Gwar

GWAR (stylized as GWAR) is a Richmond, Virginia-bred heavy metal band forged in 1984. Known for its ever-evolving roster of musicians, artists, and filmmakers—collectively known as Slave Pit Inc.—the band has continued to create and perform even after the 2014 death of frontman Dave Brockie, with none of its original members remaining.

Their signature grotesque costumes are integral to GWAR's elaborate science fiction mythology. Band members portray barbaric warriors—a mix of medieval Nordic, mythological, biblical, and interplanetary figures—a narrative driving their albums, live shows, and media presence. Their over-the-top violent, sexual, and scatological humor, often laced with sharp social and political satire, has garnered both praise and controversy. Infamous for their live shows, which feature graphic violence and drench the audience in copious amounts of fake blood, urine, and semen, GWAR is often categorized as "shock rock."

Since their inception, GWAR has unleashed 15 studio albums, two live albums, numerous singles, and other recordings, selling over 820,000 records in the US alone. The controversies surrounding their concerts fueled a brief period of mainstream notoriety in the early 1990s, earning them MTV airplay and in-character appearances on daytime talk shows, where they satirized censorship and media violence. While their mainstream popularity waned by the late 1990s, GWAR maintains a fiercely dedicated cult following.

Their extensive videography includes live recordings and feature films, most notably 1992's Phallus in Wonderland, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video. Beyond music, the GWAR brand has expanded into books, comic books, board games, beer, whiskey, barbecue sauce, CBD products, e-liquids, collectible toys, and even sex toys—a testament to their enduring, if unconventional, influence.