GWAR formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984 — a satirical crew of intergalactic warriors playing thrash-fueled heavy metal and spraying audiences with fake blood ever since. Scumdogs of the Universe (1990) is the classic, and the band has carried on since founding vocalist Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) died in 2014. Shop GWAR vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
GWAR formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984 around Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus, 1963-2014) and various Virginia Commonwealth University arts collaborators. The band's elaborate satirical concept presents the members as intergalactic warriors who arrived on Earth in ancient times - with extensive narrative mythology, theatrical stage shows involving massive amounts of fake blood and bodily fluids sprayed on audiences, and consistent over-the-top political and cultural satire. Dave Brockie died of a heroin overdose on March 23, 2014 at age 50. The band has continued under various lineups since, with new vocalist Blothar the Berserker taking over the frontman role.
GWAR's sound combines heavy metal, thrash metal, hardcore punk, shock rock, and crossover thrash with extensive theatrical performance, satirical lyrical content, and high-energy heavy metal arrangements. Their work has been a defining shock rock template across multiple decades.
Metal Blade pressings of the GWAR catalog have been issued in multiple color variant editions and limited deluxe pressings. Multiple anniversary editions of Scumdogs of the Universe have been released.
Listeners new to GWAR typically start with Scumdogs of the Universe (1990).
