Reviews

Album Review: SCUM - "Chamber"

by The Metalverse

Updated March 20, 2025

Scum releases debut album "Chamber" | TheMetalverse.net

Tracklist:

FORCE FEED
THE CRUTCH
STRIP MINE
RAT PARTY
WITCH HUNTER
THE HIVE
THE STRESS
MUD SHUFFLE
CHAMBER

Review

Scum, a Washington metal solo act by Jake Marquez, just released their debut album, CHAMBER on March 19th. The whole album has a runtime of 23 minutes with only one track clocking in over 3 minutes, showing Scum's short and to-the-point attitude.

The first track Force Feed starts off with distorted guitar shredding in a nostalgic grungy rock style. Raw screams fill in the background before racing guitar melodies and booming drums. Scum sets their music apart quickly as clear metal, rock, and punk influences battle each other to take the forefront, creating a unique and exciting mix between the genres. Energetic tempos keep the song interesting while screeching guitar pinch harmonics add a dramatic and fierce instrumental element to the track.

The Crutch builds with booming drums and a bass line that swiftly introduces screaming vocals before a sudden explosion into full band destruction. Taking inspiration from acts like Sum41, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, and Queens of the Stone Age, Scum showcases their unique sound that balances hard-hitting rock riffs, powerful vocals, and grooving melodies.

Next up is Strip Mine, which seems to delve further into blues/grunge influences with bending riffs and catchy instrumentals building strong soundscapes while wild screams fill in the mix. With overall raw music production, Scum leans into an indie-sounding mix that works well alongside the album's overwhelming energy, old-school influences, and punk posturing. Similar to how black metal will use lofi elements in their music, Scum utilizes a raw yet exciting sound.

Track 4, Rat Party, races into action with thrashing drum beats, shrill screams, and dark, distorted guitar riffage. Instrumentals change dynamics with sudden tempo changes, creating a powerful sense of juxtaposition between slower and faster sections, keeping the music varied and interesting.

Witch Hunter bursts into action, putting Scum's metal influences on a more emphasized note, paying homage to grunge and alternative metal all-time greats. Eccentric growl/scream-singing vocals show a strong sense of personality and character that translate well across the music. More ominous and heavy-hitting riffs quickly set apart Witch Hunter from earlier tracks and show more elements of variety in the album.

The next song The Hive features more classic metal and rock riffage that catapults listeners into a ferocious track. The song's chorus features infectious scream-singing vocal hooks and is one of the catchiest tracks of the whole album. Keeping it short but sweet, The Hive ends with an explosive guitar chord progression that slowly fades out.

The Stress starts with background ambience before a spoken intro with bass builds into a booming full band introduction. Unhinged and wild screams showcase Scum's unbridled energy that creates a truly unique listening experience. Masterfully leveraging chaos and control with their hectic sound, Scum creates a defiant and extremely distinct sound throughout their debut album.

Next is Mud Shuffle which starts with a stand-alone screeching guitar lead and distant singing before building into full-energy screams, choppy riffage, and percussive drum beats. Featuring more clean vocals than many previous tracks, Mud Shuffle showcases more melody and funky guitar riffs, while still maintaining a similar sound to what listeners have come to expect from the band so far. The song builds and gets more and more explosive and intense as vocals pick up into wild, lively screams.

The title track Chamber closes out the album in a powerful fashion, building quickly into slamming riffs, grooving drum beats, and ferocious vocals. Rapid guitar chugging soon fades into silence, in an unexpected bridge that features clean vocals, echoing, and soon builds back into full-pacing once again. In an epic finale, Chamber ends with unmatchable dynamics and the band's distinctly energetic screams.

Scum does an excellent job of mixing genres and creating a distinct sound that lands somewhere between classic metal, speeding punk, and 80s-90s alternative grunge. With a spirited and robust sound, Scum creates an enjoyably unique sound that stands out while being equally nostalgic and modern. You can stream Scum's debut album Chamber out on all platforms now!