Ruiner (album)

Ruiner, released on August 16, 2005 through Nitro Records, is the second full-length album from the Massachusetts-based melodic hardcore band A Wilhelm Scream, since changing their name from Smackin' Isaiah in 2002. It received mostly very favourable reviews.

Ruiner
Studio album by
A Wilhelm Scream
ReleasedAugust 16, 2005
RecordedFebruary 2005 at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado
GenreMelodic hardcore, punk rock, math rock, melodic emocore[1]
Length36:08
LabelNitro Records
ProducerBill Stevenson, Jason Livermore
A Wilhelm Scream chronology
Mute Print
(2004)		 Ruiner
(2005)		 Diver
(2006)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Alternative Press(5/5)[3]
sputnikmusic(3.5/5)[4]

Information

Release

Ruiner has been released four times, three times on CD and once on coloured 12" vinyl. Two of the CD releases, the original and Japanese edition, as well as the 12" vinyl, were released through Nitro Records in the same year. The Australian tour edition was released through Shock Records a year later during A Wilhelm Scream's first Australia tour, supporting Less Than Jake, hence the name. Despite the tour starting on October 31, 2006 and the album being sold whilst on the tour, the official release date was November 11. The track listing for the Nitro Records releases are identical, whilst the Australian tour edition contains a Ruiner session b-side entitled "Bodies and Suitcases". This song is by fault listed as "Bodies as Suitcases" on the album's track listing.

Working titles

Whilst working on this album, there are known to have been two working titles in use. The first being the title of the album, which was Walden 3 and the other being for the song "The Kids Can Eat a Bag of Dicks" which was originally titled "Ruiner".

In Vino Veritas II

In an interview with Racket Magazine, whilst on the tour of which the Australian tour edition was released, now ex-guitarist Christopher Levesque confirmed that the other guitarist, Trevor Reilly, sings the song "In Vino Veritas II".[5] It was also revealed in the same interview that Bill Stevenson also participated with vocals and that Levesque did the piano parts in the song.[5]

The King is Dead

The "lemon" referenced in the opening line of "The King is Dead" ("The knife or the rope or the lemon, this brain and I") represents autoerotic asphyxiation.[6] It refers to the practice of masturbating with a noose around your neck, with a lemon slice in your mouth to wake you up when you pass out; a safety measure.

The song also features the first guitar solo to appear in a song by A Wilhelm Scream.

Music

A Wilhelm Scream sought to expand their sound on the album while being tighter and more focused than they were on their debut album Mute Print. As a result the average track length is significantly longer and the songs themselves are considerably more progressive, with many time signature and key changes throughout.

Ruiner is considered by fans to be the darkest album by A Wilhelm Scream of both musically and lyrically. Guitarist/vocalist Trevor Reilly states that this was because of significant infighting in the band at the time, conflict which ultimately led to the departure of bassist Jon Teves. Many of the album's songs cover interpersonal and introspective themes such as breakups, evaluating ones’ self worth, and mental illness.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Trevor Reilly, except where noted; all music is composed by A Wilhelm Scream.

No.TitleLength
1."The King is Dead"3:24
2."Killing It" (Nuno Pereira, Reilly)2:29
3."The Pool"2:30
4."The Soft Sell"2:30
5."God Loves a Liar"2:23
6."In Vino Veritas II"2:25
7."Me vs. Morrissey in the Pretentiousness Contest (The Ladder Match)"1:45
8."Congratulations"1:29
9."The Kids Can Eat a Bag of Dicks"3:44
10."When I Was Alive: Walden III"2:19
11."Mercy Day for Mr. Vengeance"2:56
12."Less Bright Eyes, More Deicide"2:15
13."Speed of Dark"3:04
14."Cancer Dream"3:01
Total length:36:08
Australian tour edition
No.TitleLength
15."Bodies as Suitcases"2:05
Total length:38:13

Personnel

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog # Ref.
United States August 16, 2005 Nitro Records CD (digipak) 15866 [7]
Japan September 7, 2005 XTCK-29 [8]
United States October 4, 2005 12" vinyl 15867 [9]
Australia October 9, 2006 Shock Records CD (digipak) CTX317CD [10]

Details

References
  1. Kraus, Brian (22 June 2014). "16 Modern Precursors Of Melodic Hardcore". Alternative Press. Retrieved 27 April 2015. We're not talking about the obvious keystones... but the entities who helped engineer manifestations of power and passion who fueled the [melodic hardcore] scene roughly between the years of 2005-2009.
  2. Luerssen, John. "Review: Ruiner". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  3. Heisel, Scott (2005-11-17). "Review: Ruiner". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  4. Hanson, John (2005-07-21). "Review: Ruiner". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  5. Curtis, Jeff (2008-03-15). "A Wilhelm Scream - Interview". Racket Magazine. Retrieved 2009-11-11. External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. "The King Is Dead Lyrics". SongMeanings. 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-11. External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. "Track listing for upcoming A Wilhelm Scream record". Punknews.org. 2005-06-17. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  8. "RUINER A Wilhelm Scream (CD)". CD Japan. Retrieved 2009-11-11. External link in |publisher= (help)
  9. "A Wilhelm Scream - Ruiner (Colored Vinyl)". Interpunk.com. Retrieved 2009-11-11. External link in |publisher= (help)
  10. "A WILHELM SCREAM Ruiner: Australian Tour Edition". Shock Records. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
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