GWAR
BLOODBATH AND BEYOND
DRT Records

It would be harsh to suggest that heavy metal circus act Gwar should be seen and not heard, given the fact that they've produced some damn fine tunes in their time... but certainly, this is a band who work best as a visual spectacular. So a DVD of assorted Gwar shows over the last 20 years(!) seems a winning proposition.

But in reality, this is a decidedly mixed bag.

At its best, this is a fascinating history of the band, from the days when they had only the minimum of costuming to the current excess of theatrics and cheesiness. Given that their tours now go more or less unnoticed, it's amusing to recall when the band were Public Enemy Number One, having gigs banned across the UK and securing outraged tabloid headlines wherever they went. It's hard to see what all the fuss was about, as this is sheer spectacle than no-one could possibly take seriously.

However, all is not well with this release.

The main problem is not that some of the older footage is blurry, wobbly and technically lacking - which it is - but that whoever put the DVD together decided that the footage should be chopped about and multi-layered, with the original sound often replaced by studio recordings. The result is often headache inducing and I can't see the point: surely any fan would prefer to see unedited archive footage, no matter how low rent it might be.

That said, the clips do a decent job of capturing the chaos of of live Gwar and the extras are amusing if trashy, with the emphasis on extreme bad taste, violent sex and gore - a combo which may not be technically legal to sell in the UK, so if you want it, get it now!

DAVID FLINT

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