News from the world of heavy metal: A woman is now the gore-smeared face of long-lived horror thrash group GWAR. Apparently she wears prosthetic tits that periodically spew blood and goes by "Vulvatron." (Legal name: Kim Dylla.) If you aren't familiar with GWAR, this clip from Beavis and Butthead pretty much provides the gist:
That's according to Wondering Sound. Longtime leader Dave Brockie passed away earlier this year. Vulvatron and a dude dubbed Blothar were picked by the band to carry on as lead vocalists/frontpeople. Dylla's character is a shift from the minor roles women have always played in GWAR's shows. And gross and offensive as you likely find the group's lyrics, shows and entire schtick (it's certainly not my thing!), the move is noteworthy for the way it reflects bigger shifts in metal:
Representation matters, and now, all of a sudden, there's a big, brash, bold new female personality on stage with a legendary band. Moreover, she's just as gross and goofy as her male bandmates, whether she's slaying dinosaurs or disemboweling Nazi skinheads onstage or drenching her minions with the aforementioned boob-blood (a move which, as a bit of trivia, references Slymenstra's past crotch-spewing exploits).
"She gets to be a monster instead of a princess," adds author Kim Kelly. Which is cool!
For more coverage of ladies lighting up the heavy metal scene, please check out our Q&A with singer (and commenter!) Nina Osegueda.
Photo via Getty.