Wargasm
British electronic rock duo blending nu metal with electro-punk.
Wargasm (often written in all caps and also referred to as Wargasm (UK)) is a London-based electronic rock duo. Sam Matlock and Milkie Way started the group in 2018. Before that, Matlock had been in the band Dead!, and Way had taken photos at their shows. The pair put out a number of standalone singles early on, but they first drew wider attention in 2021 after an incident at a Scala show. Their 2022 mixtape, *Explicit: The Mixxxtape*, reached No. 19 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart and made Loudwire’s list of the best rock and metal debut albums of that year. The following year, their first studio album, *Venom*, hit No. 88 on the UK Albums Chart and climbed to No. 3 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart.
Music critics often describe their sound as electro-punk, nu metal, and riot grrrl. The band, their 2022 collaboration with Enter Shikari (“The Void Stares Back”), *Explicit: The Mixxxtape*, and *Venom* have all received nominations at the Heavy Music Awards. Alternative Press named them a key part of the 2020s nu metal revival, and NME listed them as an essential emerging act for 2021. They also won Best New Noise at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards.
**History**
**2018–2021: Formation and early performances**
Sam Matlock first met Milkie Way when she was hired to film his previous band, Dead!. After that group split up in 2018, Matlock reached out to Way, who was then working as a model in Tokyo. They connected over a shared love of nu metal bands like Limp Bizkit. Initially, they wrote pop punk songs and recorded an EP titled *Sadgasm*, but they decided not to release it. The direction changed after a party in London that Way suggested they attend. There, Matlock woke up a sluggish crowd by playing Limp Bizkit and then Linkin Park. That experience pushed them toward a mix of rap and nu metal.
They officially formed Wargasm in August 2019, taking their name from the L7 song of the same name.
Quick Facts
- Alias
- Wargasm (UK)
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Electro-punk · digital hardcore · nu metal · post-hardcore
- Years Active
- 2018–present
- Label
- Slowplay · Republic · Hopeless
- Current Members
- Milkie Way / Sam Matlock
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Wargasm formed in August 2019, taking their name from the L7 song of the same name. Sam Matlock met Milkie Way when she was hired to film his band Dead!; after Dead! disbanded, Matlock approached Way in Tokyo and they bonded over a shared love of nu metal acts such as Limp Bizkit. They initially wrote pop punk songs and recorded an unreleased EP called Sadgasm, but after an incident at a London party where Matlock woke an unenthusiastic crowd by playing Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, the band diversified into a combination of rap and nu metal. They released their debut single 'Post Modern Rhapsody' in August 2019 and played their first live performance weeks later at a toilet venue. The band is listed as 'Wargasm (UK)' in several territories due to other bands with the same name from the United States, Finland, Sweden and France.
In 2021, a November gig at Scala was marred by security guards assaulting Matlock after the performance, prompting the venue to fire several bouncers and implement new security measures. The band's 2022 mixtape Explicit: The Mixxxtape included singles such as 'Pyro Pyro', 'Salma Hayek', 'D.R.I.L.D.O.', and 'Fukstar', and was promoted via the Explicit Tour. Their debut studio album Venom, released in October 2023, took sixteen months to make; the band blamed 'labels and distributors, and all these people who don't seem to be able to do their fucking job anymore' for the discontinuous production. The album's introduction featured Fred Durst after the band direct messaged him.
Reader's Guide
Wargasm's significance lies in their role as a defining act in the 2020s wave of nu metal, as listed by Alternative Press, and their recognition as one of 2021's essential emerging artists by NME. Their music, commonly categorised as electro-punk, nu metal, and riot grrrl, has garnered multiple award nominations at the Heavy Music Awards, including for their 2022 Enter Shikari collaboration 'The Void Stares Back', Explicit: The Mixxxtape, and Venom. The band won Best New Noise at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards and Best UK Breakthrough at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards. Their 2022 mixtape appeared on Loudwire's 'Best Rock + Metal Debut Albums of 2022', and their debut album charted at No. 88 on the UK Albums Chart. The duo's live performances have included main stage slots at Download Festival, where they were the only non-all-male band on that stage in 2022, and support tours with Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor, and Korn. Their collaborations with artists such as Enter Shikari, Corey Taylor, and Crossfaith further underscore their integration into the broader rock and metal scene.
Did You Know?
- Their debut single 'Post Modern Rhapsody' was released in August 2019.
- Sam Matlock and Milkie Way met when Way was hired to film Matlock's previous band Dead!.
More in British Nu Metal Musical Groups 1-20
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