It was released on November 8, 2005 and features music recorded between May 2004 and May 2005 during the tours in support of De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute.

Only three of the band's songs are represented on Scabdates, which mainly comprises expansions on musical themes which appear elsewhere in their work, or entirely new segments altogether, such as the lengthy exposition on "Cicatriz"; which, when combined with its introduction "Haruspex", accounts for over 48 minutes of the album.

Some critics were not impressed with the band's jam sessions, with IGN describing the album as "sonic meandering which some regard as genius and others find to be a futile exercise in pretentious instrumental masturbation.

[3] Some reviews were positive: Under the Radar gave it a score of seven stars out of ten and called it "One of those rare live offerings: a document that actually complements the band's catalog.

[3] Other reviews were pretty average, mixed or negative: The Austin Chronicle gave it three stars out of five and said: "Seventy-three crack-in-the-earth's-crust minutes liquefy into the same basic miasma as the sophomore LP that inspired them, yet more streamlined, less apt to wander into the ambient dead zones like 'Caviglia,' a problematic disconnection of the disc's overall forward thrust.

"[14] Uncut also gave it three stars and said, "Your appreciation of Scab Dates will be predicated on a high tolerance to long bongo solos and songs called things like 'Abrasions Mount The Timpani'.

"[3] Prefix Magazine gave it an average review and said the album "does an adequate job of capturing what is best experienced in the flesh.