A Wilhelm Scream - The Champagne of Bands (Cover Artwork)

A Wilhelm Scream

The Champagne of Bands (2002)

Fork In Hand


A Wilhelm Scream is one of those underrated gems of a band that soon will see the limelight. However, just in case you think this band started making great tunes, think again. Under their former name of Smackin' Isaiah their EP, The Champagne of Bands, have enough passion, dynamite, and flair to blow you to kingdom come.

Picture it if you will… Hot Water Music having sex with Bigwig on a front porch. That pretty much sums it up for their sound: loud, scruffy and infectious. Nuno, the lead vocalist, can sing from pop punk to hardcore screams in a millisecond. "Friendly In The Shit" opens with what can be a mix of genres and a great introduction of what this band can do. "Temper, Temper" is when things really pick up when the band plays aggressively (like Propagandhi) in 2:18. "Clear As Mud" comes back to the first song of the EP as being loose with lots of metal like riffs and group singalongs. "Hell and High Water" may be one of my favorites on this EP with Nuno just delivering the goods with Trevor (guitarist, songwriter) backing him up. Last song "Desperately Seeking Booze", is a song on what the guys do on a Friday Night.

If I can sum this EP up it would be the word "fun". Just plain fun is what these guys have set on their minds, and I don't blame them. Stuff like this proves to me that music can still be fun.