The New Dark Ages

Released digitally on June 3, 2022, The New Dark Ages is GWAR’s fifteenth studio album. The album was announced on January 25, 2022, alongside GWAR In The Duoverse Of Absurdity, a graphic novel that will further detail the album’s storyline. The announcement video also included an instrumental snippet of the bridge from “Blood Libel”.

While not told directly through song, the album’s story involves GWAR, now lost in the Duoverse (“like the multiverse, but it’s a little shittier”), joining forces with a “murderous maven” known as The Cutter and fighting off living monuments and undead soldiers waging a New Civil War. Many of the album’s songs contain themes of societal destruction brought about by an over-reliance on the internet and technology for instant gratification, as well as the spread of unhinged conspiracy theories.

Following The Blood of Gods‘ usage of mc chris on two of its songs, The New Dark Ages features guest appearances by Lzzy Hale and Hey Steve.

The New Dark Ages is the first GWAR album since 2010’s Bloody Pit Of Horror to feature Casey Orr portraying bassist Beefcake The Mighty, as well as the final GWAR album to feature Brent Purgason as lead guitarist Pustulus Maximus following his departure in November 2023. It is also the first GWAR album to have a staggered release, with digital copies released on June 3, the CD released on July 15 (delayed from the original June 3 date due to a paper shortage) and various vinyl pressings and the cassette released in September.