Review
Casual Burn
Mean Thing

HANDSTAND RECORDS (2019) Rob L.

Casual Burn – Mean Thing cover artwork
Casual Burn – Mean Thing — HANDSTAND RECORDS, 2019

Imagine that your favorite modern hardcore band hopped into Doc Brown’s DeLorean and ended up in 1982. Upon arriving, they decided to start over and carry their same ferocious messages with the spirit of New Wave music percolating the airwaves at the time. Does that sound appealing? Then you’ll love Casual Burn’s most recent release, Mean Thing.

The band has a wide array of influencesBabes in ToylandWirePatti Smith, and The B-52s to name a few. From the way they translate their message via lyrical content song structure, you can tell that they exist in a modern hardcore world. Still, Mean Thing carries the dust of older generations with it, and wouldn’t sound out of place next to your early Dischord tapes.

That said, the reverb-soaked vocals and new wave-type mix may soften the impact of what they’re trying to do -- at least on this release. While the songs are all well written and the appropriate level of aggression is certainly infused into the composition, it’s watered down by the mixing job. In theory, the idea of a hardcore band starting a new wave project is fascinating. It just didn’t stick this time.

Of course, Casual Burn isn’t the first hardcore band to release a reverb-soaked record in 2019. Their love of a progressive '80s subgenre is admirable and unique. And it’s certainly better than another meathead beatdown band ruining the genre. So if you’re into this trend of reverb-drenched hardcore emerging at the moment, then this is a solid release. I, however, am not. So I’m giving Casual Burn’s Mean Thing a 7/10.

7.0 / 10Rob L. • June 2, 2020

Casual Burn – Mean Thing cover artwork
Casual Burn – Mean Thing — HANDSTAND RECORDS, 2019

Recently-posted album reviews

1186

Histeria
Drunken Sailor (2025)

If you read enough press releases, you start questioning if you even know what genre names mean. Post-punk has been one of the most abused terms of the past 2-3 years and it seems to mean wildly different things to different people. To me, it’s always meant an ear for angular guitars and noise atop more traditional song concepts. 1186 … Read more

Li Jianhong

Shuttle Raven of the Dream
Utech (2025)

Li Jianhong's philosophy surpasses the direct relationship of a musician with their instrument of choice. Instead, Li has advocated for Environment Improvisation, where the urge to create and improvise is established by the artist's surroundings. Looking at Li's website you can find numerous instances that inspired him to settle down and start improvising, drawing energy from the surroundings. The music … Read more

Deseos Primitivos

Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)

Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more