In late 2011, GWAR's guitarist, Cory Smoot, suddenly and tragically passed away due to previously unknown genetic heart defect. "Isn't This Disgusting," a Dayglo Abortions cover, becomes something of a fitting meta-commentary epitaph for the band (and also acts as benefit for his family and their funeral expenses.)

Dayglo Abortion's original version found the band pointing their fingers at the hidden hypocrisies of their straighter laced contemporaries. That is, they were arguing, "if you think I'm gross, you should see what those people do behind closed doors!" But, GWAR's take on the tune presents an interesting position.

GWAR, by their very existence and acts, which includes raping dead dogs, killing babies and just generally being nasty, acts as a conduit to view how nasty humans get. By being such a spectacle and by being so horrid, GWAR first appears to be fantastical, but then, upon closer inspection, don't really seem to be too different from humans after all. Normally, GWAR doesn't need to point fingers because they are the living embodiment of what makes humans so horrid. Yet, on their punkified cover of the song, GWAR does use a finger of condemnation on humans. This has a twofold effect. First, if GWAR is grossed out by humans, they really must be something despicable. Second, by dropping their shroud of oblivious selfishness, the band seems that much more real, and the issues they present throughout their catalogue become somewhat more grim and gain a certain gravitas.

The trick would be difficult to pull off for any band, particularly a band like GWAR that has so much mythos and concept hanging from their bloodied spikes. That makes it that much more bitter that it happens to be Smoot's last ever recording with the band.

Notes:

-The sales from the song go to benefit Cory Smoot's family.

-This is my 250th review for Punknews. 250 reviews is something of a milestone at PN, because the ticker stops counting your submissions after 250. So, like GWAR, I have now entered org-deification. it's only fitting that the review which elevates my being circles back to the very first review I did for the site.

-Fun fact: that first review once ruined a job interview I had at an advertising agency in New York. (I belled for you people)