Hell-O
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| Hell-O! | ||
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| Studio album by GWAR | ||
| Released | 1988 | |
| Recorded | 1988 | |
| Genre | Punk rock Heavy metal |
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| Length | 35:04 | |
| Label | Shimmy Disc Records S.010.CS (Cassette) SDE 8910/CD 08-025221-10 (CD) Metal Blade Records |
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| Producer(s) | Mark Kramer | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| GWAR chronology | ||
| Hell-O! (1988) |
Scumdogs of the Universe (1990) |
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Hell-O! is the first album released by rock/heavy metal/punk band GWAR. It was released in 1988, on Shimmy Records.
GWAR's angle on this album is that of a morbid punk band (a la The Mentors), with songs deriding the U.S. (such as "Americanized" and "Ollie North") as well as those of general grotesqueness ("Slutman City", "Bone Meal"). Don Drakulich makes his first appearance in "Techno's Song" (as Techno-Destructo, who would soon be played by Hunter Jackson) and "I'm in Love (With a Dead Dog)" showcased a tender episode in canine-alien relations. The famous "GWAR Theme" is a memorable car-eating anthem. Jacques-Yves Cousteau makes a bizarre cameo as well, in a song that could possibly be influenced by Dadaism. (In another reference, the liner art does a stab at Picasso's Guernica, which is renamed Gwarnica.)
The Japanese release of Hell-O! features a bonus track, "Black And Huge," found on GWAR's next album, Scumdogs of the Universe. The song found on some copies of Hell-O! is an earlier version, and is the first GWAR song to feature Michael Derks as a member (having replaced Stephen Douglas as BalSac The Jaws of Death). Subsequent releases of the album do not feature this song. This version of the song fits in with Hell-O! more than it does with Scumdogs, as the guitars are not tuned down a half-step, and the tempo is faster (and Oderus' vocals are more of the singing style from this album).
"Rock N' Roll Party Town," the last song on this album, was the first song ever written by the band.
GWAR members don't talk about this album as much as the others, but there is a general consensus that it wasn't as bad as We Kill Everything (an album especially reviled by Dave Brockie and Michael Derks). This is also the least-frequently played album in concert, probably due to the quality of the songs. "GWAR Theme" and "Pure As The Arctic Snow" are the two songs most often played live (though they are rare in appearance). Occasionally, the band will play a medley of songs from the album, ranging anywhere from 3 songs to (more recently) 12 songs, which is more than half the album.
[edit] Line-up
- Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) - Vocals
- Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus) - Lead guitar
- Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death) - Rhythm guitar
- Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) - Bass guitar, backup vocals; voice of Jacques Cousteau
- Rob Mosby (Nippleus Erectus) - Drums
- Don Drakulich (Techno Destructo) - Vocals on "Techno's Song"
[edit] Track listing
- "Timè fôr Deäth" – 2:44
- "ÅEIÖU" – 1:25
- "Americànized" – 1:36
- "I'm in Löve (With a Deåd Dog)" – 2:32
- "Slütmañ City" – 3:49
- "World Ô Filth" – 1:14
- "War Toy" – 2:22
- "Cåptain Crünch" – 3:52
- "Püre as the Årctic Snôw" – 2:27
- "Je M'Appelle J. Cöusteaü" – 3:07
- "GWAR Theme" – 2:26
- "Bône Meal" – 0:42
- "Öllie North" – 1:55
- "Techno's Song" – 3:44
- "U Ain't Shit" – 1:19
- "Rock & Roll Pärty Töwn" – 3:10
- "Black and Huge" (Netherlands version) – 2:16
[edit] Miscellanea
- When the beginning of the song "Ollie North" is played backwards, the actual beginning of the song happens to be a slurred rendition of a part of the bridge to Careless Whisper.
- The Netherlands release of this album contains the bonus track "Black and Huge" as track 17.
- This along with "Scumdogs of the Universe" are the only GWAR albums to date to be released on vinyl.
- Early cassette & the vinyl release also have the song "Black & Huge" on it.
- In 2004, this was supposed to be re-released with Scumdogs of the Universe on DRT, but that had never come to pass.
