Gwar

gwar.net

Second Place: Lamb of God

Third Place: Gritter

It's only fitting that Gwar should win this year. The art collective and band that first put the Richmond music scene on the map suffered the ultimate blow during its 30th anniversary year with the tragic death of frontman and founder Dave Brockie, who was 50. The loss shook the local arts community to its core, but Gwar is soldiering on with a planned documentary as well as its annual Gwar-B-Q at Hadad's Lake on Aug. 16 — which will feature a public memorial for Brockie a day earlier. Richmond's most well-known current international metal band is Lamb of God, whose singer Randy Blythe has duly noted that Gwar "taught them how to tour." Gritter, which has been making local stomping metal since 2008, also owes a debt to its influential fellow winners.