GWAR (God What an Awful Racket) pick up where Spinal Tap left off and notch the gross-out factor up to “11.”

Formed by university educated musicians, dancers and art students in the late ‘80s as a marketing experiment, the members of GWAR created a story line and gave alter egos to their group.

Examples from the eight-member-and-one-manager-strong group are lead vocalist Oderus Urungus (David Brockie), guitarist Balsac the Jaws of Death (Michael Derks), Techno-Destructo (Hunter Jackson) and manager Sleazy P. Martini (Don Drakulich).

GWAR’s story is not the usual rock ‘n’ fairy tale. A family-friendly version claims they are descendants of aliens who were banished to earth and ultimately entombed in ice in Antarctica for their having wrecked havoc upon the planet (killing dinosaurs, creating humans through procreation with monkeys, and the like). Sleazy P. Martini came along just as they were thawing out and got them a record deal.

Known for their outlandish stage shows, which include fake pagan rituals, bile-spewing corpses and the occasional giant mechanical maggot, GWAR perform in latex costumes and have great fun showering their audiences with (ahem) fluids of various sorts.

While all is good horror-movie, it’s no surprise that GWAR have come under fire from local authorities. Athens, Ga., succeeded in shutting down a 1993 concert, which prompted the band to file a lawsuit. They settled out of court and donated their winnings to charity. GWAR released their ninth offering, Violence Has Arrived, in November.