Wonderful Hell, by War On Women

Wonderful Hell

by War On Women

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anabolic squirrel Album 4: still powerful, hard-charging songs with biting lyrics that bludgeon you into realizing that gender inequality sadly persists. I like the polish on this record, I hear more time changes in the song structures pointed out by the meaty guitar riffs. Shawna should be the spokeswoman on the state of the nation. This band has a message. Pay Attention! Favorite track: Milk and Blood.

MrZer0 I love this! Holy shit, man! Just turn this up as loudly as possible! Favorite track: Her?.

Flow The more I listen to it the better it gets - and hell, there's no end in sight. Super intense, every track a flipping banger. Definitely their best yet. Favorite track: Demon.

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$6.99 USD or more
Let's get crafty! Join singer Shawna in her favorite hobby, cross stitch and embroidery, with this exclusive pattern made just for WOW fans! We commissioned Good Life Farm - Crafts & Design for this very detailed, photo-realistic stitch design. You can see more of their work on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/GoodLifeFarmWV

This item is only a pattern! All supplies are up to you. The pattern with full instructions and supply list will be emailed, nothing physically ships. Original flower with teeth sculpture that inspired the album cover, used with permission, by Madame Melavia. Difficulty level: for experienced xstitchers.

$5 USD or more
This pattern includes lyrics from War On Women song "White Lies" and was commissioned exclusively for WOW fans! Keep yourself busy if you're feeling stabby.

Thanks to One of a Kind Baby Design (www.oneofakindbabydesign.etsy.com), designs by Heather Yothers. This is a pattern only! You are responsible for all supplies. The full pattern and instructions will be emailed to you shortly after ordering, no physical merch will be shipped. Difficulty level: Beginner/Intermediate.

$5 USD or more
For the beginners! Purchase this pattern to make your own feminist punk band. Customize Sue's battle vest buttons, Dave's shirt, or Shawna's hair! This pattern is recommended for 14 count in an 8" hoop and takes about 12 colors. It does not include any general directions, but you'll only use the cross stitch and back stitch (and a half stitch if you're feeling fancy) and can use whatever colors you have on hand.

This pattern would not be possible without the help & guidance of Mike Reynolds (@everydaygirldad on Twitter) who started the layout, which was then finished by WOW singer Shawna Potter.
Nothing ships! You'll get a pdf of this pattern emailed to you shortly after purchase.

$4 USD or more

1.	Aqua Tofana 03:39	lyrics	buy track
AQUA TOFANA My husband prepare for death I gave you the time to repent But time’s up, yeah you have to go Your whole kind had a good run We’re left with no other option So time’s up yeah you have to go Aqua Tofana Belladonna Arsenic, lead Until he’s dead Four doses One generation They all have to die So we can live There is no giant plot We are not all in on it We will deny we’ve got it all planned out. From the bottom up, it spreads To presidential candidates No exceptions will be allowed Aqua Tofana Belladonna Arsenic, lead Until he’s dead “He’s one of the good ones.” Well good or not you must Kill him, kill him, kill him already, kill him A day will come, we’ll wink and nod and Kill him, kill him, kill him already, kill him Politics aside, do it for humankind, just Kill him, kill him, kill him already, kill him A fucking legend to would-be widows, just Kill him, kill him, kill him already, kill him A fucking legend to would-be widows, just Kill him, kill him, kill him already, kill him A fucking legend to would-be widows, just Kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him
2.	Milk and Blood 04:10	lyrics	buy track
MILK AND BLOOD The adults are left to ripen and rot Suffocate on all their little thoughts A continuation of a birth They give you milk but you want blood Consume and suck and eat and fuck You’re desperate to feel Something you lost, but All of the fear and pain you ingest Will eat you out til there’s nothing left You’re not superior We all start on all fours So scared of a little witch hunt When you’re the one hiding the blood lust It’s all meat on the chopping block We give you milk but you want blood Consume and suck and eat and fuck You’re desperate to feel Something you lost, but All of the fear and pain you ingest Will eat you out til there’s nothing left You’re not superior We all start on all fours This womb just another wound These heels and paint, another trap Let’s make it difficult to move When you’re dead still, you’re beautiful Consume and suck and eat and fuck You’re desperate to feel something you lost, but All of the fear and pain you ingest Will eat you out til there’s nothing left You’re not superior We all start on all fours
3.	Wonderful Hell 03:44	lyrics	buy track
WONDERFUL HELL I can’t ignore What’s in front of me The fear is real But not the enemy I can’t believe It’s really happening We set it loose And now it’s free There’s got to be a better way Than giving up and wallowing Let’s raise some wonderful, beautiful hell And make this world worth living in We should’ve known. We didn’t want to see We made it worse. This is our doing It’s not one man Or one country We’ve got to stop This fascist creep There’s got to be a better way Than giving up and wallowing Let’s raise some wonderful, beautiful hell And make this world worth living in Let’s raise some hell
4.	This Stolen Land 03:50	lyrics	buy track
THIS STOLEN LAND You create the refugee Then you hate the refugee No one’s illegal on this stolen land Check the skin against the paint It looks to be too dark a shade You can’t lock everyone up to keep us safe Shake the cages and storm the gates The clock is ticking and they can’t wait Shake the cages and storm the gates You might feel helpless, but they can’t wait Shake the cages and storm the gates To join the front lines what would it take? Can more violence conquer yours? Can our love open the doors? I can’t help you if you love to hate You create the refugee Then you hate the refugee No one’s illegal on this stolen land
5.	White Lies 03:30	lyrics	buy track
WHITE LIES Money. Death. Repeat Shoot. Kill. Repeat Feign shock. Repeat Thoughts. Prayers. Repeat Big white lies There’s no other size Locked in a room So you can’t compete We politely request you get your boots off our necks And if the bastards grind you down, become a diamond And if the bastards grind you down, become a diamond and cut them all Hand out loans To light skin tones Legit business? Nothing but smoke Stop and frisk Proper permits How do you spell complicit? We politely request you get your boots off our necks And if the bastards grind you down, become a diamond And if the bastards grind you down, become a diamond and cut them all I wanna make room for the glow. They light the fuse. It’s gonna blow If the bastards grind you down, become a diamond and cut them all
6.	Big Words 03:48	lyrics	buy track
BIG WORDS I’m trying to collect my thoughts Recognize when I’m at fault But lately I’ve been feeling weak And that’s not like me, not at all So I’m a hypocrite or bitch I archived all the lies you sent I thought we built this to share If we’re not friends where to begin? Oh, so you just read a book? All those big words really took You just throw them in my face You’re just begging me to look I practice what to say If I ever see your face Reminds me of a summer lost I forced myself to move on Could I rebuild this bridge Out of embers and ashes I’m not that inspired to try Since your the one that lit the fire Oh, so you just read a book? All those big words really took You just throw them in my face You’re just begging me to look Hurt people hurt people
7.	Seeds 03:34	lyrics	buy track
SEEDS If we’re all the enemy Then we’re all on the same side If you ask me to push, I’ll push, but if you’re pulling Then why even ask me to try? Love in wartime, how do we survive? Once we combine, we can’t be defeated Are the facts more real than feelings? We’re all we’ve got, and fear isn’t real It sneaks up from behind, seeks only to divide How can we shelter in place? On a minefield, told to wait If we’re afraid to make mistakes, and look foolish Then we die alone for the state Love in wartime, how do we survive? Once we combine, we can’t be defeated Love fiercely, because all this ends Now it’s on us, to defy and defend It sneaks up from behind, seeks only to divide It’s playing with your mind, but we’re on the same side They fucking knew. They fucking lied. We can’t fight back if we all die We’re fighting for our lives They all lie They don’t care about us We’re fighting for our lives They don’t care about us at all They all lie They’re gonna try try to bury us under The ground ground, but we’re seeds They’re gonna try try to bury us under The ground ground, but we’re seeds They’re gonna try try try to bury us under The ground ground ground, but we’re all seeds
8.	Her? 03:50	lyrics	buy track
HER? But her emails But her makeup But her health But her age But her voice But her hair But her clothes But her face But her school But her thoughts But her ankles But her laugh But her children But her husband But her name But her past Her credentials Her experience And her lattes Are they soy? But her service But her plans But her dancing But her joy Her? But her crows feet But her laugh lines But her nails But her hose We don’t care She’s a woman She just can’t Run the show But her policies Her naivety But her drive But her veins But her cunt But her breasts But her mouth But her brain Her. Enough. Its time Elizabeth Warren Amy Klobuchar Kamala Harris Kirsten Gillibrand Tulsi Gabbard Carly Fiorina Hillary Clinton Jill Stein Michele Bachmann Cynthia McKinney Sarah Palin Carol Moseley Braun Winona LaDuke Heather Anne Harder Elvena Lloyd-Duffie Lenora Fulani Patricia S. Schroeder Geraldine Ferraro Sonia Johnson Margaret Wright Ellen McCormack Patsy Mink Linda Jenness Shirley Chisholm Fay T. Carpenter Swain Margaret Smith Belva Lockwood Victoria Woodhull
9.	In Your Path 01:11	lyrics	buy track
IN YOUR PATH “Sleep calmly, innocent girl Without concern about the bandit in your path Over your dreams, smiling and sweet Watches your loving police” The rapist is you! And the fault wasn’t mine, or where I was, not how I dressed. Es la violencia que no ves Another disappearance A punishment for being born, waiting for un violador The rapist is you It’s the cops and the state The rapist is you The judges and the president The rapist is you It’s the cops and the state The rapist is you All the way to the president
10.	The Ash Is Not The End 03:51	lyrics	buy track
THE ASH IS NOT THE END Bite down You got your eyes wide open while they're coming in your mouth You turn your head left to spit Oh look you fixed the draught! Bite down They whisper in your ear all of the things you've been waiting to hear Bite down We know you're a nice guy, and You're not alone Did we mention that you're right? Bite down So it will hurt a little less when they're kicking in your chest Tell yourself it's just a game It’s just a game. It’s just a game It's all just a matter of time, it's all just a matter of time Bite down Choose your weapon, cut it fast, cut it clean If you want the wound to heal, well first it has to bleed Burn it down One way or another it'll burn What's it matter to the pawn? Afterall, it’s just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game It's all just a matter of time, it's all just a matter of time So you wanna burn it all to the ground like there's no coming back from this? You fucking quitter The fire, the embers, the ash are not the end If you want it then you're gonna have to build it yourself
11.	Demon 06:29	lyrics	buy track
DEMON In a small corner of my body There is a demon who lives Press your hand, right here You just might feel him “Do you miss the guilt?” He screams it “Do you miss the guilt?” There is a source of a river inside me Where neighboring trees grow only dead leaves If I can’t be more than accessory Then I will scream until I can’t breathe

about

A lot has happened since War On Women burst out of Baltimore’s activist community in 2010 as an unapologetically intersectional feminist hardcore punk band. In their early days, even some of their peers found their politics “extreme” but in the years since, feminism has undeniably gone mainstream, as evidenced by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and superstars like Beyonce incorporating it into their personal brands. There’s also been backlash, from the growth of the alt-right out of misogynist message boards, to an actual rapist landing in the White House where he’s spent the past four years pouring gasoline on the flames of hatred and division, rather than striving toward unity.

That’s all to say, that in the midst of this tumultuous period of American history, and especially with the crucial 2020 election looming on the horizon, War On Women’s unrelenting vision and ferociously vital messages are more necessary than ever before.

Their new album Wonderful Hell (out digitally October 30th + physically on November 13th via Bridge Nine) is a call to action, even when every step forward feels like it’s met with a landslide back. The title track, which unintentionally echoes John Lewis’ notion of “good trouble” as a catalyst for change, emerged during a period when vocalist/lyricist Shawna Potter was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by life in the Trump era. “I think it expresses something that a lot of people are feeling. Like, ‘Okay, we had our moment. Now it's time to get back to work. We can't let this happen again. We can't endure another four years of this,’” she comments.

Recorded with the band’s guitarist and co-founder Brooks Harlan alongside J. Robbins at his Magpie Cage Studios in February 2020 and completed in April (when in a COVID-19-free timeline the band would have been on tour with Bad Religion), Wonderful Hell is the first War On Women album to feature the band’s current lineup of Potter, Harlan, bassist/vocalist Sue Werner, guitarist/vocalist Jennifer “Jenarchy” Vito, and drummer Dave Cavalier. The record opens with the explosive “Aqua Tofana,” which references the notorious 17th-century “husband killer” poison, and pokes fun at misogynists who’d imagine feminist musicians as jonesing to destroy all men, rather than convert them to the cause. But as War On Women mix lines from Shellac’s classic vengeance plea “Prayer to God” with their own, it’s easy to imagine their brutally tongue-in-cheek barbs could get MRAs shaking behind their 4chan screen names.

Wonderful Hell 's steadfast rager “White Lies” is a takedown of systemic racism and those who complicitly watch—and even benefit from—institutions that openly favor one group over everyone else, while “This Stolen Land” confronts the gall of leaders who declare refugees and migrants “illegal” as they govern from land violently seized from Native Americans. And like War On Women’s previous albums, Wonderful Hell includes plenty of songs that aim straight at the jugular of gender disparity. “Her?” lists the petty but politically lethal criticisms leveled at woman who dare to be visible in public office, while “In Your Path” takes on gender-based violence with lyrics adapted from chants introduced by Chilean grassroots feminist collective Las Tesis.

Like the title track, the anthemic “The Ash is Not the End” and the magnificently slow-burning closer “Demon” acknowledge the natural feelings of wanting to give up or self-destruct in the face of insurmountable adversity—feelings Potter says she has experienced herself. "In those songs I'm giving myself the advice to keep fighting. I'm just hopeful that someone else who needs to hear that message will find strength in it, too," she says.

But while War On Women offers listeners space to vent their anxieties and frustrations, they ultimately challenge them to find their inner strength and build the world they want to live in rather than burn down what’s left of this one. "The thing is, we don't have a do over,” Potter says. “We don't have a time machine. We can't snap our fingers and start from some other place. All we have is right here, right now. So what can you do right here, right now, to help?"

So take a breath, recharge, and then join War On Women— because it's time to raise some Wonderful Hell.

credits

released October 30, 2020

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about

War On Women Baltimore, Maryland

War On Women is a feminist hardcore-punk band.

shows

Sep 01

The Circle Drive-In Theater

Scranton, PA
Sep 01

Circle Drive-In

Scranton, PA

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