UPDATE: We've received word that guitarist Cory Smoot (aka Flattus Maximus) has been found dead (see related story).

UPDATE 2: GWAR tour on, says Dave Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus.

All GWAR want to do is destroy the human race, play metal, and exterminate all aspects of existence itself. They look like Freddy Krueger mated with the Road Warrior in J. R. R. Tolkien's Mordor, and play a slightly standardized brand of metal while wearing absurd, grotesque costumes. According to their story, they're a specialized group of "chaos" warriors from outer space (or Richmond, Virginia) who ravaged the galaxy with an extreme hatred of all living things. These "Scumdogs of the Universe" became too powerful and disobedient, so they were banished to the "seething mudball" of Earth by "the Master."

In reality, GWAR have put out 13 studio albums since 1984, containing hits like "Sexecutioner," "Saddam a Go-Go," "Penis I See," and "Tick-Tits," (about a woman whose breasts are covered in large, gray, puffy ticks). They're talented musicians, and live they shred. Fans are brought up onstage and sacrificed. Fake blood and bile get spouted everywhere. No subject is off-limits. In skits, they kill Marilyn Manson, Michael Jackson, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden. Sometimes a man dressed as Jesus on the front and Hitler on the back introduces them. Sometimes they blow him. Sometimes he gets killed.

With last year's Bloody Pit of Horror, GWAR sound heavier and darker, now aided by eight-string guitars. The shtick with GWAR is somewhat corny, and at times a bit too theatrical. It's death metal with cheese, "Orc screaming," and occasional horns. The band is comprised of Balsac the Jaws of Death (rumored to have a scrotum for a face) on guitar, Flattus Maximus on second guitar, Jizmak Da Gusha on drums, Beefcake the Mighty on bass, and their spirited, gravel-voiced leader Oderus Urungus on vocals. Oderus spoke by phone. He sounds like wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage (RIP).

Do you have your rubber suit on? What's your favorite thing to do in the suit? Where are you now?

We're here in... Cleveland! Yes. Lovely Cleveland has opened its doors to us. And we're engaged in crack smoking, fornicating, animal rape, nostril violation, and heavy metal music—all that awful stuff. It's so much fun. Isn't it weird the way they say that all the stuff that's bad for you is the stuff that's the most fun? You know what, THEY'RE LYING TO YOU. This stuff is actually good for you.

Nostril violation. Yes. Give me an update on your costume. Have there been any modifications to the suit, as of late?

You mean my armored war suit. It's pretty much identical to the way it's always been. I was born fully clothed. I've been wearing the same thing for 47 billion years. One thing I can say is that I think my dick is bigger.

Or maybe you're getting smaller.

No, my dick is looking bigger. The cuttlefish is fucking hanging like a champ, let me tell you. There's something going on there; maybe it's in the water.

Didn't Hillary Clinton laser that thing off at some point?

It did get chopped off at one point in the '90s. But it grew back—much, much larger. Actually, every now and then I'll go ahead and chop off my own dick so it will grow back larger. I'm never really sure what's going to grow back, though. One time it grew back, and it was a baby leg. If this happens to you, buy a baby shoe and put it on the baby foot of the baby leg that grew back after you chopped your dick off.

If I ever chop my dick off and a baby leg grows back, I'll do that. What is GWAR's opinion of the latest Metallica/Lou Reed collaboration?

Well, I'm glad that Lou has got some junk money. There's really nothing you can do for Metallica to resurrect them. I don't know why they feel this need to go out there and embarrass themselves by doing stupid fucking projects. It was bad enough when they did a movie about their therapists. But to resurrect an elderly junkie has about as much to do with Metallica as Liberace does. I hate it. A lot. But Metallica will always be a classic, amazing band. They destroy it live. They can keep making movies about therapists and doing duets with Marianne Faithfull or Lou Reed, or whoever they want to bring back from the dead—they still shred live. And they'll always be one of my favorite bands.

What does GWAR think about country singer Kenny Chesney?

He's awful. Terrible. Shit. What do you expect? That stuff is just bad. Country music is crap. At least sometimes it's about suicide and hanging yourself and alcoholism. The whole outlaw, rebel, David Allan Coe, worthless redneck motherfucker thing I find to be amusing. But this supermarket kind of country music is horrible. It's a pop version of country. It's another ridiculously bad consumer product.

What does GWAR think of bubble tea?

I fucking love bubble tea! It really hasn't busted out across the rest of your country like it should. I like to have little baby eyes and testicles in mine as the bubbles. And baby balls. Baby Ball Bubble Tea. It's fucking delicious.

GWAR have been nominated for two Grammys, but lost to Annie Lennox and Nine Inch Nails.

We were pissed, of course. And we were even more pissed that they didn't want GWAR at their fucking ceremony. But we busted in anyway and had the honor of watching Michael Jackson perform. Then we got the fuck out of there before Billy Ray Cyrus got up onstage. When we got nominated the second time, we didn't go. They do say the third time's the charm. You never know, there may be a Grammy out there for GWAR. If and when we win, I'm gonna shove it right up my ass.

What does GWAR think of President Obama's performance thus far?

He's been a pathetic failure, now hasn't he? The one thing about Obama that not a lot of people don't talk about is that he's the most bloodthirsty president since Teddy Roosevelt. He's been more involved in Joint Strategic Operations than any president in history. Under his leadership, those Predator drones and CIA death squads have been reaping in the souls like they never have before. A lot of people would even say the reason Barack is not so focused on his economic policies is because of all those late nights he spends sitting in the situation room moving around computer figures and holograms that lead to real-time consequences of brains exploding all over windshields, drones wreaking havoc in nursery schools, and the dead raped. He has no problem sending drones to fight faceless terrorist organizations, but he can't stand up to Congress. I don't get it.

What types of politically and morally taboo things are GWAR engaging in for this tour?

In the new GWAR show, we've decided that because the political debate that is gripping our country is so stupid, and all the politicians suck, so bad, that we decided to ignore it completely. In outer space, the only reason that politicians exist is so they can be crucified on the planet of Let's Crucify All the Politicians. Every time we kill a famous politician, they just grow another one anyway, underneath the Pentagon. We're making a political statement by not making a political statement. Fucking politics suck, we're gonna beat on rubber monsters.

What is GWAR's opinion of Dick Cheney?

[Laughs] Another one of those technocrats. He claims to be an American, but he's a pawn of the multinational corporations that run your entire fucking planet. He's disgusting. He's a travesty. He doesn't even have a human heart. I think he replaced it with a horse heart.

Does GWAR approve of Seattle?

Seattle. You're known for depression, heroin addiction, and coffee. And this is a wonderful thing. And rain. We're coming to your town to bleaken up your horizons just a little bit more.