Oderus Urungus: Gwar Frontman David Brockie Dies Aged 50

Oderus Urungus (real name David Brockie), the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Gwar, has died at the age of 50. In a statement to Billboard, Violent J from Insane Clown Posse said Brockie’s death was a “terrible loss to the world.”

Police officers were called to David Brockie’s home on Sunday evening; when they arrived they found him dead. Foul play is not suspected, but the cause of death is not yet known.

Brockie, who co-founded Gwar in the 1980’s, and dubbed it as “Earth’s only openly extra-terrestrial rock band,” enjoyed great success as the grammy-nominated group achieved a worldwide cult following.

He took on the persona of Oderus Urungus, an elaborately dressed character with a horned mask, shoulder pads and all types of body armour and swords.

Violent J elaborated on his statement about the loss he felt on hearing the news of Brockie’s death:

“I am devastated to hear of the passing of Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie). GWAR are true pioneers of the underground and without them there would have been no blueprint on how to do-it-yourself in the world of music. Oderus was one of our true heroes and he recently appeared on ‘ICP Theater’ and we had plans to do a Halloween tour together. His passing is a terrible loss to the world and we will miss our friend greatly.”

Randy Blythe of Lamb of God also joined in the tribute to David Brockie, posting a photo on the band’s Facebook page with the heartfelt caption: “[Brockie] never put much stock in ‘limits.’ Richmond, VA has lost one of its most creative people. This is a crying shame to me.”

Don Drakulich, another member of Gwar and one of its costume makers, said he knew little about Brockie’s death except that his roommate found the body: “It’s very sad, and I’m shocked,” he said.