America Must Be Destroyed is GWAR's third album, released in 1992 as their second album on Metal Blade Records. The album's lyrical content was inspired by controversy over obscenity charges against the band and an incident in Charlotte, North Carolina in which frontman Dave Brockie's prosthetic penile attachment "The Cuttlefish of Cthulhu" was confiscated by police officers.
Overview
The lyrical content in America Must Be Destroyed was greatly inspired by Dave Brockie's fight with police officers while touring in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1992. The controversy revolved around Brockie's rubbery penis adornment. Brockie was revolted by this attack on his rights and so he created a concept album revolving around an elite "Morality Squad" that attacked the members of GWAR and stole Oderus's penile attachment (aka Cuttlefish of Cthulu, a phallic hell beast that normally dangles from his crotch). The opening song, "Ham on the Bone" (which has a nod to grindcore) explains this robbery. The story then shifts to GWAR headquarters in Antarctica, where Oderus's slaves are ordered to shoot up a dinosaur egg with crack. The result is the mighty Gor Gor, a Tyrannosaurus Rex that wreaks havoc on America. Meanwhile, the Morality Squad has enlisted the help of Father Bohab (a Catholic priest) to crucify GWAR in the media. GWAR marches out to battle, and you can take the story from there. Other songs of interest include "Have You Seen Me?", "Poor Ole Tom", and "The Road Behind". Musically, it is a mix of rock and roll and blistering thrash metal, and it is even harsher-sounding than the previous album. A video, Phallus in Wonderland, was released as a supplement to the album's storyline. This album was followed by The Road Behind, an EP that contained that single and a riveting live version of "Have You Seen Me?" (which contained a notorious Ween sample at the end). The single "S.F.W." (a staple of their live shows) was supposedly released on this album as a bonus track, but this has been discounted by the band.
In November of 2009, a special edition of the album was released through Metal Blade, containing the CD and a bonus DVD containing Phallus in Wonderland and Tour De Scum.
Miscellaneous
GWAR fans are referred to as "bohabs," named for Father Bohab ("bohab" literally means "habitually boring," which is the opposite of what GWAR and their fans are - it fits Father Bohab perfectly; GWAR speaks ill of their fans - to their delight - and they have since taken the term as a point of pride).
Father Bohab was never actually on the album - he originally appeared in 1989, along with an early Cardinal Syn. On the Tour de Scum (the corresponding tour to Scumdogs of the Universe, the Morality Squad story is introduced. He (Bohab) is played by one of the slaves (according to Chuck Varga's Bohab Central forum posts, it was Bob Gorman; he also went on to say that the voice was his) on tour, but is portrayed by Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) in Phallus in Wonderland and It's Sleazy.
"Pussy Planet," the album's closer, was co-written by Slymenstra Hymen, and was slated to be a duet with Beefcake the Mighty. Though not quite a duet, Slymenstra's voice can still be heard in the song. The opening guitar riff sounds a lot like the guitar riff to Rape Me by Nirvana off the In Utero album.
The Canadian release of this album does not feature "Crack in the Egg," "Have You Seen Me?" and "Rock N' Roll Never Felt So Good," and instead has earlier versions of "Krak Down" and "Bad Bad Men" (both from This Toilet Earth) and "O Canada" (according to GWAR, this was included as a way to ridicule Canada for not having the "guts" to include the omitted songs).
Flattus Maximus is not on this album. Dewey Rowell left the band before recording began, and all of the lead guitars (save for two songs - "Crack in the Egg" and the title track, respectively) were recorded by Balsac the Jaws of Death. To this day, Balsac, not Flattus, will usually play lead when performing songs from this album live. Tim Harriss (of Kepone, the band Michael Bishop left GWAR for) played lead on the album's title track; Lee Harris (from Jizmak Da Gusha's old band Rosebud) played lead on "Crack in the Egg". Because of the absence of Flattus, the tour cycle surrounding this album was quite short.
The name of the album may be a reference to the Roman senator Cato, who was famous for ending all of his speeches (regardless of topic) with the line "Furthermore, it is my opinion that Carthage must be destroyed."
Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Ham on the Bone" |
Dave Brockie |
2:04 |
| 2. |
"Crack in the Egg" |
Brockie/Dewey Rowell |
3:37 |
| 3. |
"Gor-Gor" |
Brockie/Mike Bishop/Mike Derks |
4:21 |
| 4. |
"Have You Seen Me?" |
Brockie/Bishop |
4:46 |
| 5. |
"The Morality Squad" |
Hunter Jackson/Bishop |
3:37 |
| 6. |
"America Must Be Destroyed" |
Brockie/Dave Musel/Derks |
4:45 |
| 7. |
"Gilded Lily" |
Brockie/Bishop/Derks |
3:36 |
| 8. |
"Poor Ole Tom" |
Brockie/Bishop |
5:07 |
| 9. |
"Rock & Roll Never Felt So Good" |
Bishop |
4:17 |
| 10. |
"Blimey" |
Brockie/Bishop/Derks |
3:12 |
| 11. |
"The Road Behind" |
Brockie/Bishop |
5:30 |
| 12. |
"Pussy Planet" |
Danielle Stampe/Bishop/Derks |
2:51 |
Line-up
See also
