Category: Interviews, News
Tags: Riggs, Rob Zombie, Scum of the Earth, sleaze freak

Scum Of The Earth are the new band by Riggs. Riggs has played guitar for Prong and Rob Zombie and it’s his characteristic (and oft imitated) guitar tone that can be heard in hits like Dragula. He is famous for his love of tattoos and weird Fernandes Vertigo guitar models (made of plexiglass, covered with tattooed pig skin, or filled with bovine blood). Scum Of The Earth’s new album is Sleaze Freak.

http://www.scumoftheearth.com/

http://www.myspace.com/scumoftheearth

http://www.streetteam.com/forum/group.php?groupid=3

Cnb: What are your main influences as an artist?
Riggs: The real world no one ever wants to talk about .

CnB: Scum of the Earth are one of the few bands left that still invest in what used to be called “shock rock” (I ‘m thinking Alice Cooper, KISS, etc.). Rob Zombie none-withstanding, not many artists go for that approach these days and yet, it never really appears dated. Why did you choose this aesthetic and what do you think its appeal is?
Riggs: Like question one , I think the world is very shocking and I write songs about it . Maybe some think it’s over exaggerated or shock rock , but it’s all in front of me every day.

CnB: How did you end up working with Rob Zombie? What was your collaboration like?
Riggs: I was playing live guitar with Prong and they had the same management as Zombie so everyone knew everyone and it was a great time working with those guys , very easy to work with and very talented dudes and it seemed we were on the same wavelength and it just clicked .

CnB: I read somewhere that you used to fill the body of your guitar with cow’s blood and poor it on yourself and the audience. True story or rumour? Do you still do that on stage?
Riggs: True … Yeah , I still use that guitar on tour now .

CnB: Who is your favorite tatoo artist? Can you tell me more about Riggs Monster Tattoo?
Riggs: All the expected and a dude named Tim Pontillo who works at my new tattoo shop in Branson MO.
The new tattoo shop is a way to inject a bit of evil into the bible belt to let the people know there is absolutely nowhere to escape the evil … and you can get awesome work and not spend a fortune …

CnB What’s your favorite horror movie of all time?
Riggs: Evil Dead , Motel Hell etc … I like almost all of the new and old horror flicks …

CnB: What music are you listening to these days?
Riggs: Probably not what you would think … I like a lot of music just like the movies . Everything from the Bee Gees to Slayer !

CnB: How did you decide to get Paul Garner to do the artwork for the album? Were you a fan of his work before?
Riggs: Yeah , I ran across some of his work and tracked him down . .. Awesome artist and his art is a good mix of sleaze and gore …

CnB: What’s next for Scum Of The Earth? How is the new material coming along? Are there any plans for a European tour in the future?
Riggs: Make more music is the plan … The new songs might be too nasty for American stores , but the rest of the world will hopefully be able to pick one up … We will tour anywhere with anyone , anytime … Give us a buzz !

Album Review: Scum Of The Earth – Sleaze Freak

Riggs, the leader of Scum Of The Earth used to be Rob Zombie’s guitarist and you can tell. Sleaze Freak, their second album, features his signature pummeling guitar sound and the same Halloween imagery that made Hellbilly Deluxe and The Sinister Urge so iconic for the 90s. Riggs’ vocals here are extremely Zombie- like, but then again, Zombie’s sound owed a lot to his churning riffs and changed significantly when they parted ways. The familiarity of the sound has its pros and its cons: Nothing in this album is particularly original, but every one of the songs could be a hit single. The B- movie imagery never fails to entertain (Paul Garner’s artwork is truly awesome) and it should be noted that the songs are a bit filthier and sleazier than before. Make no mistake, this is music for strippers to grind to. Like with most of the shock rockers of the 90s (from Zombie and Al Jourgensen to Marilyn Manson), there are a few too many electronic touches for my liking, but- just when you think the album is completely subtlety free- you get hit with the slide- drenched, haunting Just Like Me. Try it if you are into that sort of thing.

(-Dimitris Kontogiannis-)

About the Author: CnB