Ruiner

A Wilhelm Scream is a melodic hardcore group known for its high-energy live shows and technical prowess. Emerging in 2000, the Massachusetts band has been at the forefront of the punk and hardcore scene for over two decades, issuing a string of rewarding efforts like Mute Print (2004), Career Suicide (2007), Partycrasher (2013), and Lose Your Delusion (2022), that frequently buck the genre's trends while adhering to its ferocious spirit.

Formed in New Bedford in the mid-'90s under the moniker Smackin' Isaiah, the group released The Way to a Girl's Heart Is Through Her Boyfriend's Stomach on All About Records in 2001 and The Champagne of Bands EP on Fork in Hand in 2002. A flurry of lineup changes and a more focused sound prompted the band to change its name. Settling on a lineup comprised of guitarist/vocalist Trevor Reilly, vocalist Nuno Pereira, bassist/vocalist Jonathan Teves, drummer Nicholas Pasquale Angelini, and guitarist Chris Levesque, the newly minted A Wilhelm Scream inked a deal with Jump Start Records and reissued The Benefits of Thinking Out Loud, which was initially recorded and released through Tank Records in 2001 under the old name. 2004 saw the release of Mute Print, which marked the group's first outing for Nitro Records. Staying with Nitro, they issued the Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore-produced Ruiner in 2005, followed by a U.S. tour with the Lawrence Arms and a two-week appearance on that year's Warped Tour. Longtime guitarist Chris Levesque left the fold shortly after releasing 2007's hard-hitting Career Suicide and was replaced by Mike Supina.

Two years later, the band signed with Paper + Plastick and released a five-song eponymous EP, followed by heavy bouts of touring both at home and in South America. In 2013, A Wilhelm Scream released their most muscular effort to date, the heavy metal-leaning Partycrasher, which arrived on No Idea Records. Supina left the group in 2018, making room for new lead guitarist Jason Milbank, formerly of Senses Fail. They signed with Creator Destructor Records and began work on a new album three years later. The resulting Lose Your Delusion, recorded and produced by the band in their home studio, was released in 2022. ~ James Christopher Monger