Scumdogs of the Universe
| Scumdogs of the Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Gwar | ||||
| Released | January 8, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, crossover thrash, comedy rock, shock rock | |||
| Length | 51:55 | |||
| Label | Metal Blade Records | |||
| Producer | Ron Goudie, Hypo Luxa, Hermes Pan | |||
| Gwar chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Scumdogs of the Universe is the second album by satirical shock rock band Gwar. The album is their first album on Metal Blade Records and was released in 1990. It is to this date the band's best-selling album.
Overview
As the title implies, it is a concept album about the Scumdogs' (Gwar) reign of terror on planet Earth (the song "Death Pod" explains exactly how they came to Earth to begin with). The production is very refined compared to the independent, rushed first attempt (with each successive album sounding more and more refined). Gwar began to experiment with samples to some degree (e.g. in the song, "Maggots"). The songs are more socially relevant in this album as well. Examples include "Slaughterama" (which involves Gwar killing hippies and nazi-skinheads in a game show-style fashion) and the opening track, "The Salaminizer", in which the first verse was inspired by/based on "Gangsta, Gangsta", a song by the breakthrough rap group N.W.A. Other references include history (Vlad the Impaler) and Lovecraft mythology (Horror of Yig). Most of the album is centered on twisted jokes about insane medical practices and sexual perversion. This album is viewed by many of Gwar's fans (as well as Gwar themselves) as their ultimate masterpiece. Thus the band will play more songs from Scumdogs than any other album ("Sick of You" is the most frequently played song in concert, generally the grand finale).
This is the first Gwar album on which more than two people sing lead (Hell-O had Oderus Urungus and Techno Destructo): "Slaughterama" features Sleazy P. Martini, Sexecutioner sings his namesake song, and the album's closer, "Cool Place To Park," debuts bassist Beefcake the Mighty as a vocalist. All other songs featured Oderus.
Additionally, Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen), Michael Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death), Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner), and Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) make their debuts on this album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Salaminizer" | Dave Brockie/Mike Bishop/Mike Derks | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Maggots" | Brockie/Bishop/Derks | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Sick of You" | Brockie/Derks/Bishop | 3:08 |
| 4. | "Slaughterama" | Bishop/Derks/Don Drakulich | 5:02 |
| 5. | "The Years Without Light" | Brockie/Dewey Rowell | 2:58 |
| 6. | "King Queen" | Brockie/Bishop/Derks | 4:51 |
| 7. | "Horror of Yig" | Brockie/Bishop/Derks | 5:24 |
| 8. | "Vlad The Impaler" | Brockie/Rowell/Steve Douglas | 3:14 |
| 9. | "Black and Huge" | Brockie/Bishop/Douglas | 3:09 |
| 10. | "Love Surgery" | Brockie/Bishop/Derks | 4:55 |
| 11. | "Death Pod" | Brockie/Bishop/Derks | 3:31 |
| 12. | "Sexecutioner" | Chuck Varga/Brockie | 3:58 |
| 13. | "Cool Place to Park" | Bishop/Brockie/Rowell/Derks | 4:02 |
Note
- The tracks The Years Without Light and Cool Place to Park do not appear on versions released under the Master label, only versions released under Metal Blade label.
Personnel
- Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) - vocals
- Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus) - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death) - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) - bass, backing vocals; lead vocals on "Cool Place to Park"
- Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) - drums
- Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) - backing vocals
- Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) - vocals on "Sexecutioner"
- Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) - vocals on "Slaughterama"
References
- ↑ Henderson, Alex. Scumdogs of the Universe at AllMusic. Retrieved August 19, 2011.