By By Tim Lee

On their fourth full-length album, Ruiner, A Wilhelm Scream has created a punk rock masterpiece that employs diverse sonic techniques alongside a “play fast or die” ethic.

Mixing a blend of metal and punk rock, A Wilhelm Scream’s songwriting style relies on what their main songwriter and guitarist, Trevor Reilly, calls a “More is more” theory. The intervals between songs on Ruiner have all sorts of layered sounds only audible with headphones. In addition, A Wilhelm Scream crams more energy into a two-minute song than most bands can achieve on a whole record.

While many punk bands tend to soften their sound with age, A Wilhelm Scream has done just the opposite, writing their fastest and hardest record yet. The aural assault begins with “The King Is Dead,” a manic three minute track that sends the listener careening through guitar riffs and tempo switches at break neck speed. From the first chord of Ruiner to the last, the stage is set for a musical and lyrical roller coaster that only slows down for one song, “In Vino Veritas.” A mid-tempo and lyrically sparse departure from A Wilhelm Scream’s normal style, “In Vino Veritas” is one of the pleasant sonic surprises of the album. After this track, Ruiner picks up intensity once again with the startlingly angry “Me Vs. Morrissey…” and hits a lyrical highnote with “When I Was Alive: Walden III” which contains literary allusions to Henry David Thoreau.

Ruiner is without a doubt the most mature record A Wilhelm Scream has written, both musically and lyrically. Reilly’s lyrics have grown up from those of an angry teenager to a vitriolic adult. Nowhere is this more evident than on Ruiner’s last song “Cancer Dream,” where Reilly boldly proclaims, “Nobody needs nobody / after all.” With the release of Ruiner, A Wilhelm Scream has re-confirmed they are the best punk rock band around.