Not very delicious.

Scene Queen has built one of the more recognizable personalities in modern heavy music by taking metalcore, pop, humor, sexuality, Y2K aesthetics, and feminist themes and throwing them together under the name “bimbocore.” Hannah Rose Collins has never seemed particularly interested in behaving like a traditional metal vocalist, and that refusal to play by the expected rules is a huge part of what made her earlier material so entertaining. The ridiculous lyrics and exaggerated presentation worked because there were usually enough catchy hooks, energetic performances, and genuinely heavy moments underneath them to give the whole thing some substance. METALICIOUS still has plenty of Scene Queen personality, but listening through it, I kept feeling that the concept was stronger than the music. There are flashes of a much better record hiding here, especially when Collins moves beyond the familiar gimmicks, but too much of the release feels thin, underdeveloped, or more concerned with the joke than the song.

“Pink Flip Phone” immediately drops you into the familiar Scene Queen universe with distorted guitars, processed vocals, electronic touches, and a phone-ring hook that is undeniably catchy. It works as an introduction because you know exactly who you're listening to within seconds, but the problem is how little physical weight the instrumental carries. The guitars don't have much bite, the drums feel lightweight, and the vocal processing is so prominent that it becomes one of the main musical features. That can work when the rest of the arrangement is strong enough to support it, but here the gimmick starts doing more work than the riff. The song sounds like Scene Queen, but sounding recognizable isn't the same as being memorable.

“Manicure” runs into much the same problem. Collins commits completely to the exaggerated delivery, but the instrumental stays fairly restrained, which makes the performance feel flatter than it probably intends to be. Her whole appeal comes from contrast, and that contrast is missing when the metal side doesn't sound particularly threatening. The humor is still present, but there isn't quite enough happening underneath it to make the song stick once the initial joke has passed. Scene Queen doesn't need to become serious to make better music; she needs the music to be strong enough that the ridiculousness becomes part of the experience instead of becoming the experience.

“Shopaholic” briefly suggests a different direction. The softer synths and more subdued vocals create an atmosphere that actually feels intriguing, and Collins sounds comfortable in that less exaggerated space. I found myself more interested in this opening because it hinted at a version of Scene Queen that could lean further into electronic pop without needing the megaphone effect or a constant punchline. Unfortunately, the production remains somewhat thin, and when the familiar vocal treatment returns, some of the atmosphere gets lost. The deliberately goofy lyrics are still fun in theory, but the track would have benefited from letting the mood develop enough to create a stronger contrast with the humor.

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” featuring TX2 has more life to it, with the guitars and drums carrying a little more energy and the vocals moving more naturally between pop and heavier styles. The collaboration itself isn't particularly transformative, but it gives the song a stronger sense of momentum than some of the earlier material. The biggest issue is how suddenly it ends. Rather than feeling like a deliberate short song, it feels like the track stops just as it is starting to build into something more complete. That same feeling appears elsewhere on METALICIOUS, where several ideas seem to arrive, establish their hook, and disappear before they've had enough time to become fully realized songs.

“Tracksuit” is one of the more encouraging moments because Collins finally allows her heavier vocal side to play a larger role. The guitars have more bite, the screams are deeper, and the song feels less dependent on the megaphone character that dominates some of the other tracks. The contrast works much better here because the instrumental actually sounds like something that belongs in a metalcore record. Collins is capable of bringing more aggression than the EP sometimes gives her credit for, and this track made me wish the rest of the release had pushed further in that direction.

“T!ts Out At Brunch” brings the comedy back to the forefront, but this is where the lack of instrumental impact becomes difficult to overlook. The faster riffs and drums should feel chaotic and exciting, yet the production doesn't give them enough punch. The flat vocal delivery may be intentional, but when the guitars and drums are already struggling to create momentum, the deadpan approach can come across as a lack of energy rather than a deliberate performance choice. The joke is obvious, but the song doesn't provide enough musical personality to make it particularly memorable.

The title track, “METALICIOUS,” featuring Left to Suffer, finally gives the EP the kind of weight I've been looking for. The deeper guest vocals immediately change the character of the song, and the guitars sound considerably more convincing when they are allowed to become genuinely heavy. Collins also sounds stronger when she's surrounded by that heavier instrumentation because the contrast between her pop-oriented delivery and the deathcore influence becomes much more dramatic. There is a very good idea buried here: take all the bright, exaggerated Scene Queen imagery and place it against music that actually sounds dangerous. Unfortunately, the track keeps jumping between its heavier sections and the synthetic pop elements instead of completely committing to that contrast.

That inconsistency is really the central problem with METALICIOUS. I don't think Scene Queen needs to abandon bimbocore, and I don't think the exaggerated sexuality or humor is the problem. Those things are fundamental to what makes the project recognizable. The problem is that the songwriting doesn't always give the personality enough substance to sit on top of. On the strongest tracks, the humor is part of a bigger musical idea. On the weaker ones, the joke can feel like the entire song.

The production makes that even more noticeable. The guitars are often surprisingly thin for a release that is supposed to live somewhere around metalcore, the drums don't always have enough impact, and the processed vocals can sound almost more prominent than the instrumental. That is especially frustrating because Collins is becoming a more versatile vocalist. Whenever she moves into harsher screams, lower vocals, or a more natural singing style, the songs immediately feel more interesting. The megaphone effect is useful as a signature, but it loses some of its power when it becomes the default.

The electronic side of Scene Queen's music is another area where I think there is much more potential than this EP fully explores. The softer synth work in “Shopaholic” is one of the better examples because it creates a real atmosphere instead of simply decorating the metal. There could have been more moments like that, where the electronic production establishes a mood and the guitars eventually interrupt it. That would make the heavier sections feel more dramatic rather than simply giving the listener another version of the same formula.

Ultimately, I don't think METALICIOUS is a failed concept. The concept is still one of Scene Queen's most interesting qualities. What I'm missing is the musical payoff. Collins has the personality to carry a completely ridiculous metal record, but the songs need enough hooks, riffs, dynamics, and energy to make that personality feel earned. “Pink Flip Phone,” “Manicure,” and “T!ts Out At Brunch” establish the playful side, while “Tracksuit” and “METALICIOUS” show that the heavier version of Scene Queen can actually work. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” gives the record some pop-punk energy, and “Shopaholic” suggests there is room for a more atmospheric direction.

The result is a release that leaves me more curious about where Scene Queen goes next than completely satisfied with where she went here. There are enough good ideas to show that Collins hasn't run out of ways to play with her sound, but she needs to become more selective about which ideas deserve to become full songs. The humor doesn't need to disappear, the pink aesthetic doesn't need to change, and the bimbocore identity certainly doesn't need to be toned down. The music simply needs to hit with the same confidence as the personality behind it.

METALICIOUS has the attitude, the visual identity, and flashes of genuinely nasty vocals, but too many of the songs feel like they stop at the point where they should be taking off. The strongest moments suggest a much more complete version of this project is possible, particularly when the pop and extreme-metal sides are allowed to actually clash instead of taking turns. Scene Queen remains an interesting artist because she is willing to be ridiculous where a lot of heavy musicians are afraid to have any fun at all. I just wish the songs underneath the ridiculousness were as strong as the character delivering them.