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The strong White Zombie/Rob Zombie influence that one hears in Scum of the Earth's material is no coincidence; the alternative metal outfit is led by Riggs, an in-your-face singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer who is best known for the six years he spent in Rob Zombie's employ. Riggs joined forces with Rob Zombie in the '90s and stayed with him into the early 2000s; in 2004 (when Rob Zombie was putting a lot of time and energy into films rather than music), Riggs decided to start a project of his own -- and that project is Scum of the Earth, which favors the sort of rhythmic, industrial-influenced, mildly funky, hip-hop-minded alternative metal that one expects from White Zombie the band as well as Rob Zombie the solo artist. Another thing Scum of the Earth gets from Rob Zombie and White Zombie is a campy, theatrical, decadent, over-the-top sense of fun. Scum of the Earth (which is named after a song on Rob Zombie's Sinister Urge album of 2001) thrives on dark, twisted humor, and Riggs obviously shares many of Rob Zombie's obsessions -- including horror films, the Occult, B-movies, sex, porn, and sleaze. But in contrast to a band like Slayer -- who take their death metal outlook so seriously that they can be genuinely disturbing at times -- Scum of the Earth's lyrics are very tongue-in-cheek. White Zombie and Rob Zombie are not Scum of the Earth's only influences; their forceful approach also owes something to Ministry (who were major players in the fusion of alternative metal and industrial rock in the '80s and '90s), KMFDM, the seminal Alice Cooper (a creative role model for Rob Zombie, W.A.S.P./Blackie Lawless, GWAR, Marilyn Manson, and countless others) and Powerman 5000. And the Powerman influence is no more a coincidence than the White Zombie/Rob Zombie influence. Two of Riggs' collaborators in Scum of the Earth have played with Powerman: drummer Adrian Ost, (aka Seven), and guitarist Mike Tempesta -- who is the brother of Rob Zombie drummer John Tempesta. In October 2004, Scum of the Earth's debut album, Blah...Blah...Blah...Love Songs for the New Millennium, was released by Eclipse Records; the infectious "Get Your Dead On" became the album's first single. On Blah...Blah...Blah, four people are cited as Scum of the Earth members: Riggs (who co-produced the album with Ben Burkhardt), Mike Tempesta, Adrian "Seven" Ost, and bassist Clay Campbell. The musicians who are listed as guests on Blah...Blah...Blah include John Tempesta and System of a Down's John Dolmayan. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide |
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