GWAR: HELL-O!

SCORE: 70/100

You'll either love it or hate it - and Gwar have been polarizing from the very beginning.

The quality of this album shows that it's the band's debut - there are some spots that show room for improvement; but it's a hell of a good time nonetheless and the band manages to show what they're all about with just this album alone. 'Hell-O!' has a style you simply won't get from any other band, and despite some issues with the mixing - this album is a bundle of fun and great ideas done very well.

Gwar went into this album with a solid idea on what they wanted to do and the characters that they wanted to play through their songs and costuming and they executed these concepts quite well. They have room to expand upon each idea and to make their music sound even more polished - but the grit and somewhat amateurish sound here almost suits them. There are some questionable moments on this album that feel highly on-brand for the group, and their debauchery-filled lyrics are something you won't get anywhere else (with track four being particularly... interesting).

There's a somewhat low quality to the mixing of this album that gives it more charm depending on how you look at it. The band is notorious for their somewhat gross imagery and personas, and this album showcases that and introduces them as these characters very well. If you know Gwar, you know exactly what you're getting into, and this album is exactly what you would expect it to be. It isn't quite as heavy as expected - but the overall style of it all is expected for the band's image.

There are some songs that are more punk-esque in nature ('World O' Filth' in particular standing out for this reason specifically), and the slight switches from style to style and sound to sound show that the band were still finding their footing to an extent. It isn't as high-quality as it could've been; but there's a ruggedness that feels far too on brand for the band and their chaotic nature.

It's a bit repetitive and it does drag despite it's short-average runtime, but it's still worthwhile if you're looking to get into Gwar. Starting here helps to understand how they started off; especially since this album is the full introduction of their concept that they would continue to use and expand upon throughout their career.

If you're looking for a highly unique and somewhat disturbing band to get into - Gwar will be your match and then some. The uniqueness of the band and their carefully crafted story and the personas to go along with it make their style wickedly impressive - and not many bands can say that they have characters as recognizable as Gwar themselves.