00 to anywhere else in the world. We will combine multiple purchases, so the more you buy, the more you save on shipping. Thanks for the visit – please check out our eBay store to see the other fine items we carry!
Track listing
Time For Death
AEIOU
Americanized
I’m In Love (With A Dead Dog)
Slutman City
World ‘O’ Filth
War Toy
Captain Crunch
Pure As The Arctic Snow
Je M’ Appelle J.Cousteau
GWAR Theme
Bone Meal
Ollie North
Techno’s Song
U Ain’t Shit
Rock & Roll Party Town
*****
While Gwar is really more of a sight gag, its music has always held up its end of the band's bit, riffing on heavy metal clichés while using those same elements to create serviceable headbanging music. Musically, the papier-mâché pranksters' 1988 debut falls somewhere between Black Sabbath and Anthrax; lyrically, it's like Ween trapped inside the brain of a 14-year-old kid. Fart jokes, snickering song titles (the winner: "I'm In Love (With a Dead Dog)"), plenty of bizarre and/or gory references to sexual perversion, and references to anal caves -- all in a day's work for Gwar. Standouts include "Americanized," which adds a bit of Crass-style street punk into the band's sound, the joke-establishing "Gwar Theme" ("We are Gwar/We'll go far/We've got guitars/We'll eat your car") and "Techno's Song," which introduces Techno Destructo, a Gwar-hating alien who lives "way past Uranus." The death ray sound effect cutting through "World O' Filth"'s hardcore thrash is also spectacular.
~ Johnny Loftus, AllMusic
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