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WARP 11
"The Search for
Rock" (CD Baby; 2021)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Warp 11 is a punk band based on the Star Trek universe. As you can see from the reviews of this band, they are a quality outfit that just happens to write, play and perform music from within the Star Trek universe. The music is a tongue-in-cheek parody/satire of Star Trek. "The Search for Rock" is complete and utter evidence of that. To say this band knows and loves Star Trek is an understatement. All you have to do is listen to the first song where they mention the spore drive from Star Trek: Discovery. Most of the songs deal with sex ... not in a brazen way, but in a fun way. I don't usually publish the tracklisting, but I think the song titles will give you some understanding of what you're getting here:
"The Search for Rock"
"The Andorian Song"
"Baby, Eat Your Greens." (This song
is about green-skinned slave girls)
"Tonight I’m Gonna Love You Like
Captain Kirk"
"Deanna,
What’s Your Mind"
"King Kong versus Captain Kirk" (swear to God,
a song that puts King Kong in a fight with Captain Kirk. Strange, but true.)
"We Can’t Make It So"
"Uhura"
"Yar"
"All Your Bones Are Belong To Us"
"The Naked Time"
"Boldly Go Down On Me"
"Kluck
of Khan"
"Sweet Alien Love"
"Shy
Romulan"
"Federation
Ship Captain"
"Last
Call For Synthehol"
"You Got To Mugutha"
"It’s Green"
"Planet F**k"
"It’s Easy Being Green"
Like I said
before, this music is simply kick-ass and these guys have some amazing talent.
It also pokes great fun at the Star Trek universe and that is one of
the things I love about this band. There are three songs with the words "Mirror,
Mirror" in parentheses and near as I can figure, they are about Star Trek's
famous alternate universe, first introduced in the original series in the
episode "Mirror, Mirror" with Spock and his cool goatee.
I love this band. They don't take themselves too seriously but they have fun with such style, class, and talent, it makes it all so enjoyable.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
"Borgasm" (Stargate
69 Music; 2011)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Warp 11 tries something a little different this time out, exchanging their bawdy Star Trek parodies with a real Star Trek rock opera. The result is the epic "Borgasm," a concept album that plays like a (musical) episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"Borgasm" tells a complete story of a Borg invasion, from start to finish, in surprising detail, with explosive action, kinky sex and characters who are jaw-droppingly complex. Even the music seems a notch above the norm for this outstanding band, and that's no small feat, considering their already impressive catalog.
Warp 11 plays "Borgasm" a lot more seriously than previous albums, and the story flows effortlessly from one chapter to the next. The band's trademark humor is still here, thankfully, only in smaller portions. (As when a Starfleet office is told to hold down the fort, even though it's a suicide mission, and he declares "Fuck the Federation, I'm out of here!")
Of course, you may have to be a Star Trek geek (as I admittedly am) to really enjoy the entirety of "Borgasm," but fans just discovering the band, and avoiding them for their "novelty act" appearance, could do worse than this incredibly well-written and -performed album.
Warp
11: Captain Karl Miller; Jeff "Number One" Merlino; Chief Engineer Brian Moore;
Chief Science Officer Kiki Stockhammer.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
"Suck My
Spock Some More" (Reboot Music; 2008)
Reviewed by Snidermann
If you've visited RoughEdge.com before, you probably know by now that Warp 11 is a band dedicated to Star Trek. So you think this band could do like one or maybe two novelty recordings and then fade away. But, no. These guys have made a career of it and have recorded eight full-length recordings. This one is called "Suck My Spock Some More." This tongue-in-cheek approach to music is way too much fucking fun to any fan of both great music and the Star Trek universe. Fun aside, this band plays some serious music; they are no fly-by-night outfit. This music is tight, well thought-out and features some impressive songwriting and musicianship.
The subject matter is another story. The Star Trek references are sometimes not for the casual fan of the franchise—which I am not and never have been. I have been a Trek fan since I first watched the original shows in reruns with my brother—I would say that was around 1975 or 1976, when I was about 12 years old—and I have been a major fan since then.
In previous Warp 11 reviews, I have listed
the songs. This is something I don't often do in most of my other metal/rock
reviews; however, when reviewing Warp 11 the song titles are half the fun.
"Shatner"
"Crusher"
"Help Me Spock"
"Wormhole"
"Space Opera"
"Make It So (TNG)"
"Make It So (TOS)"
"Spock Me, Shock Me"
"Holosuite Women"
"I Always Knew I Would Die Alone"
"Yeah Brother"
"Deanna, What’s On My Mind"
"Kirk Gets Laid Again"
"Suck My Spock"
"Montalban"
There are a
few more releases from this band that I have yet to review; however, that will
be taken care of soon. All I can say about Warp 11 is "Live Long And Prosper."
(I know you thought about throwing up the Vulcan salute. Come on, I know you
did). Hopefully, with all the new variations of Star Trek now on
streaming services, there will be ample material for more Warp 11 recordings.
One can only hope.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
"It's
Dead, Jim" (Reboot Music; 2007)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Warp 11 deliver another high quality CD based in the "Star Trek" universe. This time around, the name of the CD is "It’s Dead, Jim." Now, every Trekkie worth their weight in latnum knows what that title refers to.
Warp 11 showcase their unique talent of making peppy, punkish music based solely on the Star Trek universe. It's not easy taking something as beloved as "Star Trek" and turning into decent rock'n'roll, but this band has a unique talent for doing just that.
As the title implies, "It's Dead, Jim" is often about the fact that ... at the moment ... there is no new "Star Trek" on television, not even an animated series (although a new "Trek" film by J.J. Abrahms is in the works). As with previous Warp 11 CDs, "It's Dead, Jim" may be tongue-in-cheek and delightfully irreverent but the band is for real. They deliver a strong musical experience with high quality aspects all around: production, musicianship and style.
The "explicit lyrics" label on the cover is for a good reason. With song titles like "Belt Buckle Tractor Beam," this CD is definitely aimed at older "Star Trek" fans.
With "It's Dead, Jim," Warp 11 continue to spoof "Star Trek" with undeniable musical talent, hysterically clever lyrics and a joyously respectful irreverence. There's no other band quite like them.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
"Boldly
Go Down on Me" (Reboot Music; 2005)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy the vibrant, edgy rock'n'roll of Warp 11's "Boldly Go Down on Me," but -- if you are -- it will certainly enhance the listening experience.
While perhaps not as completely successful as the band's previous release ("Red Alert," reviewed below), "Boldly Go ..." is a fourteen track collection of poppy rock songs that focus fully on the world of Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek." Just a quick glance at the song titles will tell you that ... as well as tell you that the band's tongue is firmly planted in cheek. The CD's title is evidence enough, but add "Captain Caught Me on the Holodeck," "She Make It So" or "Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Klingons" and the album's theme is clearly obvious.
Most of the songs are hilariously-lyricked pop rockers, my favorite being "Set Your Phaser to Fuck." "A Song for People Who Never Watch Star Trek" comically attempts to explain the entire Trek phenomenon while "Rage Against the Federation" satirizes not only "Star Trek" but Rage Against the Machine" as well. The lyrics here are a little more "in-joke" than the previous CD, meaning that Trek fans will get some of the jokes that others may not. That probably won't lessen non-fans enjoyment of the CD, however, since -- even when they're not being funny -- Warp 11 knows how to rock extremely well.
Warp 11 is a novelty band, no question about it. But they're that rare novelty band that not only pushes the envelope of their particular genre, they crossover into just plain good rock'n'roll.
Warp
11: Captain Karl Miller - drums, bass; Chief Medical Officer Jeff Hewitt -
vocals, drums; Chief Engineer Brian Moore - vocals, guitars; Chief Science
Officer Kiki Stockhammer - vocals, keyboards.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
"Red
Alert" (Reboot Music; 2002)
Reviewed by James DeRuvo
When I first got wind of Warp 11, I thought - oh dear god,
Trekkies who think they can be "golden gods of rock."
But, in reality, it's just the opposite ... Warp 11 are golden gods of rock who think they can be
Trekkies!
And they're the real deal.
Warp 11 sounds like the band you'd get if you smashed together the raw energy of Green Day, the
fresh wit of Weezer and the classic tradition of AC/DC. Listeners will instantly pick up these influences
amongst the self-deprecating humor of the band's Trek-oriented lyrics.
From their first radio hit, "Everything I Do, I Do for William Shatner," to the hard-driving title cut
to the erotic "Seven of Mine" and (my personal favorite) "Old Country Doctor (The Ballad of Bones)," Warp 11 makes social commentary on the impacts of media franchises on our psyche while we bang our heads to the polished hardrock/punk
guitar licks.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Gene Roddenberry faithful don't see the humor. Trek fans just take
the Trek franchise way too seriously. This came true to the band when they had a booth at a convention and only sold 17 CDs, but got a lion's share of dirty looks.
However, they also found kindred spirits in a bunch of Klingons who came by and serenaded them with Klingon drinking songs.
Band member Karl Miller says the Klingons rocked their world that day: "Trust us, you haven't lived until you've had a hummer from a chick dressed as a
Klingon!" The band is the first to admit that they formed Warp 11 to get the chicks. But what they didn't count on was how hot devoted Warp 11 groupies can look in classic short-skirted
Yeoman outfits!
Warp 11's music is crisp, tight and finely polished. The lyrics are satirically absurd, but that's half the fun.
Perhaps more importantly, Red Alert have provided an important service: As long
as they're on the bill, it's not quite so geeky to show up at a Star Trek
convention.
MAKE IT SO!
Warp
11: Karl Miller, Jeff Hewitt, and Brian Moore.
For more information, check out http://www.warp11.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2023 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
