Four artists who have altered heavy music
The past five years, we’ve seen the advent of a new wave. What’s started online, through kids experimenting with music and recording, has turned into a leviathan of sound.
Eponymously named “sound-cloud rap”, this sound is barely showing itself to the surface, and the influence it has on the future trajectory of music is undeniable. While this is felt most predominantly in pop, heavy music isn’t excepted from this change.
By blending trap, grunge, punk, Hip-Hop, emo, and black metal, the following artists have changed heavy music as we know it.
It’ll be best if you listen to the included links while reading the articles
Lil peep
LiL PEEP was one of the first to really break out from this whole movement. Falling somewhere between Good Charlotte and Young Thug, artist Gustav Ahr pioneered an emo revival.
Moving to LA in the early 2010’s, LiL PEEP lived and recorded his first tracks in a flat on the infamous Skid Row.
Stylistically, his music is emo vocal melodies and grunge guitar with trap drums and 808’s. It’s this blend that captivated his generational group and elevated him to a cult personality and fashion icon.
Passing away from an accidental overdose in 2017, PEEP left behind a sound a movement that was galvanized to break out more than he might have realized.
Scarlxrd
Scarlxrd is what Rage Against the Machine would sound like if they formed right now. Aggressively distorted 808s and kicks hold down the beat while Scarlxrd screams his bars.
He’s the only artist on this list that I’ve had the privilege to see live. It had the same energy of a 2006 As I Lay Dying show. Kids were crowdsurfing, the pit was a chaotic mass of arms, a 13 year old kid was on the shoulders of their older brother, head banging and screaming with the song.
There was a unique unity in the crowd; it didn’t matter if the guys standing next to each other were metal heads, hip-hop heads, or house heads, at one point a group of moshers stood in a circle, linked arms, and head banged together.
It was fucking beautiful.
Ghostmane
Undeniable black metal and unapologetically trap, Ghostmane has co opted the dark aesthetic of black metal and shock rock to serve a new generation of goth.
Originally from Florida, Ghostmane was a guitarist and drummer in his local hardcore punk and doom scene before branching out into hip-hop and rap.
Just like blackmetal, Ghostmane’s brand is about creating a vibe and atmosphere both sonically and visually. Watch the video above, he’s got a tattoo artist with a client on stage during his show. Honestly, this video doesn’t really do his sound justice, it doesn’t pick up the heavy sub bass that physically pushes through the fans and makes the crowd move.
That’s what this whole scene is about, it’s about the movement, the energy, the vibe, sonically, visually, and physically.
$uicideboy$
$uicideboy$ musical style is much more atmospherically haunting than heavy. Calling on occult metaphors in order to reference self destructive lifestyles and addictions, they’ve absorbed aesthetics usually reserved for the most satanic black metal bands. Check out these lines:
“Whisper in the wind, whisper up on your bitch's lips
Spill two drinks for the demons and sins
I committed to nothing, but I committed nonetheless
Six wishes for death
Holding my breath, I got six digits
No seventh number except for my residence
Bitch, I'm not heaven sent, not sent to heaven
Got sixes and crucifixes, praisethedevil”
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What we’re seeing is this, people are caring less about genre or the sonic quality of what’s playing.
There was music playing before Scarlxrd came on, and kids were losing their shit to System of a Down, house music, LiL PEEP, and AC/DC all with the same passion and energy.
Because we have access to all the music ever created, people are just finding what they like about all genres, and putting them together, creating new sound and refining sounds that have already been created.
