Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American
heavy metal band formed in
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently
rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as
Slave Pit Inc.
Slave Pit Inc. is the artist collective, production company and independent record label created for releasing projects by the heavy metal band Gwar and related side projects such as Mensrea and Locus Factor.
History (1984–1993)
;1984
*Hunt ...
After the death of frontman and lead singer
Dave Brockie
David Murray Brockie (August 30, 1963 – March 23, 2014) was a Canadian-American musician, who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus. He performed as a bassist and lead singer in the b ...
in 2014, the group has continued without any of its founding members.
Identified by their distinctively grotesque costumes, Gwar's core thematic and visual concept revolves around an elaborate
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
-themed mythology which portrays the band members as barbaric interplanetary warriors, a narrative which serves as the basis for all of the band's albums, live shows and media. With over-the-top violent, sexual, and
scatological humor
Toilet humour, or potty or scatological humour (compare scatology), is a type of off-colour humour dealing with defecation, diarrhea, constipation, urination and flatulence, and to a lesser extent vomiting and other bodily functions. It sees su ...
typically incorporating social and political
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
, Gwar has attracted both acclaim and controversy for its music and stage shows, the latter of which notoriously showcase enactments of
graphic violence
Graphic violence refers to the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as film, television, and video games. It may be real, simulated live action, or animated.
Intended limitedly for mature ...
that result in the audience being sprayed with fake blood, urine, and semen. Such stagecraft regularly leads Gwar to be labeled a "
shock rock
Shock rock is the combination of rock music or heavy metal music with highly theatrical live performances emphasizing shock value. Performances may include violent or provocative behavior from the artists, the use of attention-grabbing imagery ...
" band by the media.
Since its formation, Gwar has released 13 studio albums, two live albums, and numerous singles among
other recordings, and has sold over 820,000 records in the United States. Fueled largely by the controversies surrounding their concerts, Gwar experienced brief mainstream notoriety during the first half of the 1990s, receiving regular airplay on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
as well as frequent in-character guest appearances on daytime
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
s, satirizing the topics of
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
and
media violence
The studies of violence in mass media analyzes the degree of correlation between themes of violence in media sources (particularly violence in video games, television and films) with real-world aggression and violence over time.
Many social scient ...
. Though the band's mainstream popularity declined by the end of the 1990s, Gwar has retained a dedicated
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. The band's extensive
videography
Videography is the process of capturing moving images on electronic media (e.g., videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage) and even streaming media. The term includes methods of video production and post-production. It used ...
consists of both live recordings and long-form feature films, most notably 1992's ''
Phallus in Wonderland
''Phallus in Wonderland'' is a film by American heavy metal band Gwar, their first attempt at a commercially released, long-form film. The video was nominated for a Grammy in 1993 (which they lost to Annie Lennox for ''Diva'', as mock-mentioned ...
'', which earned a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination for
Best Long Form Music Video. Gwar has also expanded its brand into other areas such as
book
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...
s,
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a comp ...
s,
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
,
whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting (cooking), basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs (food), ribs and chicken as food, chicken. I ...
,
CBD,
e-liquid
An electronic cigarette is a handheld battery-powered vaporizer that simulates smoking, but without tobacco combustion. E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece (drip tip), a cartridge (liquid storage area), a heating element/ atomizer, a mic ...
s, toy collectibles,and
sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibrating ...
s.
History
Formation and debut (1984–1989)
Gwar is the result of two separate projects merged into one. Dave Brockie was the vocalist and bassist for a punk band named
Death Piggy
Death Piggy was an American hardcore punk band, that was formed in 1982 in Richmond, Virginia. They flourished briefly, before Dave Brockie, then their lead singer/bassist, decided to play a joke set while wearing monster costumes made by VCU art ...
that staged mini-plays and used crude props to punctuate its music. Bands would occasionally practice in a room at the Richmond Dairy, a deserted
bottling plant
A bottling company is a commercial enterprise whose output is the bottling of beverages for distribution.
Many bottling companies are franchisees of corporations such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo who distribute the beverage in a specific geographic ...
that had been taken over by
hippies
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
. The hippies rented out interior areas to various artists and musicians. It was at the Richmond Dairy that Death Piggy met
Hunter Jackson (Techno Destructo) and Chuck Varga (
Sexecutioner
Sexecutioner is a supporting character in the heavy metal band Gwar, played originally by Mike Delaney, and finally by Chuck Varga from 1989 until 1995–6, with special appearances in 2000 (the ''You're All Worthless and Weak'' concert), 2012, an ...
), both attendees of
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...
who had set up "The Slave Pit", a production space for ''Scumdogs of the Universe'', a movie they intended to make.
Jackson created props for Death Piggy to use on stage. Brockie had an idea to use the costumes made for ''Scumdogs of the Universe'' and have Death Piggy open for itself as a barbaric band from Antarctica, playing nonsense songs while sacrificing fake animals. The name of the joke group was "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh". The members of Death Piggy began noticing that more people were coming to see Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh and leaving immediately after the set. After several refinements, including shortening the band's name, Death Piggy was phased out in favor of the band now named Gwar.
![Gwar-george-bush](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Gwar-george-bush.jpg)
The first known line-up for Gwar consisted of Ben Eubanks (vocals), Brockie (guitar), Steve Douglas (guitar), Chris Bopst (bass guitar), Jim Thomson (drums) and Jackson. However, this line-up was short-lived and would suffer multiple changes in the following months, with Eubanks quitting after just one or two shows and being replaced by Joe Annaruma, who went on to record several demo tracks with the band. Annaruma soon quit and was replaced by Brockie. The band solidified into a line-up consisting of Jackson, Don Drakulich, Varga, Mike Delaney, Mike Bonner, Scott Krahl, Dave Musel and Brockie.
Mike Delaney left in 1987. Dewey Rowell (
Flattus Maximus
Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the American heavy metal band Gwar. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the charact ...
), Michael Bishop (
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 ...
) and Rob Mosby (
Nippleus Erectus) were recruited in 1987, along with Steve Douglas (
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 ...
), who rejoined the band after having previously left.
Danielle Stampe (alias: Slymenstra Hymen) joined in 1988 as the first full-time female member of Gwar for the first U.S. tour supporting Gwar's debut album ''
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 toured consistently with the band until 2000.The band has also recruited, and lost, three other female members: The Temptress, Heather Broome (1986); Amazina,
Colette Miller (1986–87); and Gwar Woman, Lisa Harrelson (1987–88).
The band's debut album, ''Hell-O'', a crossover
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
-
punk rock album, was released in 1988 under
Shimmy Disc Shimmy Disc is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1987 by Mark Kramer. Before it was sold to the Knitting Factory, artists like Bongwater, Daniel Johnston, Fly Ashtray, Galaxie 500, King Missile, Boredoms, Ruins, Ween, Gwar ...
. The band started touring in support of the album, with Steve Douglas leaving that same year, later to form the alternative band Log, and being replaced by current rhythm guitarist
Michael Derks, who took over Douglas' alias as Balsac the Jaws of Death.
However, the band's line-up underwent further changes before 1990. In 1988, the Slave Pit saw the joining of Bob Gorman, a young, new artist who would help with the art design and fabrication aspects of the band. One year later, in 1989, Rob Mobsy left the band and was replaced by Pete Luchter, who also quit to be replaced temporarily by Jim Thompson, who had been in the band prior to the release of ''Hell-O''. Thompson later quit and was replaced by Brad Roberts, who has since portrayed
Jizmak Da Gusha
Jizmak Da Gusha is the drummer for the heavy metal band Gwar. Although the costume has undergone many changes since the character was introduced, Jizmak's onstage get-up somewhat resembles a monstrous dog with very large teeth. He is usually see ...
.
''Scumdogs of the Universe'' and ''This Toilet Earth'' (1990–1994)
With Gwar's line-up somewhat solidified, the band would set up to record ''
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 ...
'' released worldwide on producer Ivan Healy Purvis' label Master Records, a subsidiary of
Blue Beat Records
Blue Beat Records is an English record label that released Jamaican rhythm and blues (R&B) and ska music in the 1960s and later decades. Its reputation led to the use of the word ''bluebeat'' as a generic term to describe all styles of early Jama ...
. The album met a moderately large mainstream success and would mark the start of a career under the
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
record label. The band would tour extensively in support for this album, releasing the ''
Live from Antarctica'' produced by Ivan Healy Purvis, VHS tape in July 1990, containing, among other things, the music video for the song ''
Sick of You''. It was shortly after the video's release when the Slave Pit took in another new, young artist, Matt Maguire, to help out with costume fabrication, as well as illustrations for comics and related material.
In August 1990, the birth of Michael Derks's daughter resulted in his taking a short break from the band. Barry 'D'live' Ward from the band
Rich Kids on LSD
Rich Kids on LSD (RKL) was a Californian hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Montecito, California, a suburb of Santa Barbara. They were associated with the "Nardcore" scene that evolved out of nearby Oxnard. Their music expanded over the years ...
filled in on guitar as Balsac during Gwar's 1991 European tour. On September 18, 1990, Brockie wore his "Cuttlefish of Cthulhu" codpiece during a show in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, resulting in Brockie's arrest and, ultimately, a one-year ban from the band performing in the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
- the band would later highlight the absurdity of the case by pointing out that the presiding judge over the case was called Dick Boner. Upon returning home, Gwar filmed its first cameo in a mainstream film, ''
Mystery Date
''Mystery Date'' is a 1991 American teen comedy film directed by Jonathan Wacks and starring Ethan Hawke, Teri Polo, and Brian McNamara. Shock-rockers Gwar have a brief cameo in the film.
Plot
Tom McHugh quickly learns that his perfect big brot ...
''.
''Scumdogs of the Universe'' was originally released through the U.K. label Master before being picked up by Metal Blade in 1991. In the group's hunt for a larger label, they auditioned for
Relativity Records
Relativity Records was an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distributors (IRD) in metro New York. Relativity released music that covers a wide variety of musical genres. When it entered in ...
, one of the larger independent heavy metal labels. The group failed their audition when they arrived in costume and Slymenstra Hymen broke a blood capsule from her
codpiece
A codpiece () is a triangular piece that attached to the front of men's hose, covering the fly. It may be held in place by ties or buttons. It was an important fashion item of European clothing during the 15th–16th centuries. In the modern era ...
onto one of the office chairs, simulating menstruation.
The band suffered further line-up changes during this period, with Dewey Rowell leaving the band in 1991 and not being replaced until 1992 by Pete Lee, after the recording of ''
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, ...
''.The Charlotte, North Carolina incident from 1990 was the inspiration for Gwar's third album, ''America Must Be Destroyed'', released in 1992. The album was accompanied by the movie ''
Phallus in Wonderland
''Phallus in Wonderland'' is a film by American heavy metal band Gwar, their first attempt at a commercially released, long-form film. The video was nominated for a Grammy in 1993 (which they lost to Annie Lennox for ''Diva'', as mock-mentioned ...
'', which documented the main concept and contained music videos for the album. ''Phallus in Wonderland'' was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in 1993. After recording for ''
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 ...
'' was completed, bassist Mike Bishop left the band. He was replaced by Casey Orr, from the band
Rigor Mortis
Rigor mortis (Latin: ''rigor'' "stiffness", and ''mortis'' "of death"), or postmortem rigidity, is the third stage of death. It is one of the recognizable signs of death, characterized by stiffening of the limbs of the corpse caused by chemic ...
.
''This Toilet Earth'' was released in 1994, to moderate success. The album received additional attention due to controversy surrounding "B.D.F.", a song that graphically refers to subjects such as sodomy, necrophilia, pre-natal rape, pedophilia and mutilation. 1994 also saw the music videos for "Saddam a Go-Go" and "The Road Behind" being aired on ''
Beavis and Butt-head
''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, ...
''. This would also mark the beginning of the band straying from their trademark sound, as the album contained several experimental songs as opposed to the punk of ''Hell-O'' and thrash of ''Scumdogs of the Universe''.
''Ragnarok'', ''Carnival of Chaos'' and ''We Kill Everything'' (1995–2000)
![Gwar-02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Gwar-02.jpg)
In 1995, Gwar released ''
Ragnarok'', an album characterized by a unique sound, including the use of keyboards, something largely unseen before by the band, as well as a much larger use of secondary vocalists. The record is considered to have been largely unnoticed after the success of the previous three albums. Despite this, the band would record two videos for the album, "Surf of Syn" and "Meat Sandwich" as well as release ''
Rendezvous with Ragnarok
''Rendezvous with RagNaRok'' is a performance film by the band Gwar coinciding with their 1995 studio album '' RagNaRok'', though the video was released in early 1997 (much of the footage was from 1996). The bulk of the video is concert footage ...
'' to support the album's plot through footage from the supporting tour. Later that year, the band also made a cameo appearance in the film ''
Empire Records
''Empire Records'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Allan Moyle, starring Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, and Liv Tyler. The fil ...
''.
The band's first side project,
X-Cops, would also come to life after the Ragnarok tour, releasing their only full-length album, ''
You Have the Right to Remain Silent...'', the same year.
Doom
Doom is another name for damnation.
Doom may also refer to:
People
* Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed
* Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist
* Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher
* L ...
developer
id Software
id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and ar ...
hired Gwar to produce a showcase space at
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
's Judgement Day event for Halloween of 1995.
Gwar appeared in a video game focused
Circuit City
Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...
television advertisement in 1996.
The band's next record would come out in 1997 under the name ''
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 ...
'', proving to be the epitome of this experimental period containing songs from many different genres, including the classic
heavy metal, but also
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
, and even
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
. Shortly after the release of ''Carnival of Chaos'', select members of the Gwar ensemble appeared on ''
The Jerry Springer Show
''Jerry Springer'' is an American scripted syndicated tabloid talk show that aired from September 30, 1991 to July 26, 2018. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Jerry Springer, it aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes. The television ...
'' to discuss the growing trend of "shock rock" and their role as entertainers. Aside from their appearance on ''
The Joan Rivers Show
''The Joan Rivers Show'' is an American talk show hosted by comedian Joan Rivers that premiered on September 5, 1989, in broadcast syndication. The show aired for five seasons, and ended in December 1993. The show was nominated for numerous Emmy A ...
'', this guest appearance is still recognized as one of their most infamous appearances on national TV. In 1998, Gwar fought the
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
band,
The Aquabats!
The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer the MC Bat Commander and bassist Crash McLarson have remained the band's two constant fixtures. ...
, during The Ska Parade.
''Carnival of Chaos'' would be the last album with Pete Lee on guitar, being replaced by Tim Harriss who had previously been in the band around 1986 and was featured as a guest guitarist on ''
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, ...
''. 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 ...
'' between late 1998 and early 1999,
Michael Bishop would temporarily rejoin the band as the bassist during the absence of Casey Orr. The record, largely influenced by
punk rock, is the band's least favorite album and thus its songs are rarely played live.
Following this, co-founder, Hunter Jackson, left the group in 2000 to focus on personal projects. Danielle Stampe also left the band to focus on a personal project named ''Girly Freakshow''; however, she rejoined the band temporarily for the Bitch Is Back tour in 2002.
''Violence Has Arrived'' and the DRT Entertainment years (2001–2009)
![Gwar-10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Gwar-10.jpg)
Due to the band's distaste for the previous album, Gwar's sound changed considerably for the next recording. With Tim Harriss gone, Zach Blair was hired to fill his spot as
Flattus Maximus
Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the American heavy metal band Gwar. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the charact ...
, Casey Orr also having returned to the band as
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 ...
for the recording of the band's first entirely
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
album in years: ''
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, ...
'', released on November 6, 2001, the album being seen as a "comeback" of sorts and setting off changes that resulted in the current state of the band.
In 2002
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 ...
left Gwar to form the power-pop band Armstrong along with drummer Brad Roberts. The band released one album titled ''Dick the Lionhearted''. Since February 2007, Blair has been the guitarist for
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
.
As the band focused on a heavier, more brutal sound near the end of this period, it would also result in the creation of another side project, the
Dave Brockie Experience
The Dave Brockie Experience or DBX was a rock band formed of three of the then-current members of Heavy metal band Gwar. The band was composed of David "Oderus Urungus" Brockie (vocals/ bass), Brad "Jizmak Da Gusha" Roberts (drums), and Mike " Ba ...
, a band created by frontman
Dave Brockie
David Murray Brockie (August 30, 1963 – March 23, 2014) was a Canadian-American musician, who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus. He performed as a bassist and lead singer in the b ...
along with rhythm guitarist Mike Derks and drummer
Brad Roberts
Bradley Kenneth Roberts (born January 10, 1964) is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies. He sings in the bass-baritone range. The band is best known internationally for their 1993 album God Shuff ...
as a way of continuing the comedic sound found on albums like ''
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 ...
'' while maintaining a more serious focus in releases by Gwar. They released their first LP on March 20, 2001, ''
Diarrhea of a Madman
''Diarrhea of a Madman'' is the debut album by the band Dave Brockie Experience. It was released in 2001 by Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for ...
''.
In June 2004, Gwar left Metal Blade and signed with
DRT Entertainment
DRT Entertainment was a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban, and Theodore "Ted" Green. The label is defunct.
The label advertised itself as an "artist friendly hard rock music company for band ...
. The band left Metal Blade due to the label's perceived lack of faith in the band and the lack of album distribution beyond the US, along with the band's belief that they were funding "shitty bands on the label". Despite this, the band maintained they had no animosity to
Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel (born February 14, 1961) is an American music executive. He is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for having initiated the ''Metal Massacre'' series of compilation albums in 1982 ...
or the label in general.
Their first album for the label, ''
War Party'', was released in October of that year''.'' The album met with a large underground success, as it followed the same path ''Violence Has Arrived'' did, but this time with a more serious and technical edge, partially thanks to the efforts of new lead guitarist Cory Smoot (
Flattus Maximus
Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the American heavy metal band Gwar. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the charact ...
) and bass guitarist Todd Evans (
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 ...
). Videos were released for "Bring Back the Bomb" and "War Party," and the band was invited to play on the Sounds of the Underground tour in 2005. That same year the band released ''
Live from Mt. Fuji
Gwar is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984. Their discography includes fifteen studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, and two EPs. The band has also released nine singles.
Discography Studio albums ...
'', the band's first live album besides the then extremely rare ''
You're All Worthless and Weak
Gwar is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984. Their discography includes fifteen studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, and two EPs. The band has also released nine singles.
Discography Studio albums ...
'', released in 2000 (and re-released in 2006) on
Slave Pit Records.
In 2004 Gwar teamed up with
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
(as the voice of Grandma Stuffum) in the ''
Codename: Kids Next Door'' episode "Operation F. O. O. D. F. I. T. E."; the band was credited as Rawg and the songs "The Private Pain of Techno Destructo", "Morality Squad", and "Gor-Gor" were performed with new lyrics, pertaining to the episode, written for each song.
![Gwar-paris-hilton-disembowelment](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Gwar-paris-hilton-disembowelment.jpg)
Gwar began work on their next album, tentatively titled ''Go to Hell!'', in January 2006. That same month, Gwar opened a gallery show called "The Art of Gwar" at Art Space gallery in Richmond to display the many props, costumes, cartoons, paintings produced by The Slave Pit, Gwar's art and effects studio.
On February 23, 2006, Gwar's official website announced Gwar's album, officially 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 ...
'', for which, at the urging of
DRT Entertainment
DRT Entertainment was a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban, and Theodore "Ted" Green. The label is defunct.
The label advertised itself as an "artist friendly hard rock music company for band ...
, a cover version of
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
's "
School's Out" was recorded and released.
The music video was directed by David Brodsky on July 2, 2006. The part of the "school marm" has been mistakenly identified as Devin Townsend, the producer of the ''Beyond Hell'' CD. It is actually Scott Krahl, a long-time Gwar "slave" and inventor of Gor-Gor. "School's Out" was nominated for Best Video of 2006 on MTV2's ''Headbanger's Ball''.
The ''Blood Bath and Beyond'' DVD was released on June 20, 2006, containing exclusive behind the scenes and vintage footage of the band.
Gwar performed a special "half-time" show at the Sounds Of The Underground 2006 tour. Gwar went on to headline the following year's Sounds of the Underground Tour in 2007.
Vocalist
Oderus Urungus
David Murray Brockie (August 30, 1963 – March 23, 2014) was a Canadian-American musician, who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus. He performed as a bassist and lead singer in the b ...
is also featured on the last
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, ''Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing' ...
album
The New Black
''The New Black'' is the fifth and final studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on July 11, 2006, debuting at No. 200 on the ''Billboard'' charts. A music video was shot for the album's sole single ...
as a guest vocalist on the song "Far Beyond Metal". Oderus' lines in the song are taken directly from the Gwar song "Maggots" ("now in the halls of the Necrolord..." etc.). Scott Krahl is in the "School's Out" video as a female teacher, with whom Oderus makes out before mounting "her" at the end of the video.
''
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 ...
'' was released on August 29, 2006, with Gwar touring to support the album and being helped by the creation of new props for this tour, including several characters from ''Beyond Hell''s plot, including Jitler and Jewcifer. Gwar was also present at the third annual Rock & Shock festival from October 13 to 15 as a part of this tour.
In Spring 2008 Todd Evans left Gwar to focus efforts on his project Mobile Deathcamp. Shortly after Todd's departure, Casey Orr was confirmed to return as Beefcake the Mighty.
Sleazy P. Martini returned to the stage with Gwar during their Electile Dysfunction '08 tour.
Twenty-fifth anniversary, return to Metal Blade and death of Cory Smoot (2009–2014)
In May 2009, Gwar re-signed with Metal Blade after DRT Entertainment closed down (with the band getting their master tapes from DRT), and the band and celebrated their 25th year of existence.
Gwar's eleventh studio album, ''
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 ...
'', was released on August 18, 2009, They performed at the 2009
Gathering of the Juggalos
The Gathering of the Juggalos (The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by ...
and toured nationwide with Lamb of God and Job for a Cowboy. In 2009, Gwar celebrated their 25th year as a band.
The band released a 2009 Christmas vinyl record consisting of a new song titled "Christmas Stripper Summer Weekend" and a live ''Hell-O'' medley.
Oderus Urungus hosted the "Crack-a-Thon" in Brooklyn, New York at the MF Gallery in April 2010. A second Crack-A-Thon followed in 2011.
On November 9, 2010, Gwar released their twelfth studio 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 g ...
''.
On November 3, 2011, lead guitarist
Cory Smoot, who had portrayed Flattus Maximus since 2002, 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 ...
. The cause of death was "a coronary artery thrombosis 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.
The last single recorded with Smoot was released on December 22, 2011, and is a cover of the
Dayglo Abortions
The Dayglo Abortions (sometimes abbreviated to DGA) are a Canadian hardcore punk and metal band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics reflect a genre-typical disregard for societal norms. The band was formed in 1979 and released their first ...
song "Isn't This Disgusting". The single was made available on iTunes and appeared on the Dayglo Abortions tribute album in 2012.
![GWAR-Dave Brockie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/GWAR-Dave_Brockie.jpg)
On April 3, 2012, a television sit-com created by horror filmmaker Adam Green and starring Brockie portraying Oderus Urungus titled ''Holliston'' debuted on the FEARnet cable television network. The series starred Oderus as series lead Green's imaginary alien friend who lives in his closet. Brockie toured and appeared with his castmates as Oderus at many live performances of ''Holliston'' across the United States in 2012 and 2013.
Green appeared on stage with Gwar several times when the band had him introduce their encore performance. The full ''Holliston'' cast was "murdered" on stage and fed to both Gwar's world maggot and meat grinder at several US shows. A third season of ''Holliston'' was being scripted by Green when Brockie died of a heroin overdose in March 2014.
Cannabis Corpse
Cannabis Corpse is a cannabis-themed death metal band. Cannabis Corpse formed in Richmond, Virginia in 2006 under the Forcefield label. Since then, Cannabis Corpse has released six LP record, LPs and two Extended play, EPs. The band features mem ...
guitarist Brent Purgason took over the late Cory Smoot's role under the name Pustulus Maximus in late 2012, making his first appearance with the band in a video on
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
of the band playing a cover of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
' 1976 hit tune "Carry on My Wayward Son". In September 2013 Gwar's thirteenth studio album, titled ''
Battle Maximus
''Battle Maximus'' is the thirteenth studio album by Gwar. The album was released on September 17, 2013 through Metal Blade Records. The album was the first to feature new guitarist Brent Purgason (of Cannabis Corpse), portraying the new characte ...
,'' was released. Promotional activities for the record included a video of Gwar covering
Billy Ocean
Leslie Sebastian Charles, (born 21 January 1950), better known by his stage name Billy Ocean, is a British recording artist who had a string of R&B international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British R&B singer-son ...
's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" and The Who's "Baba O'Riley", and a one-off
Funny Or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a reg ...
animated cartoon
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
produced by Myke Chilian and Gwar titled ''
The Animated Tales of Gwar''.
Death of Dave Brockie, GwarBar, and future (2014–present)
On March 23, 2014, Dave Brockie, age 50, was found dead by a roommate in his
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
, apartment. The cause of death was later confirmed to be a
heroin overdose
An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive consumption of opioids, such as morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. This preventable pathology can be fatal if it leads to respiratory depression, a lethal condition tha ...
. Brockie's death left the band without any of its founding members.
The surviving members of Gwar and the Slave Pit released a video statement to announce the creation of the David Brockie Foundation, a charity fund for the encouragement of future talent and the preservation of Brockie's body of work. Their first goal with the foundation was to construct a memorial monument to him in Richmond to provide a place of respect for the former frontman of Gwar. Former bassist Mike Bishop, the original Beefcake the Mighty, re-joined the band as vocalist for their first performance without Brockie at the fifth Gwar B-Q at Hadad's Lake. The performance was preceded by a public memorial service the day before, the singer's Oderus Urungus character was given a
Viking funeral
Norse funerals, or the burial customs of Viking Age North Germanic Norsemen (early medieval Scandinavians), are known both from archaeology and from historical accounts such as the Icelandic sagas and Old Norse poetry.
Throughout Scandinavia, the ...
.
Gwar played at the following month's
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
in Chicago and went back on tour in December 2014, with new character Vulvatron, played by Kim Dylla .
They also appeaered again in an A.V Club video, playing a cover of the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls" which transitioned into "People Who Died" by Jim Carroll—as a tribute to Cory Smoot, Dave Brockie and other friends of Gwar who have since passed on. Kim Dylla was released from the band at the end of 2014. In October 2016 Gwar released ''
The Blood of Gods
''The Blood of Gods'' is the fourteenth album by thrash metal band Gwar. It was released on October 20, 2017 by Metal Blade Records. It is the band's first album without founding member Dave Brockie, who portrayed Oderus Urungus, due to his heroi ...
,'' their first album without founding member and longtime vocalist Brockie.
In January 2015, GwarBar (stylized as GWARbar) opened in the
Jackson Ward
Jackson Ward is a historically African-American district in Richmond, Virginia with a long tradition of African-American businesses. It is located less than a mile from the Virginia State Capitol, sitting to the west of Court End and north of Broa ...
neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.
Mike Derks and Travis Croxton, Richmond's "Restaurateur of the Year 2014," co-own the upscale dive bar. Derks, who also serves as executive chef, collaborated with head chef Jeremy Dutra to create the restaurant's menu. The band's website describes the bar as "a fantasy land of food and beverage, catering to everyone from local punk metal freaks, rock stars, businessmen, celebrity chefs and starving artists." On May 29, 2020, the restaurant opened its long-planned outdoor beer garden after being closed to indoor dining for two months as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
In February 2019, Jamison Land left the band and Casey Orr later returned to fill the role of Beefcake once again. A remixed and remastered 30th anniversary edition of ''Scumdogs of the Universe'' was released the following year and on day of release the band broadcast an anniversary reunion concert where the album was performed in its entirety for the first time. Dubbed "Scumdogs XXX Live," it marked the first time that Gwar co-founder Hunter Jackson had directly worked with the band since his departure in 2000.
''The Disc with No Name'', a limited edition picture disc containing four acoustic renditions of previously released songs, was released in May 2021. The band embarked on a Scumdogs 30th anniversary tour, featuring co-founder Hunter Jackson, and released the ''Scumdogs XXX Live'' concert album. On June 3, 2022, Gwar released their fifteenth studio album, ''The New Dark Ages'', alongside a graphic novel, '' Gwar In The Duoverse Of Absurdity'', released by Z2 Comics.
Gwar-B-Q
Since 2009 Gwar has hosted an annual festival in Richmond, VA called "Gwar-B-Q". The festival boasts of barbecue, rock-and-roll vendors, a haunted house of sorts (which "bohabs" can visit to be spewed and bled upon) and live music. Held at Hadad's Lake, a natural water park in Richmond, Gwar-B-Q has quickly grown into a destination event having hosted bands like
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
,
Down,
Dead Earth Politics,
Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, ''Psychic Jailbreak'', having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is cur ...
,
and
The Dickies
The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy mel ...
. At the 2014 Gwar-B-Q, the first since Dave Brockie's death, the singer's Oderus Urungus character was given a
Viking funeral
Norse funerals, or the burial customs of Viking Age North Germanic Norsemen (early medieval Scandinavians), are known both from archaeology and from historical accounts such as the Icelandic sagas and Old Norse poetry.
Throughout Scandinavia, the ...
, with his stage costume burned on a funeral pyre on Hadad's Lake.
Etymology
Despite various explanations that Gwar is an acronym for something (such as "God what an awful racket"),
band members have consistently stated that the letters do not stand for anything. The official website of
Slave Pit Inc.
Slave Pit Inc. is the artist collective, production company and independent record label created for releasing projects by the heavy metal band Gwar and related side projects such as Mensrea and Locus Factor.
History (1984–1993)
;1984
*Hunt ...
indicates that Gwar is a shortened version of "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh", the name the band used originally when opening for
Death Piggy
Death Piggy was an American hardcore punk band, that was formed in 1982 in Richmond, Virginia. They flourished briefly, before Dave Brockie, then their lead singer/bassist, decided to play a joke set while wearing monster costumes made by VCU art ...
.
Band members
Current members
*Mike Derks (
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 ...
) – rhythm guitar
(1988–present)
*Brad Roberts (
Jizmak Da Gusha
Jizmak Da Gusha is the drummer for the heavy metal band Gwar. Although the costume has undergone many changes since the character was introduced, Jizmak's onstage get-up somewhat resembles a monstrous dog with very large teeth. He is usually see ...
) – drums
(1989–present)
*Matt Maguire (Sawborg Destructo) – co-lead vocals
(1994–1996, 2009–present)
*Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus) – lead guitar, backing vocals
(2012–present)
*Bob Gorman (Bonesnapper) – backing vocals
(1995–1996, 2014–present)
*
Michael Bishop (
Blöthar the Berserker) – lead vocals
(2014–present), (
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 ...
) – bass, backing vocals
(1987–1993, 1998–1999)
*Don Drakulich (
Sleazy P. Martini
Sleazy P. Martini is a persona, character played by Virginia, American artist, filmmaker, musician, performance artist, writer Don Drakulich in the heavy metal band Gwar. He wears two oversized gold necklaces, one with a dollar symbol, and one w ...
) – backing vocals
(1986–1995, 2017–present)
*Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass, backing vocals
(1994–1997, 1999–2002, 2008–2011, 2019–present)
Former members
Vocalists
*Ben Eubanks (Johnny Slutman) – vocals (1984)
*
Dave Brockie
David Murray Brockie (August 30, 1963 – March 23, 2014) was a Canadian-American musician, who was the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, in which he performed as Oderus Urungus. He performed as a bassist and lead singer in the b ...
(Oderus Urungus) – rhythm guitar (1984–1986), vocals, bass (1986–2014; died 2014)
*Joe Annaruma (Joey Slutman) – vocals (1985–1986)
*
Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) – vocals, fire breathing, fire dancer (1988–2000, 2002)
*Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) – vocals (1986–1996, 2000–2002, 2014–2017)
*Hunter Jackson (Techno Destructo) – vocals (1984–1987, 1990–1999)
*Kim Dylla (Vulvatron) – vocals (2014)
Guitarists
*Russ Bahorsky (Mr. Magico) – lead guitar (1984)
*Ron Curry (
Stephen Sphincter) – lead guitar (1985–1986)
*Greg Ottinger (Cornelius Carnage) – lead guitar (1986–1987)
*Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death) – rhythm guitar (1987–1988)
*Dewey Rowell (
Flattus Maximus
Flattus Maximus is the name of a character and former guitarist in the American heavy metal band Gwar. He is known for his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" is indicative of the charact ...
) – lead guitar (1987–1991)
*Pete Lee (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1992–1998)
*Tim Harriss (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1998–1999)
*
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 ...
(Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1999–2002)
*Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (2002–2011; died 2011)
Bassists
*Chris Bopst (Balsac) – bass (1984–1987)
*Todd Evans (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass (2002–2008)
*Jamison Land (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass, backing vocals (2011–2019)
Drummers
*Sean Sumner – drums (1984; died 1996)
*Jim Thomson (Hans Sphincter /
Hans Orifice
Hans Orifice is a drummer best known as a member of Gwar.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, ...
'' (1988)
*''
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 ...
'' (1990)
*''
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, ...
'' (1992)
*''
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 ...
'' (1994)
*''
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, (; non, Ragnarǫk) is a series of events, including a great battle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters, and the submers ...
'' (1995)
*''
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 ...
'' (1997)
*''
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 ...
'' (1999)
*''
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, ...
'' (2001)
*''
War Party'' (2004)
*''
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 ...
'' (2006)
*''
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 ...
'' (2009)
*''
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 g ...
'' (2010)
*''
Battle Maximus
''Battle Maximus'' is the thirteenth studio album by Gwar. The album was released on September 17, 2013 through Metal Blade Records. The album was the first to feature new guitarist Brent Purgason (of Cannabis Corpse), portraying the new characte ...
'' (2013)
*''
The Blood of Gods
''The Blood of Gods'' is the fourteenth album by thrash metal band Gwar. It was released on October 20, 2017 by Metal Blade Records. It is the band's first album without founding member Dave Brockie, who portrayed Oderus Urungus, due to his heroi ...
'' (2017)
*''The New Dark Ages'' (2022)
Grammy Awards and nominations
Gwar has been nominated for two
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, but lost to
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
and
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
.
*''
Phallus in Wonderland
''Phallus in Wonderland'' is a film by American heavy metal band Gwar, their first attempt at a commercially released, long-form film. The video was nominated for a Grammy in 1993 (which they lost to Annie Lennox for ''Diva'', as mock-mentioned ...
'' –
Best Long Form Music Video 1993 (nomination). Lost to
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
.
*"
S.F.W.
''S.F.W.'' (or ''So Fucking What'') is a 1994 American black comedy film directed by Jefery Levy. Based on a novel by Andrew Wellman, it stars Stephen Dorff and Reese Witherspoon.
Plot
Cliff Spab and his friend Joe Dice go out one evening to bu ...
" –
Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
, 1996 (nomination). Lost to
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
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1984 establishments in Virginia
American thrash metal musical groups
Crossover thrash groups
Articles which contain graphical timelines
Bands with fictional stage personas
Comedy rock musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Virginia
Hardcore punk groups from Virginia
Masked musicians
Music of Richmond, Virginia
Musical groups established in 1984
Musical groups from Virginia
Obscenity controversies in music
Shimmy Disc artists
History of Richmond, Virginia