Metal Anarchy

On Friday (August 15) GWAR had a Viking style funeral to memorialize fallen vocalist Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus, who died of heroin overdose in March. During the memorial family, friends and fans, including people like Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), payed respects to the frontman, and then Brockie’s alter-ego, Oderus Urungus, was set ablaze on a Viking ship in the middle of Hadad’s Lake, in Virginia.

Randy Blythe has also posted another tribute via Instagram:

“Tonight we sent Oderus home in a fitting manner at the public memorial for Dave Brockie. A blazing Viking ship with Oderus laid out in it, the cuttlefish pointing proudly straight up. Watching my friend Dave’s costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me than the private memorial for friends & family we had April Fool’s Day. I spoke at both of them, as GWAR asked me to, & both times as I spoke I was sad. But watching his alter-ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial, maybe because there was Dave, the human who was my friend who just “left us”- I never saw his body- & then there was Oderus, who was something entirely else. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life literally go up in flames. I was sobbing my eyes out as I took this photo. It was just a super-intense moment. Very beautiful, but overwhelming. Fly free, Oderus- you are missed.”

Check out the Viking funeral:

Also, the band took the stage for the first time since Brockie’s death, at the 5th Annual GWAR-B-Q, which was held the day after the memorial (August 16). Mike Bishop served as the primary vocalist for the set.

Check out fan-filmed footage of the performance:

So, GWAR will continue on and keep Brockie’s memory alive.

R.I.P. Oderus