Scumdogs of the Universe

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Scumdogs of the Universe
Studio album by Gwar
Released	1990
Recorded	1990
Genre	Thrash metal Heavy metal
Length	51:55
Label	Metal Blade Records
Producer	Ron Goudie, Hypo Luxa, Hermes Pan
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Gwar chronology
Hell-O (1988) Scumdogs of the Universe (1990) America Must Be Destroyed (1992)

Scumdogs of the Universe is the second album by heavy metal band Gwar. The album 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 in a game show-style fashion) 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^[who?] 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).^[which?]

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

Line-up

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

Miscellaneous

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2009)

• 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

These "jokes" are found in Sleazy's questions during the song "Slaughterama". The questions are for a hippie, an "art-fag", and a nazi skinhead, respectively. Every question is only allowed an extremely quick answer time before the participant is killed.

• "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!"