Scowl: Are We All Angels
When Scowl first erupted from Santa Cruz’s hardcore punk scene with their debut album How Flowers Grow in 2021, they were instantly recognized as a refreshing force in the genre. That album was only 15 minutes long, but every second of it screamed with rawness that demanded attention. Now, in 2025, the band returns with Are We All Angels, a record that transforms their sound from the way we know it.
Released on the 4th of April through their current label Dead Oceans, Are We All Angels finds Scowl peeling back the aggression to reveal melody, vulnerability, and a new kind of rage. From the very first notes, it’s clear this album isn’t about playing by hardcore’s old rules. It's exciting to see Kat Moss taking her vocals to a new direction and revealing a new part of herself as an artist. Her singing builds on the old sound a lot but at the same time make you miss the bold roughness from the past a bit as well.
Overall, the album is pretty good. It’s the first with lead guitarist Mikey Bifolco, whose melodic guitar work on tracks like Tonight (I’m Afraid) and Special brings a fresh edge to Scowl’s sound and helps push the band beyond their hardcore roots. On the album, Kat Moss leans into clean singing a lot, and while some critics have pointed out that her melodic vocals aren’t traditionally the best, there’s a quiet force in the way she delivers them that makes them special. It’s not always about technical perfection, in this instance it’s more about communicating emotions without necessarily screaming about them. It’s also about challenging yourself as an artist and trying new things. Scowl has that DiY attitude that’s so important in hardcore - it’s not just about knowing what you’re doing but more about the process of doing it and putting yourself out there.
Kat’s presence throughout the record is undeniable. Whether she’s screaming against internal chaos or whispering insecurities into the void, her voice feels haunted and memorable, truly a driving force behind Scowl’s artistic intent. Lyrically, Moss writes from a deeply personal place, often reflecting on what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated hardcore scene. These important messages are combined with more artistic bits from her poetry and emotional expressions. The title track, B.A.B.E., and Fantasy deal with the pressure of figuring out who you are in a world focused on image and profit. There's a constant feeling of pushing back - not just against what society expects, but also against the temptation to play it safe and repeat the same music.
Musically, the album never settles into one gear. B.A.B.E. is a heavy blast of energy with links to Scowl’s roots. Special starts off tense and controlled, then builds up to a powerful, emotional release. Not Heaven, Not Hell just sounds unique and different. In interviews, Kat Moss describes it as mirroring Dead to me from their album How Flowers Grow, but while Dead to me is a combination of frustration, pain and anger, in Not Hell not Heaven the same themes are expressed in a less literal and more delicate way. Not Heaven, Not Hell might be our personal favourite on the record.
It’s worth mentioning the production, too. Will Yip’s involvement ensures that the album retains its bite even in its softest moments. Nothing sounds overproduced. The grit is still in the basslines, the tension in the drum fills, and the ache in Moss’s delivery. The result is a record that just sounds cohesive, none of the tracks feels out of place. The sequencing flows naturally, drawing the listener through different moods. Each track feels sculpted to serve the emotional arc of the record, rather than the expectations of any music scene. It’s the kind of record that could be blasted in a sweaty DIY venue or played on an alt-rock station without losing its soul in either setting.
Among fans, reactions have been diverse, but often enthusiastic. Hardcore purists may complain at the record’s cleaner edges and radio-ready melodies, but others see this as a sign of growth - not just for Scowl, but for the genre itself. It’s hard to deny that something bigger than a genre allegiance is happening here. Are We All Angels is getting people to talk, argue, and, most importantly, feel. This album won’t be for everyone. Fans looking for non-stop breakdowns and fury may find it less intense than their debut. But that’s the point. Scowl aren’t trying to replicate their past. They’re trying to grow something new. And in doing so, they have crafted one of the most compelling and talked-about punk records of the year.
