Customer Reviews

Career Suicide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Wilhelm Scream writes arguably the most complex songs, musically and lyrically, of any punk band. On "Career Suicide," their 3rd CD since changing their name from Smackin' Isaiah, the song "The Horse" alone has more than a dozen distinct parts, and features a metaphor extended to lengths one rarely sees outside of a literary journal.

But that doesn't mean they sacrifice melody or memorable lyrics. Just when you think they're about to fall off the cliff of musical cohesion, they'll break out a thundering four-chord progression and fire off lines that capture a feeling in an unforgettable way.

For returning fans, "These Mean Streets" and "Die While Were Young" are perhaps the most straightforward rock songs the band has ever recorded. "The Horse" (which features some of the best bass playing you'll hear anywhere), "Get Mad..." and "We Built This City! (On Debts and Booze)" are classic AWS tour de forces. And "5 to 9" and "Jaws 3, People 0" are two of their most experimental songs, featuring trademark unusual melodies and frequent time-signature shifts.

For those not familiar with A Wilhelm Scream, listening to them at first may be a bit jarring. If it's not two dischordant sections juxtaposed that surprise, it may be lines such as "Still I spill out razors from my bitter eyes."

But unlike few bands who play at their volume, A Wilhelm Scream holds up to multiple listenings. Thanks to quality prodution from the Blasting Room, this CD has more power in the guitars than their previous ones, which provides additional oomph to the art.

This CD is not for everyone. But if you're looking for something with maximum depth that maintains the power and attitude of punk rock, "Career Suicide" may be the best CD you purchase this year.

This album is rip roaring fast!! That's the best way to describe it! This band is clearly improving with each new album, yet they have stuck to their familiar sound, which is great! Their new bassist is killer! The recording quality is top notch, there are a few dual bass and guitar solo's where you can hear each instrument equally clear at the same time!

This is clearly one of the best albums of the year, maybe number one!

where to start , relentless brutal attack of the senses no ifs or butts the best punk release for a long time amazing drumming unbelievable guitar work and mind blowing bass topped off with the best vocal attack since the likes of death by stereo truly inspiring from start to finish i've played in and listened to punk bands for 20 odd years and this make no mistake about it is the new benchmark set for other artists also seen them live last night and without a doubt the best live gig i have ever seen and thats a big call as i've seen so many has now been in my car stereo for months still not sick of it punk rock done right

wow, i don't even know where to start.

this is one of the four of five best albums of the last decade. incredibly aggressive and technical, but also surprisingly catchy. lyrics are a little juvenile at times, but the whole Horse vs. Jockey (IE the horse does all the hard work and the jockey takes all the credit) theme portrayed throughout the album is brilliant.

this does not have as much "heart" as Mute Print and is not quite as menacing as Ruiner, but the hooks, riffs, breakdowns and ridiculous speed put it well ahead of the other two albums. i guess if i had to describe it, i would say "extremely technical melodic-hardcore."

i listen to this constantly and have at one time or another loved every song on it. best songs are "We Built This City," "Career Suicide," "Die While Were Young" and "Get Mad You Son of a Bitch!"

Like all the other AWS releases, this record is amazing. It will not let any AWS fan down. The Horse will change you're life, along with Die While We're young, Career Suicide, and We built this City on Debts and Booze. Go Buy this record now or forever be an idiot.

Career Suicide? Anything but. You like your punk rock fast and loud? Well, this album was written with you in mind! A Wilhelm Scream blaze through one song after another here, and by the time the 13th and final track comes to an end, the listener will have been pummeled, pounded, and brutalized by the 35 minute assault. Melding the SoCal punk of bands such as Pennywise and Strung Out with a bit of H20 and layering in a good deal of technical guitar work (see "These Dead Streets"), these guys have created a great sound that - while owing a lot to their influences - isn't purely derivative: it stands strongly on its own, to say the least. And the best part of Career Suicide? It's powerful enough to appeal to the hardest of gruff punk fans yet melodic and accessible enough to grab the attention of those who demand that their music be of the foot tapping, sing-along variety (see "Check Request Denied"). In fact, I can almost hear this running right alongside Paramore and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus on the radio. Really. A Wilhelm Scream have got something good here: let's hope the powers that be see to it that their success continues. In fact, you should help: go buy this album immediately. You won't be sorry!

i still have a whole lot of trouble understanding who this band's fanbase is and on what basis this boring conventional not-quite-punk not-quite-emo music that doesn't seem to be attempting to be either catchy or aggressive appeals to them. they seem to be being marketed as "punk" but i can't see any Casualties fans being impressed by this.