Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
heavy metal band
Gwar
Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. After th ...
. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the character's signature
flatulence
Flatulence, in humans, is the expulsion of gas from the intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swallowed environm ...
. His speaking mannerisms suggest a childlike intelligence and naivety.
The role of Flattus Maximus was played by six different people before it was retired. Dewey Rowell was the first to take the role. A sculptor, Jeffrey Rumaner, nicknamed "Stretch" played Flattus in the scenes to the video "Gor-Gor". Pete Lee portrayed the character beginning with the 1992 tour in support of the ''
America Must Be Destroyed
''America Must Be Destroyed'' is Gwar’s third album, released in 1992 as their second album on Metal Blade Records. The album’s lyrical content was inspired by controversy over obscenity charges against the band and an incident in Charlotte, ...
'' album and continuing to perform with the band through their next four albums.
Tim Harriss portrayed him during the 1998 Halloween Tour and for the recording of ''
We Kill Everything
''We Kill Everything'' is the seventh album by Gwar, released on April 6, 1999 through Metal Blade Records.
Story
The album's story differs slightly from the version told in "It's Sleazy" and on tour.
The first three tracks on the album do not ...
''.
Zach Blair
Zach Blair (born December 26, 1974) is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based punk rock band Rise Against.
Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of melodic hardcore ...
took over the role in 1999 for the recording of ''
Violence Has Arrived
''Violence Has Arrived'' is the eighth studio album by the band Gwar. It was released on November 6, 2001, through Metal Blade Records.
According to an interview with Dave Brockie, it was originally supposed to be released on September 11, 2001, ...
''. Cory Smoot took over the role in 2002 and continued to portray the character until his death on November 3, 2011. After Smoot's death, the band made the decision to officially retire the character in his honor.
Gwar lore
Very little about Flattus Maximus is explained in Gwar lore. Even his home planet is an uncertainty. In an interview conducted during a 1997 tour, Flattus, at the time portrayed by Pete Lee, explained his hazy memory was due to his notorious pot smoking. He recalled a planet named Pot made entirely of
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
) he once called home. He ended up destroying it by smoking the entire planet out of existence.
Although his explanation was never officially set in stone, it's one of many theories as to where Flattus really originates from. What is apparent, though, is that he is illiterate, has a slight
Southern accent, and that he attributes his "explosive guitar style" to a strict diet of vegetarians, which also causes his infamous atomic flatulence.
Following Smoot's death in 2011, the band explained the character's absence by claiming that Flattus stole Gwar's spaceship in order to return to his home planet, Planet Home.
Flattus' history
Dewey Rowell was the first man to portray the "armored clown", taken from the pre-2005 web bio, who played on ''
Hell-O
''Hell-O!'' is the debut album by Gwar. The album was released on September 11, 1988, on Shimmy Disc Records.
Gwar's angle on the album is that of a morbid punk band (a la The Mentors, The Misfits, Butthole Surfers) obsessed with debauchery, ...
'' and ''
Scumdogs of the Universe
''Scumdogs of the Universe'' is the second album by American Satire, satirical Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Gwar. The album is their first album on Metal Blade Records and was released on January 8, 1990. To date, it is the band's best-s ...
''. He left the band shortly after the "Tour De Scum" tape, and before ''
America Must Be Destroyed
''America Must Be Destroyed'' is Gwar’s third album, released in 1992 as their second album on Metal Blade Records. The album’s lyrical content was inspired by controversy over obscenity charges against the band and an incident in Charlotte, ...
'', Gwar's third album, was recorded. Until mid-1992, after Gwar's ''Phallus In Wonderland'' was released, the Flattus Maximus character was absent. ''America Must Be Destroyed'' had all of its guitar parts (save two solos) played by
Balsac the Jaws of Death Balsac may refer to:
* Balsac the Jaws of Death (born 1950), character and guitarist in the rock band Gwar
* Balsac, Aveyron, France
* BALSAC (database), a Quebec population database
* Henri Heim de Balsac (1899–1979), French zoologist
See a ...
. When playing those songs live, in particular "The Road Behind", it was typically Balsac, not Flattus, who played the lead.
For the filming of ''Phallus in Wonderland'' Jeffrey Rumaner, a sculptor friend of the band, who goes by the name of "Stretch," played Flattus in the few scenes in which he was featured (the video for "Gor-Gor" features Stretch falling off of a building, and he plays piano in "Have You Seen Me?").
After a mini-tour in early 1992, Peter Lee was hired, at the recommendation of
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
guitarist
Mike Scaccia
Michael Ralph Scaccia (June 14, 1965 – December 22, 2012) was an American musician, best known as a guitarist for several heavy metal and alternative rock acts, including Rigor Mortis, Ministry and Revolting Cocks.
Life and career
Scaccia was ...
, as the new guitarist (Scaccia had turned them down to continue working with Ministry - Scaccia and Lee were both in a band together, along with future Gwar bassist Casey Orr; it was Lee who enlisted Orr in 1994). He first played on ''
This Toilet Earth
''This Toilet Earth'' is the fourth album released by heavy metal band Gwar. Released on March 29, 1994, this album was to be one of their oddest and most bittersweet albums. It was the first Gwar album to be censored (the second was '' We Kill ...
''. In 1993, Lee was shot in an attempted carjacking, and was unable to film much of "Skulhedface" due to injuries to his stomach.
He managed to film a commercial segment with Dave Brockie, where Lee first suggested the idea of police officers (both were dressed as policemen) playing rock music. This turned into Gwar's first true spin-off band,
X-Cops. One music video from that period, "Jack The World," features Lee as Flattus, and he is seen wearing a colostomy bag, which he also wore during a brief tour in October 1993. Lee played on the next two albums, ''
RagNaRok'' and ''
Carnival of Chaos
''Carnival of Chaos'' is Gwar's sixth studio album, released on March 25, 1997 by Metal Blade Records.
Overview
The album is Gwar's longest album (exceeding 74 minutes), and contains Stampe's solo number: "Don't Need a Man". Hunter Jackson als ...
,'' and was in the films from that time frame (1995-late 1997), "Rendezvous With RagNaRok" and "Dawn of the Day of the Night of the Penguins."
In the interview segments of "Rendezvous...," Flattus is seen more than any other character (the others were a paranormal investigator played by Bob Gorman,
Beefcake the Mighty
Beefcake the Mighty is the bassist of the heavy metal band Gwar. He appears as a stout (hence his name) humanoid girded in Roman-style armor. He is usually portrayed wielding either an oversized Gladius sword or a large battle-axe.
Background ...
,
Balsac the Jaws of Death Balsac may refer to:
* Balsac the Jaws of Death (born 1950), character and guitarist in the rock band Gwar
* Balsac, Aveyron, France
* BALSAC (database), a Quebec population database
* Henri Heim de Balsac (1899–1979), French zoologist
See a ...
and Techno Destructo), and it is here where the childlike mannerisms truly surface. Lee left in December 1997, due to his recurring stomach problems stemming from the carjacking. His leaving of Gwar also forced the dissolution of the X-Cops.
In 1998, there again was no Flattus for some time. When Gwar's 1998 Halloween tour came around, Michael Bishop, who was filling in for Casey Orr as Beefcake, suggested Tim Harriss (who had previously played one Gwar show twelve years prior) of his band Kepone. Harriss would remain the Flattus character through the recording of ''
We Kill Everything
''We Kill Everything'' is the seventh album by Gwar, released on April 6, 1999 through Metal Blade Records.
Story
The album's story differs slightly from the version told in "It's Sleazy" and on tour.
The first three tracks on the album do not ...
.''
In 1999, after Orr returned, and before ''We Kill Everything'' was released, Gwar auditioned several guitarists for the role of Flattus Maximus. Zach Blair won the part, and became the reptilian cro-mag guitarist. He is seen in the film "It's Sleazy," and the music video for "Fuckin' An Animal," the last song on ''We Kill Everything.'' In 2001, Gwar, with Blair on guitar, recorded ''
Violence Has Arrived
''Violence Has Arrived'' is the eighth studio album by the band Gwar. It was released on November 6, 2001, through Metal Blade Records.
According to an interview with Dave Brockie, it was originally supposed to be released on September 11, 2001, ...
,'' from which one music video, the concert favorite "Immortal Corrupter," was recorded. However, Blair was not featured in the "Immortal Corrupter" video, and was replaced by Tim Harriss for the video shoot. Blair, along with Casey Orr, left after the Blood Drive 2nd Campaign Tour (the second tour for ''Violence Has Arrived'').
In September 2002, a new Flattus was needed, and Cory Smoot (Mensrea/Locus Factor), who had previously auditioned in 1999, was recruited. Smoot, being a talented producer, lent his technical skills to the recording of
''War Party'', and co-produced, as well as co-mixed with Devin Townsend (Steve Vai/Strapping Young Lad) Gwar's 2006 release, titled ''
Beyond Hell
''Beyond Hell'' is the tenth studio album by Gwar. Released on August 29, 2006, by DRT Entertainment, the album was originally announced through the band's official website on February 23, 2006. Unlike the band's output since 2001, it is a concep ...
''. The two albums were recorded at Karma Studios, owned and operated by Smoot. Smoot has been the longest running Flattus thus and is in the videos for "War Party", "Bring Back The Bomb", "Womb With A View", "School's Out" and "Eighth Lock".
Smoot is considered by Gwar fans to be the "True Flattus", as he is the longest serving person to portray the character in Gwar history. Smoot also produced the follow-up to ''Beyond Hell'', ''
Lust in Space
''Lust in Space'' is the eleventh studio album by Gwar. It was released on August 18, 2009. It is their first album since returning to their old label Metal Blade Records. The album also saw the return of their former bassist Casey Orr, even thoug ...
'', along with other members of Gwar, and even sang lead vocals on the track "Release the Flies". Smoot's final Gwar album, ''
Bloody Pit of Horror
''Bloody Pit of Horror'' ( it, Il Boia Scarlatto) is a 1965 gothic horror film. The film, set in Italy, was directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo and stars Mickey Hargitay, Walter Brandi, Luisa Baratto and Rita Klein. It tells the story of a gr ...
'', features a 12-minute epic of four songs strung together, which was largely the brainchild of Smoot. Originally he wrote the music for a solo project of his, but by the suggestion of Dave Brockie, it was reworked to become new Gwar material.
Death of Cory Smoot and retirement of Flattus
On November 3, 2011, hours after a performance at
First Avenue in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, Smoot was found dead by his fellow band members in the band's tour bus as they prepared to cross the border into
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
, Canada from
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
. A medical examiner concluded that Smoot died from "coronary artery
thrombosis
Thrombosis (from Ancient Greek "clotting") is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (thro ...
brought about by his pre-existing coronary artery disease". On November 4, Dave Brockie officially announced that the character of Flattus Maximus would be retired out of respect to Smoot.
Costume evolution
Flattus began life with a helmet with large horns, dinosaur-skull shoulder pads, a painted red face and long dreadlocks. During the 1990 Tour De Scum, Flattus' helmet changed into something resembling the horns of a ram, but this was a short-lived change. Two of Flattus' three appearances in "Phallus In Wonderland" used his "Scumdogs" helmet, the second of the three, the video for "Have You Seen Me?," has him wearing a tuxedo, and no armor whatsoever.
The second incarnation did away with the helmet, and the shoulder pads were enlarged. By "RagNaRok," the shoulder pads were brown dinosaur heads instead of skulls, and he had a tail and loincloth, scaly and brown. His face was still red, but was a mask, and his dreadlocks were shorter and stuck out like a palm tree.
His shoulder pads changed slightly for "Carnival of Chaos," and would be the last change until after "We Kill Everything" was recorded. "We Kill Everything" has a photo of Flattus, presumably Michael Derks in said costume, and he is more or less the same (it is the same costume), minus the tail and taller.
Blair's Flattus is the most drastic change: the shoulder pads became green, with some exposed bone and muscle, but mostly scale. The tail reappears (for the "WKE" photo shoot, Derks did not wear one), and, like the feet, shoulder pads and loincloth, is green and scaly. The face is less comical, red, and more like a bulldog. The dreadlocks are white, and at their shortest.
In the "Fuckin' An Animal" video, Blair's Flattus costume featured a tail, though in subsequent tours and videos it did not. Smoot's changes to the costume to coincide with ''
War Party'' were mostly in the face and hair. The face is larger and more distorted, and the dreadlocks are white and black, and are pulled back. They are considerably longer than before. The tail is gone. The shoulderpads are a bit larger and longer, whereas Blair's were more compact.
Beyond Hell
''Beyond Hell'' is the tenth studio album by Gwar. Released on August 29, 2006, by DRT Entertainment, the album was originally announced through the band's official website on February 23, 2006. Unlike the band's output since 2001, it is a concep ...
-era Flattus has grey shoulderpads, green feet and a slightly redesigned face. The face closer depicts a Cro-Magnon, or Gwar's take on one, which fits Flattus' current description of himself - "It is me Flattus Maximus your reptilian/cro-mag/alien of flatulance and fury." Taken from his Oct. 18, 2005 blog entry - as well as the pre-historic theme of the costume.
References
External links
Gwar Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maximus, Flattus
Collective pseudonyms
Gwar members
American heavy metal guitarists
Year of birth missing
American male guitarists