Wakes give rise to gripping breakup albums. While no Black in Black, Gwar’s 13th disc belches up a high-bile mark in the three-decade desiccation of these circus metallurgists for axe grinder Cory Smoot, aka Flattus Maximus, who died on the Virginians’ tour bus last year. Beyond the Maiden-esque title cut, an instrumental dedication to Flattus, demon Dave Brockie’s bellow to “never forget” on opener “Madness at the Core of Time” screams Smoot. Heinous (“Raped at Birth”) as well as hilarious (Kermit shout-out “it’s not easy being green” on “I, Bonesnapper”), Battle Maximus‘ intergalactic battle between Gwar’s “pig children” and the Tea Party’s future one percent chortles and blorts with all the proto-punk/metal bluntness of early NWOBHM. Flattus Maximus lives! (Sat., 11pm, Emo’s)

***.5

This article appears in October 25 • 2013.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.