Comedy and parody in music is a thorny subject. For every Chicken Song there is a Doctorin the Tardis. Hell, let’s face it the Chicken song was only funny when we were kids. (apologies to anyone under 35 who hasn’t a clue what I am on about – Google Spitting Image.
Irony in metal annoys me. Can’t people just enjoy a genre without having to do so “ironically”. “Ha this Steel Panther is so funny – they make outrageous sexual remarks and act out a Sunset Strip lifestyle. I could never listen to Motley Crue or Poison though. So hackneyed”
Don’t like Blue Oyster Cult or Rush? Stick in a Satan or two, some slap and a cassock and we gotta new sensation here. Bah and Humbug! Bands like Evil Scarecrow have carved a niche in the festival circuit for their crowd participation schtick. All good fun.
Sell by dates though folks.
Nanowar of Steel are a parody band from Rome who have albums entitled “Other bands play, Nanowar gay” and “Into Gay Pride Ride”. Not too sure if this is just a play on the homo eroticism that surrounds a lot of power metal or bad vaguely homophobic humour. Maybe I am being a little snowflakey here. They have a guitarist that dresses like a genie and has the stage name Mohammed Abdul. Feels a little “black face” to me. Maybe it loses something in the translation but from an Italy that is swinging further to the right it’s a little Roy Chubby Brown for me.
What “Stairway to Valhalla” contains is mildly amusing song titles – “Barbie Milf Princess of the Twilight” “Heavy Metal Kibbles” (apparently sung by a cat) “Vegan Velociraptor” etc. I gotta say I did laugh at the explanation of how Dream Theatre create their albums. Spoiler alert…..
“They scratch a picture of a large cock on a Manowar album”
Musically there is a mix of Rhapsody, Painkiller era Priest and Sabaton . If it weren’t for the daft lyrics – I mean dafter then normal power metal- you would be forgiven for thinking you had just picked up a generic European pastel logoed pomp metal cd.
I don’t know if Power Metal needs a parody – I mean Tenacious D did it well with Dio on the first album. Let’s face it, folk who like Power Metal – fuck it I mean LOVE Power Metaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal do so knowing that it is escapist fun. Larger than life tales, swooping synths and hirsute singers who either look like Fabio or Lily Munster. It’s fun. It’s waving plastic swords in the air at a festival in Derbyshire.
Poking fun at it is ridiculous. Hay Nanowar if you wanna be in a power metal band just do it. Have some fun, drink some mead maybe play a little D and D (stereotype police this is your final warning). I would say it is worth looking on line for the tracklisting for a diversion in a dull day. “Ironmonger (Copier of the Seven Keys) snigger. I wouldn’t bother listening to it though.
It’s like Raaaaaaaaaain on your wedding day…..
(2/10 Matt Mason)
21/11/2018 at 10:30 pm
Nanowar 4TW!!1!