Theatrical shock-rock heavy metal band GWAR has entertained fans through the years with their over-the-top shows and grotesque costumes. Check out some of the band’s rare LPs, vinyls, and mini-figures, and relive the magic of one of the most creative and iconic heavy metal bands of the 1980s!
Famous for their blood-soaked live performances and grotesque costumes, members of the thrash metal band GWAR consider themselves interplanetary warriors who are sent to slaughter and enslave the human race. Formed in 1984, the band uses a rotating lineup of artists, musicians, and filmmakers, collectively known as Slave Pit Inc.
Founded in Richmond, Virginia, GWAR has released 13 studio albums, including several fan favorites, Lust in Space, Violence Has Arrived, and Scumdogs of the Universe. After the death of frontman Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus), the band went on a short hiatus in 2014. Five years later, they released another album, The New Dark Ages.
With co-founder Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) at the helm, the band reconvened in 2017 and released The Blood of Gods. All the band members perform under aliases. The original lineup included Brockie, Bishop, Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death), Peter Lee (Flattus Maximus), and Brad Roberts (Jizmak the Gusher).
With band members performing in bizarre costumes, GWAR quickly established a distinct identity. Best appreciated for their creative visual presentation and effects, the group received a Grammy nomination for Phallus in Wonderland, their 1993 long-form home video.
Despite several lineup changes and declining media attention, GWAR has stayed consistent and continued to record. GWAR has released almost as many full-length videos as albums. Some of the videos they have released include Rendezvous with Ragnarok, Skulhed Face, It’s Sleazy, and Dawn of the Day of the Night of the Penguin.
Scumdogs of the Universe, GWAR’s early masterpiece, is considered by fans and critics alike as one of their most entertaining works. We Kill Everything, This Toilet Earth, and Violence Has Arrived repeated the band’s use of shock themes – a formula that has helped them earn notoriety in their early days.
After going on a hiatus, the band released another album, War Party, in 2004. In 2006, the band returned to the studio and recorded Beyond Hell, a rock opera album focusing on the band’s journey into hell. In 2009, the band released Lust in Space. In 2022, the band released The New Dark Ages, the band’s 15th long-player.