A few names come to mind when you hear the term technical punk: Strung Out, Bigwig, and Propagandhi. These bands started off as scrappy punk rockers whose talents progressed as their members became more and more skilled at their craft. A Wilhelm Scream fit perfectly in this category. Formerly known as the band Smackin' Isaiah, A Wilhelm Scream changed their name in 2003 to reflect a definite change and progression in their sound.
Mute Print, the band's first release in 2004 on Nitro Records, was a maelstrom of incredibly catchy melodies, assassin-like guitar work, and an awful lot of aggression. Ruiner completely destroys the foundation set by Mute Print and builds it anew, stronger than ever.
The album kicks off with a quiet intro before going full speed ahead into 'The King is Dead,' a song featuring a bridge with guitar work that would make Buckethead's well, head, spin. 'The King is Dead,' along with the rest of the album, brings a semi-dark and lonely tone upon itself as the album is peppered with lines like 'I traded my life for art and the guilt is weighing down my arms.'
The intensity of the album is turned up a notch, as the band blazes through song after song, without being forgettable. Every song is catchy in one way or another, whether it is a hook, or a well executed drum fill. Ruiner does manage to take a breather in the form of 'In Vino Veritas II'. The song takes the album's tempo down a bit, laying off the tapping guitars and the pounding drums and puts it on cruise control for two minutes and twenty-five seconds. While not a bad song by any means, if I was forced, with a gun at my head to choose a song I didn't completely enjoy, it would be this one.
As previously mentioned, A Wilhelm Scream could easily fit in with bands such as Strung Out, who they've previously toured with. All too often the band is compared to these Fat Wreck Chords veterans. Write-ups and reviews have often labeled them as trying to do what Strung Out does, and failing. Any listener with a keen ear could strongly disagree with this point. While a band like Strung Out corners a heavier sound, A Wilhelm Scream succeeds with flying colors at blending melody and aggression, without overdoing the solos.
A Wilhelm Scream can say that they've beaten the curse of the sophomore slump. They have had expectations set upon them, and have torn them all down, and set a new bar, even higher than before. Patriarchs of technical punk rock, watch your backs. A Wilhelm Scream is clawing their way to the top, and they plan to take your throne from you, whether you like it or not.
