Scumdogs of the Universe

Infobox Album
Name = Scumdogs of the Universe
Type = studio
Artist = GWAR


Released = 1990
Recorded = 1990
Genre = Thrash metal heavy metal

Length = 51:58
Label = Metal Blade Records
Producer = Ron Goudie, Hypo Luxa, Hermes Pan
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:y2ja7iojg71r link]
Last album = "Hell-O"
(1988)
This album = "Scumdogs of the Universe"
(1990)
Next album = "America Must Be Destroyed"
(1992)

"Scumdogs of the Universe" is the second album released by rock/heavy metal/punk band GWAR. It is their first album on Metal Blade Records and was released in 1990. It is to this day the band's best selling album and greatly expanded the band's horizons.

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 skinheads) and the opening track, "Salaminizer", which 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 around twisted jokes about insane medical practices and sexual perversion. This album is viewed by many 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). It is assumed by the band that this album is their best seller (though Brockie has recently said that "War Party" has sold very well and has been their best-received album in a long time - since "Scumdogs", according to one interview).

This is the first GWAR album on which more than two people sing lead ("Hell-O" had Oderus Urungus and Techno Destructo): "Slaughterama" features 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

All lead vocals by Oderus Urungus otherwise noted.

tracklist
title1 = The Salaminizer
length1 = 3:33
title2 = Maggots
length2 = 4:05
title3 = Sick of You
length3 = 3:08
title4 = Slaughterama
note4 = Vocals by Sleazy P. Martini
length4 = 5:02
title5 = The Years Without Light
length5 = 2:58
title6 = King Queen
length6 = 4:51
title7 = Horror of Yig
length7 = 5:24
title8 = Vlad the Impaler
length8 = 3:14
title9 = Black and Huge
length9 = 3:09
title10 = Love Surgery
length10 = 4:55
title11 = Death Pod
length11 = 3:31
title12 = Sexecutioner
note12 = Vocals by Sexecutioner
length12 = 3:58
title13 = Cool Place to Park
note13 = Vocals by Beefcake the Mighty
length13 = 4:02

Line-up

*Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) - vocals
*Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus) - Lead guitar
*Mike Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death) - Rhythm guitar, backup vocals
*Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) - Bass guitar, backup vocals; Lead vocals on "Cool Place to Park"
*Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) - drums
*Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) - Backup vocals
*Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) - Vocals on "Sexecutioner"
*Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) - Vocals on "Slaughterama"

Miscellaneous

*The album was produced by Ron Goudie. "Hypo Luxa" and "Hermes Pan", pseudonyms for Ministry's Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker, produced the track "Horror of Yig".
*Contrary to popular belief, former member Nippleus Erectus is "not" credited for doing the drums on this album, yet in the album art there is a drawing of him and not of the real drummer, Jizmak Da Gusha.
*The song "Vlad the Impaler" is misspelled - this is the first typo on a GWAR album (the title is fixed on the Japanese edition of the album), as well as the lyrics for Salaminizer misspell Sony Trinitron as "Trinatron".
*In 1984 Hunter Jackson rented a studio in an old Richmond Dairy building, intending to shoot a space pirate movie which was originally entitled "Scumdogs of the Universe". He named his studio "The Slave Pit".

Gwar Jokes

*"How Do You Hide Money From A Hippie?":::"Put It Under The Soap!"
*"What Ever Happened To Eddie Munster?":::"I'm Looking At Him!"
*"Why Do Nazi SkinHeads Wear Red Suspenders Anyways?":::"He Doesn't Have To Tell You!"