Album review: Andrew W.K. – God Is Partying

It had to happen eventually. Every high brings a comedown and every great party leaves a great big mess behind. The title alone suggests that Andrew W.K.'s primary concern remains partying hard, but God Is Partying is at times a sombre and even bleak album. ‘Your god is a liar / Deceive and desire / Knowledge eaten long ago,’ Andrew declares on opener Everybody Sins, which is a far cry from demanding pie on We Want Fun. As Super Hans once declared on Peep Show, ‘We’re gonna have parties in this place that go beyond fun and actually get really, really nasty.’

‘Annihilate, annihilate, annihilate, turn me to dust,’ the singer continues against a grinding riff on Babalon. There’s a soaring sense of drama here and on follow-up No One To Know that is almost Muse-like in its grandiosity, but then there are moments like Stay True To Yourself where Andrew – who played all the instruments on the album – turns it down and withdraws into himself. I’m In Heaven introduces menacing electronica and a harsh industrial feel set against a backdrop of screams while Remember Your Oath is a big power ballad of betrayal.

It's only towards the end that things start to get a little more upbeat. I Made It sounds like a Jim Steinman-penned slice of Meat Loaf melodrama imbued with big ’80s-action-movie synths, while Not Anymore is an equally big rock anthem concerned with moving forwards and not dwelling on the past. It’s a brief respite but in general this is a more reflective, far darker album than we’re used to from the former god of partying.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Stone Sour, Muse, CKY

God Is Partying is released on 10 September via Napalm.

READ THIS: A deep dive into the video for Party Hard by Andrew W.K.