Features

Twenty-five years in, and A Wilhelm Scream are still running circles around bands half their age. The Massachusetts melodic hardcore heavyweights return with Cheap Heat, a lean, ten-track energy blast of an album that burns through its run time in under 30 minutes without wasting a single second. Fresh off a continent-hopping sprint through the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan, the band continues to prove why they remain unmatched when it comes to balancing lightning-fast technical precision with anthemic, singalong hooks.

We caught up with guitarist Ben Murray to talk about the tightrope between shredding and songwriting, channeling wrestling personas on stage, and the art of leaving fans gasping for air and hitting replay

PRT: Cheap Heat is your sixth album. Looking back at your evolution as a band, where do you feel this record pushes things further or differently than before?

Ben: I feel like Cheap Heat pushes the technicality pretty hard while still focusing on the hooks and melodies as the main priority.  The band has always done both of those things for the most part, but the balance on this record seems very organic, and we’re stoked to were able to write ten songs that kick you in the ass, while getting stuck in your head.  Parts of the record are more sinister than ever, and there are moments on the record that are incredibly melodic, it’s got a bit of everything for our fans. 

"It’s a game of centimeters... a bit too much shred can feel pandering, just like a bit too much simplicity can seem not interesting enough."

PRT: You’ve always balanced technicality, aggression, and melody in a way that feels effortless. Can that be a bit of a tightrope to walk on in terms of keeping that balance?

Ben: Totally, it’s a game of centimeters because for example a bit too much shred on any given section of a song can feel pandering or pointless, just like a bit too much simplicity on a certain verse or chorus or riff can seem not interesting enough, or like tired/treaded territory within the general sound of fast punk music.   We really try to make sure no one song is like another, and that they all have their own identities/personalities.  We’re always trying to push things and progress in our own way, whether it’s the riffs, song structures, and vocal arrangements

PRT: In the span of a month, you toured the US, Australia, and Japan. How do you keep up when your schedule is such a whirlwind?

Ben: We have the time of our lives out on the road and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do what we do after all these years.  It can get grueling and exhausting, but we never ever get up on stage without smiles on our faces, because we truly enjoy being up there, playing our songs, interacting with the crowd and our fans, and feeling that energy and love. 

PRT: At this point, you’re 25 years in as a band. What is it that keeps fueling your fire?

Ben: There’s no better job in the world, and we still thoroughly love writing and performing this kind of music.  It’s a catharsis unlike anything else, and we enjoy each other’s company.  All of that makes it easy to keep going.

PRT: Since the title Cheap Heat comes from wrestling, a couple of wrestling-themed questions. Wrestling thrives on personas. There’s always a hero, a villain or an underdog. Do you ever feel like being in a band involves stepping into a kind of character on stage?

Ben: There’s always some sense of escapism on stage, after so many years playing these shows in a heightened energy and adrenaline fueled environment, you definitely start to channel whatever feelings you have that day or that week, they end up coming out no matter what, but on stage is the healthiest way to get those feelings out, even if you’re lost in your head somewhere as an altered version of yourself, as your own villain or superhero, it always feels therapeutic in some way.  

"We wanted to trim all the fat, not give people much room to breathe, and leave the listener wanting to replay the record immediately."

PRT: A lot of great wrestling matches are about pacing, knowing when to go all-out and when to pull back. Do you approach songwriting or setlists in a similar way?

Ben: Absolutely.  We approached Cheap Heat with that heavily in mind.  We wanted to keep it short, trim all the fat essentially, and really just not give people much room to breath, but in a good way, haha.  We didn’t want it to overstay its welcome and wanted to leave the listener wanting to replay the record immediately, vs. being exhausted by an album that’s too long.  In terms of the tracklisting, we were super deliberate about the ‘journey’ of the listener, and wanted to make the experience as fun, exciting, and unpredictable as possible, while maintaining a high energy the whole time. For our live show, Brian writes all our setlists and puts a lot of thought into them in terms of the energy/momentum throughout the show. There are so many things to consider when writing a set, especially 6 albums in, it’s crucial to pay attention to what contributes to the best possible show for us. 

PRT: You burn through ten tracks in under 30 minutes. Do you tend to naturally write short songs or is there a process of whittling things down?

Ben: With any song, there are always a million choices you can make  You can always repeat a part one more time, or add more bars to a riff or arrangement, but within fast punk music, I believe it’s a genre that lends itself better to shorter songs, even if the arrangements are super interesting and complex.  The tempos are so fast and parts go by so quickly, that songs would really start to sound excessive or exhausting if they were over 4 or 5 minutes long for example.   I think our music just works the best when it leaves you wanting more and doesn’t belabor any certain idea into the listener’s head for too long.  In my opinion, being tasteful with your choices can create a quality that makes you want to keep revisiting, versus being instantly fatigued by track lengths and repetition.

PRT: What’s up next for A Wilhelm Scream?

Ben: We’re continuing to tour the world all this year in support of Cheap Heat, with Canada in September, South America in November and much more!  We’ll be hitting the road hard, so we’ll see you out there!