Review Summary: Hardcore Porn
Anger, violence, vitriol, and the demonic possession of Tyler Mullen drive SCARAB to the standout hardcore moment of 2025 in their first full length album, Burn After Listening. As filthy as the Philly streets after the night before garbage pickup SCARAB – Seeking Chaos And Revenge After Betrayal absolutely pummel listeners with a level of viciousness that’s unrivaled. If you haven’t listened to the three Eps the band has dropped since ’23 go and do so now. Then spin Burn After Listening and appreciate how the band has grown in their songwriting while somehow amping up the intensity.
Eight tracks, thirteen minutes which is power-violence levels of ***ery (Todd from NAILS has a feature on Ugly). SCARAB sprinkle solos, breakdowns, and riffs that would spark fist fights from drunken white kids at a house party due to their sheer insanity throughout. Mullens lyrics are a type of twisted anti-empathetic commentary on the everyday bull*** that makes you want to rage. Everybody In The Way is music to crowd-kill the line at Starbucks to. Ten Foot Shadow ***ed your girlfriend in front of you, and your parents, and your dog – while filming it. Withdrawn adds a feature George from Blacklisted and DFJ from Mind Eraser and finishes with the auditory equivalent of felonious assault. The production is blistering and having seen the band live I can assure you the album does an excellent job of translating that intensity to recording.
Unhinged, brutal, and beautiful in its savagery Burn After Listening makes hardcore frightening again.
