For Fans Of: Ghostemane, Denzel Curry, Astroid Boys
Recognised by the likes of Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Noisey as the internet’s heaviest sensation, Scarlxrd is combining two worlds with unrelenting force.
The Wolverhampton artist creates a new kind of trap metal. He fuses influences of Slipknot and Rage Against The Machine with Nelly and Eminem, plus a touch of Japanese aesthetics. While bands like Astroid Boys laid the foundations of this new wave of nu metal (a genre originally conceived by the likes of Korn, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit), Scarlxrd just digs them back up again.
Switching between harsh screams and fast raps placed over pounding trip hop beats, his music is never in one genre for more than a second, and that’s what makes it so intriguing. Speaking to XXL, he said “my sound is quite difficult to place I guess and that’s what inspires me the most about it. […] I listen to a lot of metal. I’m into my abrasive vocals. I love those kind of vocal techniques […] fried vocals and the heavy screaming. I love that so much. I’m also heavily influenced by rap and current hip-hop.”
Some may already be aware of his previous guises as he fronted the nu metal band Myth City, as well as made an name for himself as a popular YouTuber in 2013. However nothing sums up Scarlxrd’s radical change like the line from his 2017 breakthrough single ‘Heart Attack’: “I breakdown and recreate”.
Under this moniker, he has released eight full length albums, all within mere months of each other: スカー藩主 (October 2016), Rxse (December 2016), Cabin Fever (April 2017), Chaxsthexry (April 2017), Lxrdszn (September 2017), Dxxm (May 2018), Infinity (March 2019) and Immxrtalisatixn (October 2019). He prides himself on this consistency, managing to keep on releasing original material at such a rapid pace without growing stagnant. When asked about his songwriting process, Scarlxrd said “It’s something that I just enjoy doing so much and doing constantly. The inevitable outcome of that is hella projects, hella music. […] Honestly, it’s something I love to do so I’ll just keep doing it.”
He’s due to release his next album in December as part of a brand new era which began with Immxrtalisatixn. No official statements have been made as of yet, but he’s hinted Acquired Taste Vxlume 1 along with three other unnamed projects via his Spotify profile. This release is certain to bring his already incredible year to a great end. So far, such achievements for 2019 include hitting over a million monthly Spotify listeners, being nominated for a Kerrang! Award, playing Reading & Leeds Festival, and supporting Bring Me The Horizon on tour. With stadium tours already on mind for the complex artist, the sky really is the limit.
Website – scarlxrd.com
Facebook – /scarlxrd
Twitter – @scarlxrd