Scum of the Earth

While comparisons to Rob Zombie are unavoidable where Scum of the Earth’s debut is concerned (for a variety of reasons — most notably that the band is fronted by former Zombie henchman Riggs, and drummer John Tempesta contributed to tracks), but one thing is clear early in Blah…Blah…Blah…; Riggs was an untapped asset when he played with Zombie. On his first record, Riggs buries his former boss by picking up what Zombie lost when he went solo. Scum’s debut slithers in guitar and percussive hooks rather than bowing to Zombie’s bludgeon, giving the songs more shake than any other American music to strip by currently on the market. The lyrics follow suit and, while they don’t reach Alice Cooper’s level, are less repetitive or self-absorbed and hence more engaging and entertaining. If Riggs can keep his material interesting, he may just steal the barbed wire crown from his former master. As it stands, he’s already surpassed him.