Scum of the Earth

Scum of the Earth is an American industrial metal outfit formed in 2003 by Mike Riggs, primarily known as the long-term guitarist for Rob Zombie. The band's inception coincided with Zombie's temporary departure from music to pursue film directing, allowing Riggs to channel his specific brand of 'granite-solid' riffage and horror-obsessed songwriting into a solo vehicle.

The project has featured a rotating cast of heavy hitters from the 90s industrial and alternative metal scenes, including members of White Zombie and Powerman 5000, which solidified its position within the 'spooky-kids' metal subculture. Sonically, the band is defined by a high-propulsion mix of mechanized percussion, heavy sampling from cult cinema, and Riggs' signature raspy vocal delivery. While heavily influenced by the industrial-groove template established by White Zombie and Rob Zombie, Scum of the Earth often incorporates more overt hard rock and even occasional acoustic elements, providing a slightly more varied dynamic range than its peers. Critically, the band is viewed as a reliable purveyor of the horror-metal aesthetic, maintaining a dedicated cult following through the 2010s and 2020s with a consistent output of sleaze-influenced industrial rock.