Gwar is a heavy metal band formed in Richmond, VA, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo themes. Their grotesque costumes make them easy to identify, and their science-fiction mythology theme only adds to the band portrayal of them being warriors.

It was only a matter of time before the ferocity and jaggedness of punk rock met with the bone-shaking boom of metal, and that it did in the early 80s when punk-metal fusion pioneers Corrosion Of Conformity formed in North Carolina. Fuelled by the constant presence of guitarist Woody Weatherman, the ever evolving collective shifted away from the restrictive metal conventions of the time, fusing hardcore, sludgy heavy metal with an edgier, more aggressive sound, and hard-hitting, politically conscious lyrics.