DRT Entertainment (2006)
Catalogue number DRT 451 		Beyond Hell
Produced by Devin Townsend and GWAR
  • “GWAR is absolutely too satanic and unpure for our wholesome radio station”
  • "This station will go talk radio before I play Gwar covering Alice Cooper!"
  • "If I play this record, everyone will surely be listening to satellite radio in no time!"

    That's right! Stupid scandinavian GWAR wanna-be bands step aside, the real Masters of blood-soaked, gore-filled and pus-drenched metal are back! Bohabs quiver in fear as GWAR deliver their most vile and potent album yet, filled to the brim with tracks that will rattle your spine in a horrifyingly concocted mixture of excitement and fear.

    Beyond Hell is, very much like RagNaRok, a concept album of sorts. A rock opera, if you will. It depicts the intriguing tale of GWAR, in a "reverse psychology" sort of way, decide to travel to Earth's inside to possibly find a way of escaping the planet. However, they end up in Hell, meet with our supposed Dark Lord, and stumble upon a veritable cast of misfits and rejects along the way. All in a tasteful yet gruesome GWAR fashion, of course.

    Musically, Beyond Hell keeps treading the same path of style, only heavier, that its predecessors "War Party" and "Violence Has Arrived" did. The old "goofy" GWAR is still nowhere to be seen, and the more hard-edged music still has that unmistakable GWAR sound, despite being produced by Strapping Young Lad's Devin Townsend. Townsend has done a tremendous job with the production, and should be commended for it (or killed, same thing). Some songs, like "Go To Hell!" have an undeniable Townsend-esque sound to it, as does "Tormentor" (a track where Devin appears on backing vocals). Beyond Hell is pure metal, in its purest form, and all vocals (except back-ups) are done solely by Oderus Urungus himself. No sidesteps on this one, the path is straight and narrow.

    Of course, this is also the album featuring the now near-legendary Alice Cooper (did you know he is also rumored to be a Scumdog?) cover of "School's Out". As true to the original as GWAR could possibly muster, this track tastefully ends the album, as it has nothing to do with the overall story of Beyond Hell.

    Beyond Hell is available as a regular CD as well as a "limited edition" digipack version, which includes a bonus DVD with various clips and goodies on it.

    1. Intro (1:00)
    2. War Is All We Know (4:40)
    3. Murderer's Muse (4:18)
    4. Go To Hell! (4:46)
    5. I Love The Pigs (4:29)
    6. Tormentor (4:30)
    7. Eighth Lock (4:06)
    8. Destroyed (2:24)
    9. The Ultimate Bohab (3:53)
    10. The One Who Will Not Be Named (4:06)
    11. Back In Crack (5:11)
    12. School's Out (3:23)

    (click titles for lyrics)

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