Wargasm (band)

Wargasm (stylised as 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐌, and sometimes known as Wargasm (UK)) are a British electronic rock duo from London. Formed in 2018 by musician Sam Matlock and model Milkie Way, they released several standalone singles before releasing the EP Explicit: The Mixxxtape in September 2022, which charted at No. 19 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. Their debut studio album, Venom, was released in October 2023 and charted at No. 88 in the UK Albums Chart.

Alternative Press listed them as a defining part of the 2020s wave of nu metal, and NME listed them as one of 2021's essential emerging artists. The pair also took home "Best UK Breakthrough" at the Heavy Music Awards in 2021 and Best New Noise at the 2022 Kerrang! Awards.

2018-2021: Early performances
Guitarist Sam Matlock met model and photographer Milkie Way when she was hired by Matlock's previous band Dead! to film their concerts. In 2018, after the band disbanded, Matlock approached Way, who by then had taken a job modelling in Tokyo at the time, and formed Wargasm with her, taking their name from the L7 song of the same name. At first the pair began writing pop punk songs, later diversifying into a combination of rap and nu metal. They released their debut single, "Post Modern Rhapsody", in August 2019, before playing their first live performance a few weeks later. They then released "God of War" that November, which was later used as the theme for NXT UK.

In February 2020, they released a cover version of "Lapdance" by N.E.R.D. alongside a music video, followed by their own composition, "Gold Gold Gold", later that month. They released the single "Spit" that June, which they had written in lockdown. They then played a set for that year's Heavy Music Awards, at which they would win "Best UK Breakthrough" at the following year's ceremony. In September 2020, they released "Backyard Bastards", which they released a music video for the following month, and then the month after that, they released the single "Rage All Over", which they had written about their own rage at the declining condition of the world.

At the start of January 2021, NME listed them as one of their essential emerging artists for the following year; Yungblud used the piece to describe Way as "a metal Gwen Stefani". That April, they released the single "Your Patron Saints", a track about loneliness and isolation they had written after one of the band had a small breakdown in a supermarket. They followed this in June with "Pyro Pyro", after which they performed at the 2021 Download Festival Pilot. The following month, Alternative Press listed them as a defining part of the 2020s wave of nu metal. That August, they announced their debut UK headline tour, with dates booked between 17 and 30 November 2021, and that they would tour with Creeper the month after. Later that August, they released the single "Salma Hayek", performed at the 2021 Reading and Leeds Festivals and at ALT+LDN festival, and featured on a remix of Death Blooms' single "Shut Up".

2021-2022: Scala incident and Explicit: The Mixxxtape
On 5 November, the band performed at Scala at their Face Down club night. Two days after performing, Matlock uploaded to social media a picture of large red marks he had sustained to his back and arms. In his post, he alleged that three security guards had administered verbal abuse to the band's female tour manager and responded to him challenging it by dragging him into a toilet, bashing his head against a toilet seat, and holding his head in a toilet bowl. He also stated that he only escaped after another member of his touring party intervened, that they had been attempting to contact the venue over the weekend regarding the matter, and that said bouncers' continued employment meant that they did not consider the club a safe venue, especially for women. The Security Industry Authority confirmed that they had received a complaint. After investigating, Scala fired two of the bouncers involved, with Wargasm later posting to social media that the third had also been fired. A week and a half after the incident, the venue set out a number of planned security measures for its subsequent performances.

Later in November, the band released "Scratchcard Feeling", a track about continuing to feel lucky despite continued losses. The band then supported Neck Deep on a UK tour in early 2022. Reviewing a February set for Louder Than War, Daniel Tsourekas complimented the contrast between Matlock's "gritty" vocals and Way's "softer yet punk-infused" vocals. The following month, Rolling Stone reported that Wargasm would be joining Limp Bizkit on their North American "Still Sucks" tour. That May, Matlock and Way announced that they had signed to Slowplay and Republic Records, and would release a single, "D.R.I.L.D.O.", and a mixtape, Explicit: The Mixxxtape; they released "D.R.I.L.D.O." later that month. The following month, they won the New Noise Awards at that year's Kerrang! Awards.

In July, they released "Fukstar", a rant against the behaviour of high-net-worth individuals, and then the month after that, they featured on Enter Shikari's "The Void Strikes Back", which won Best Single at the 2023 Heavy Music Awards. They released Explicit in September 2022, which charted at No. 19 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart and was nominated for Best Breakthrough Album at the 2023 Heavy Music Awards. They promoted the album by going on the Explicit Tour, which featured dates in Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, and at O2 Forum Kentish Town. They released a new video for Explicit album track "Super Fiend" in December 2022, featuring tour footage.

2022-present: Venom


In December 2022, the duo released a cover of the Girls Aloud song "Something Kinda Oooh" for Amazon Music.

Musical style and influences
Wargasm are listed as "Wargasm (UK)" in several territories due to the existence of other bands from the United States, Finland, Sweden and France. Critics have categorised the band's music as electro-punk, digital hardcore, post-hardcore and nu metal. Their music makes use of elements of riot grrrl, heavy metal, dubstep, screamo, pop, electronic and hip hop music. NME writer Ali Shutler described their music as "cyberpunk". Their music often makes use of screamed vocals, electronic and psychedelic sounds, aggressive guitar riffs, and distorted bass. Songs often feature Matlock and Way trading off vocals duties mid verse.

Alternative Press writer Giedrė Matulaitytė described their music as an "eclectic blend of punk/riot grrrl attitude, hardcore energy, grunge pessimism and murky nü-metal groove", and Ali Cooper described them as "If you take all the limitless energy of a pulsing nightclub and throw it into the pit". Metal Hammer writer Yasmine Summan described it as "catchy nu metal riffs, throw in a bit of riot grrrl flare and wash it down with a healthy dosage of post-apocalyptic angst" and Jack Saunders described them as "the Prodigy and Slipknot at the same time."

They have cited influences including L7, Limp Bizkit, Loathe, SHVPES and Poppy. For "Pyro Pyro", they were inspired by a scene in a documentary about Grimes which asserted that she used laser shots from video games and gunshots to construct her music, and for "Salma Hayek", its chorus was inspired by Kim Petras. When asked on an interview with Fred Perry clothing what songs' lyrics inspired them, Matlock answered "Custer" by Slipknot and Way answered "Smack A B*tch - Remix" by Rico Nasty.

Members

 * Milkie Way – vocals, bass, guitar, production
 * Sam Matlock – vocals, guitar, production

Live members
Current
 * Adam Breeze – drums (2019, 2021–present)
 * Adam Crilly - DJ, electronics, vocals (2022-present)
 * Stone Behzadi - guitar (2024-present)

Former
 * Ryan Cornall – drums (2019–2021)
 * Edison Hunter – guitar (2019–2023)

Headlining

 * War On the Road (2021)
 * The Explicit Tour (2022)
 * The Venom Tour (2023)

Supporting

 * Yungblud – Occupy the UK Tour (2021; five shows)
 * Enter Shikari – USA/Canada Tour (2022; twenty-three shows)
 * Limp Bizkit – Still Sucks Tour (2022; twenty-nine shows)
 * Bloodywood – Rakshak USA Tour (2023; eighteen shows)
 * Corey Taylor – USA Tour (2023; twenty-three shows)
 * Babymetal – World Tour (2023; fifteen shows)
 * Poppy – Zig Tour (2024; seven shows)