Scream

Scream
Scream - at the Emma, Amsterdam, 1986
Background information
Origin	Alexandria, Virginia
Genres	Hardcore punk (early) Post-hardcore (later)
Years active	1981-1990
Labels	Dischord Records Jungle Hop Records Konkurrel Records RAS Records DSI Records Your Choice Records Torque Records
Associated acts	Foo Fighters Nirvana Wool Probot Queens of the Stone Age Goatsnake Earthlings? Them Crooked Vultures
Former members
Peter Stahl Franz Stahl Skeeter Thompson Kent Stax Robert Lee Davidson Dave Grohl

Scream was a hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1981 to 1990.

Biography

Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism. Their music is faithful to the roots of rock, but spun itself into other genres by employing sounds that predate the raunchiness of grunge, while saluting reggae and speed metal. Scream hated the classification of bands into certain types and considered what they played as simply 'music.' Recording their music in the basement of the now legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA, Scream became the first band on the Dischord label to release a whole album, Still Screaming, as opposed to singles or 12 inch EPs. Like the hardcore band Bad Brains, they could play clearly at breakneck speed, but also played mid-tempo songs like "American Justice" and "Hygiene," which were metal-tinged reggae.

For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, (a veteran of the local heavy metal band Tyrant, who later became know as Saint Vitus), to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances. In turn this eventually led to a powerful dual-lead guitar style, with complex guitar tracking, a more powerful live sound and an over-all crunchier sound for their third album. For a few compilation efforts and some live shows they added a keyboard player, Bobby Madden, who was a colleague of Davidson's from the same metal scene.

After the 3rd album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship. The band then toured Europe; with their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10. Scream then recorded their 5th and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and gave rock a major-label shot with the band Wool, while Grohl joined Nirvana and helped make Grunge the sound of the '90s. In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl worked as a road manager for both the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, while continuing to record albums with several bands, including the Earthings? and Goatsnake. Skeeter Thompson remained in the DC area and continued to work in bands, as did Kent Stax with the Skinhead/Oi! -tinged bands: the Suspects, United 121, Spitfires United, and Alleged Bricks. Stax has also committed himself to a family life. Davidson continued in the band Angelstorm, (in Huntsville, Alabama), from 1993-1995 and created the new bands Orangahead, Festival of Fools, (with Madden in 1998) and two different bands both named God Is Dead, (one in D.C. and one in Huntsville, AL) from 2002-2005.

Discography

Albums and EPs

• 1983 - Still Screaming LP (Dischord Records, 20 songs, recorded October 1982)
• 1985 - This Side Up LP (Rough Trade/Dischord Records, 10 songs, recorded March & July 1984)
• 1986 - Walking By Myself/Choke Word7" (Jungle Hop Records)
• 1987 - Banging the Drum LP (Dischord Records, 11 songs, recorded 1985-1986)
• 1988 - Live at Van Hall LP (Konkurrel Records, recorded live March 28, 1988 in Amsterdam)
• 1988 - No More Censorship LP (RAS Records)
• 1990 - Mardi Gras/Land Torn Down 7" (DSI Records)
• 1990 - Your Choice Live Series Vol.10 LP (Your Choice Records, recorded live May 4, 1990.)
• 1993 - Fumble LP (Dischord Records, 10 songs, recorded December 1989, mixed December 1992)
• 1998 - Live at the Black Cat CD (Torque Records, recorded live December 26, 1996 in Washington, D.C.)

Compilation albums

• 1984 - Bouncing Babies LP

Fountain of Youth Records "Ultra Violence/Screaming"

• 1984 - Flipside Vinyl Fanzine LP

Gasatanka/Enigma Records "Fight"

• 1986 - Another Shot For Bracken LP

Positive Force Records "Green Eyed Lady"

• 1986 - F.R. 5 LP

Fetal Records "Solidarity"

• 1987 - Viva Umkhonto! LP

Mordam/Konkurrel Records "Feel Like That"

• 1989 - State of the Union LP

16 song benefit sampler recorded 1985 - 1989 Remastered for CD, April 2002

• 1991 - It's Your Choice CD - Your Choice Records

16 song benefit sampler containing songs that where left off the first wave (YCLS 1-12) of the Your Choice Live Series.

• 2003 - 20 Years of Dischord CD

73 song boxed set (3 CDs & 134 page book) 1 song from every Dischord Artist 1980-2000 & 23 unreleased and rare songs compiled 2000-2002