Gwar will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Beyond Hell with a newly remastered deluxe edition arriving on September 25 through the band’s own Pit Records. The 2006 album will also receive its first-ever vinyl release as part of the anniversary campaign.
The new edition was remastered by Paul Logus (Anthrax, Killswitch Engage) and revisits one of Gwar‘s most theatrical releases. Alongside the updated audio, fans will also get a previously unreleased outro that was recorded during the original Beyond Hell sessions but never made the final album.
To mark the announcement, Gwar has also released the remastered version of “Eighth Lock” together with the long-unavailable music video for the track.
Produced by Devin Townsend, Beyond Hell arrived in 2006 and became one of the standout records in Gwar‘s catalog. Townsend recently reflected on working with the band and how the project came together.
“I had been a Gwar fan since I was a kid. I loved the freedom, the metal, the spectacle, and the passion that went into it all,” recalls Townsend. “I met Brockie on a tour we did together and, after cornering him in an elevator and basically telling him I’d work for free, I found myself co-producing Beyond Hell. Dave and Corey came to Vancouver to stay with me, and we recorded at Profile Studios. The drums and basic tracks were done at Slave Pit in Richmond, Virginia, and the whole process took about three months.”
He continued: “Gwar were, and are, an amazing combination of artistic freedom, absurdity, and hard work bundled up with metal and performance. Loved them then, love them now.”
Built around the band’s descent into Hell to rescue Flattus Maximus, Beyond Hell remains a fan favorite and includes tracks such as “Back in Crack”, “Womb With A View”, “Tormentor”, and “The Ultimate Bohab”.
The anniversary release will be available on 180-gram vinyl packaged in a tri-fold sleeve that opens into an inverted cross. A deluxe CD version will also be available, complete with a fold-out poster.
The standard gold vinyl pressing is limited to 2,000 copies. A more limited “Blood Moon” variant, restricted to 300 copies, will be sold exclusively through Gwar‘s official store, while Metal Injection will carry the “Blood Smear” edition, capped at 200 copies.
On the touring front, Gwar returns to the stage in August for a series of festival appearances, including Endless Fires Fest, Louder Than Life, and Riot Fest. The band will then play a short headlining run with support from Weedeaterand Brat, before launching the “Gor Gor Must Die!” tour. That trek features Midnight as direct support, Mac Sabbathopening every show, and select appearances by X-Cops and Atomic Rule.
Beyond Hell is available here.
