A WILHELM SCREAM – Career Suicide (Nitro)
Original release date: October 9th, 2007
A Wilhelm Scream are frequently compared to Strung Out, as both play highly technical, metal-influenced hardcore punk, but it’s a superficial resemblance – A Wilhelm Scream are in a class of their own, and their third full-length on Nitro Records proves it, showcasing yet another step up in the US quintet’s already incredibly tight musicianship.
The band promised that this album would be extremely fast, and the minute-long breakneck opener I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz leaves no reason to doubt them. There’s barely any letting up for the remainder of the record – the bass and drums intro of Die While We’re Young promises a respite but it’s only seconds before the frenzied guitars kick in. While the prog-influenced The Horse and closer We Built This City! (On Debts And Booze) hover around five minutes and Get Mad, You Son Of A Bitch! is nearly as long, accordingly allowing room for the pace to drop from light speed to just fast, the other ten songs come in one- and two-minute bursts of white hot ferocity.
The band dazzles as guitarists Chris Levesque (who left the band shortly after recording) and Trevor Reilly trade solos and razor sharp riffs, vocalist Nuno Pereira sings and screams catchy vocal lines (with harmonies from Reilly), new bassist Brian Robinson provides jaw-dropping licks (check out his solo on Jaws 3, People 0) and drummer Nicholas Angelini shows his stamina by driving the blistering tempos.
The complex interplay of 5 To 9 (the first song released from the album) is indicative of the record, but despite the intensity there is also enough variation to differentiate the songs, from the vocal harmonies of Cold Slither II to the melodic chorus and tempo changes of These Dead End Streets or the musical dexterity of standout The Horse.
Career Suicide? Career highlight, more likely.
Owen Heitmann