Music

A Wilhelm Scream discuss New Album, Mike Tyson's Punch Out and Rhianna

by Barry Taylor

As

we’re walking outside to do the interview, Nicholas Angelini is approached by an enthusiastic fan who proceeds to awkwardly gush over the drummer. The exchange ends with said fan shouting “A WHILHELM SCREAM!” while pretending to jerk off.  Angelini politely smiles and backs away.

A Wilhelm Scream have established a large, loyal, masturbating fanbase across Canada. The melodic hardcore band recently signed to Paper and Plastik which is run by Vinnie Fiorelleo of Less Than Jake. Having released a self-titled EP, the New Bedford natives are now working on their first full length with the label.

During a recent Toronto show Angelini took time to discuss the status of the new album and, maybe more importantly, the greatness of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out.

You guys are touring with Comeback Kid. You seem enjoy hanging out with Canadian bands…

Yeah we tend to get along with everyone we tour with. [Comeback Kid] have the same sort of outlook we do. We all like to party and we’ll all end up having a few too many drinks and bonding.

You’re buddies with the Flatliners too. Did that relationship start on a tour as well?

Yeah, I think originally some booking agent just put us together or whatever. We ended up playing a few shows together and then the next thing you know it was like we knew each other for years.

How’s the new album coming along?

Pretty good. We’ve got about nine songs, some are more complete than others. We’re doing it a little different this time. We’re each recording our own parts and then giving them to one another to work on rather than having someone playing the same thing over and over again.

We’ll do stuff on our own for a little while, then come back and show each other our own ideas. We all discuss it and then see where we should take it. It’s a lot less stressful for me as a drummer anyway. I can go and work on parts alone rather than having to torcher everybody else with it.

What can fans expect from the sound?

It’s changing a little bit, we still have the same fast, technical stuff but there’s some other mid-tempo songs. It has the same general vibe as the older stuff but there will be a few surprises, a few things that you probably wouldn’t expect from us. We try to throw a curve ball every once in a while.

This will be your second release with Paper and Plastik. What are the advantages and what appeals to you about working with a label run by an artist?

It’s pretty cool because [Vinnie Fiorello] is down to do crazy packaging. He’ll do weird die-cuts on the inserts and stuff. He really wants the album to be a piece of art and something to enjoy. Nowadays everyone just downloads music off the internet but he likes to create a whole package. It’s pretty neat.

Do you guys have a timetable for the release?

We’ve kind of got a loose time table. I think we’re going to try and release it in November. We want to make sure it’s really good before we do anything. We keep getting shows, these little tours keep popping up. Most likely November though.

Defining Greatness with Nicolas Angelini

What’s the Greatest Book of All Time?

I don’t know if it’s the greatest but the one that just popped into my head is the Rum Diaries by Hunter S Thompson. I’m also a big Chuck Palahniuk fan.

What’s the Greatest Movie of All Time?

Fight Club.

What’s the Greatest Non-Alcoholic Beverage?

The Arnold Palmer

What’s the Greatest Video Game of All Time?

That’s tough. I’ll have to go with Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. I never beat Mike Tyson, he always kicked my ass. I’d get too nervous. There’s a sequel to that game that came out on Super Nintendo. I started playing that one on a friends system but never got really into it. I gotta find a Super Nintendo on EBay and get that game.

Musical Guilty Pleasure….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRxrdbOTFhI