Dave Brockie, uninhibited frontman of heavy metal band GWAR, dies at 50

Dave Brockie, who as "Oderus Urungus" fronted the alien-costumed heavy metal band GWAR during graphic and fake-blood-soaked stage shows for more than three decades, has died. He was 50.

Police were called to Brockie's home in Richmond, in the US state of Virginia, on Sunday and found the singer dead inside. Detectives don't suspect foul play.

The band founded in 1984 is known for its comically grotesque costumes, stage antics and vulgar lyrics. GWAR was nominated for a Grammy Award for best long-form music video in 1993 for Phallus in Wonderland but lost to Diva by Annie Lennox. It also was nominated for best metal performance for S.F.W. in 1996 but lost to Happiness In Slavery by Nine Inch Nails.

Randy Blythe, the lead vocalist for metal band Lamb of God, fondly recalled Brockie's approach to humour in a post on the band's Facebook page: "Right now, if I were to truly honor Dave in the way HE would do it if it were ME that had died, I would make a completely tasteless joke about his death. But I do not have the stomach for that - Dave would, but not me. He never put much stock in 'limits'."

GWAR released its latest album, Battle Maximus, in September and recently toured Australia and Japan. Over the summer, the band held its 4th annual GWAR-B-Q at a small water park in Richmond and released its own canned craft beer for the occasion. The band had announced plans for its fifth annual event last week.