A Wilhelm Scream

Mute Print (Nitro)
by Ewan Wadharmi

According to Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, the Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect repeated in hundreds of movies since the ’50s. It’s been assigned to bullet-ridden Indians, arrow-pierced cowboys, failed alien hunters, and small squashed animals. Taking their name from this cinematic in-joke, A Wilhelm Scream clip together genres with a similar lack of continuity. Fast-paced hard rock is dubbed with laboriously stretched vocal measures with faux Van Halen guitar riffs. O.C. harmonies track meandering non-committal emo tunes. Sporadic death metal chugging and hardcore double bass add some flavor to songs which are otherwise painted with the same brush. Lightly buzzing guitar maintains the same tone throughout. When the vocals separate and pump staccato jabs into the fabric, it’s a great bronchitis bombast of acidic lyrics. Nuno Pereira allows us into the private matters of his state of mind in vague and explicit detail. In his therapy, it doesn’t take the three hurling references to understand that there is a purging going on here. The passion and intelligent open-diary style are commendable. The harmonies wear thin, and you’re left with Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin fronting Extreme (insert pre-recorded scream).

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