The Scream
Let It Scream

The Scream... and who are they? Good question, in fact, they are a very little-known group... yet their history is closely linked to that of various other bands, some less known (Badlands, Racer X, Shark Island), others very famous (Mötley Crüe, Mr. Big), and still others that have made the history of a genre (Judas Priest).

To put some order, The Scream was a formation with a very short life, born in Los Angeles in 1989 (under the name Saints or Sinners) in the wake of the dissolution of Racer X due to Paul Gilbert's departure to join Mr. Big. While singer Jeff Martin decided to return to his old love for drums, taking the vacant seat in Badlands, the other three members (known as Bruce Bouillet: guitar, John Alderete: bass, and Scott Travis: drums) decided to continue, changing the name and recruiting an at the time little-known John Corabi as the vocalist. A complete lineup, therefore, and on to the songwriting for the debut album... but right in the middle of these sessions, Travis received the classic offer that can't be refused: to replace Dave Holland on the drums for Judas Priest, an offer obviously accepted without a second thought, leaving his ex-bandmates in search of a replacement, found shortly after in Walt Woodward III (ex-Shark Island, so they were fine too...). A lineup that seemed finally stabilized and sealed also by a change in the moniker, becoming a more incisive "The Scream."

The time and events that accompanied the gestation of this album were tough and complicated, but the final result greatly rewards the efforts of the four and especially those who find themselves listening to it: categorized in the "hair-sleaze metal" cauldron, "Let It Scream" actually has much more to offer, proving to be an excellent hard rock work tinged with blues, often and willingly having as a reference Aerosmith or T. Rex or the more streetwise sleaze of the early Guns n' Roses. Thus, if the opener "Outlaw" gives the right boost with its engaging groove, the following "I Believe in Me" would not have looked out of place in either "Permanent Vacation" or "Pump" by the Boston quintet, and equally the energetic rock'n'roll of "Love's Got a Hold on Me" brings to mind the charge of T. Rex during the "Electric Warrior" period. Dominated by the skill and proficiency of the four, the tracks range from the solid blues base of "Man in the Moon" to the captivating funk of "Tell Me Why", from the most abrasive sleaze of "Every Inch a Woman" to the country of "Never Loved Her Anyway", where Corabi's slide guitar gives the piece a strong western saloon vibe, culminating in the wild ride of the concluding "Catch Me if You Can." Also present are the inevitable ballads: "You're All I Need" beautiful but somewhat predictable from the title alone, and the melancholic "Father, Mother, Son", a little gem of emotional intensity, with an almost moving John Corabi.

Another band that garnered much less than it deserved, despite the undeniable quality of the offering and the abilities of each member; in particular, Bouillet turns out to be an excellent guitarist both in riffing and soloing; Alderete once again shows himself to be a bassist par excellence, always present and vibrant in accompaniment (well supported by Woodward, a precise and never trite drummer), indulging in commendable slap work in "Tell Me Why"; Corabi, finally, gives the tracks the right flavor thanks to his rough and gritty voice. Also noteworthy is the contribution provided by Bill Bergman, featuring a couple of sax solos in "I Believe in Me" and "Tell Me Why", and by Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, joined by other guest backing vocals (Jeff Martin and Ray Gillen, in addition to the female voices on "Love's Got a Hold on Me").

Despite all this, the work did not achieve great success: releasing it in a not-so-happy period for classic hard and heavy music (we’re in 1991) was perhaps decisive, combined with one of those trains that pass only once in a lifetime, that is, the offer to John Corabi to replace Vince Neil on the microphone for Mötley Crüe... another offer that can’t be refused, essentially. The band then recruits Bill Fogarty with whom they record the second album "Takin' It to the Next Level", a work much more funk but soiled by some overly modern contamination, but by then the label had already decided to drop them, and the work will never officially see the light, marking the final epitaph on a very valid band unfortunately unjustly forgotten.

P.S.: on the official site in the "COOL STUFF" section, it is possible to download both works for free, along with other little gems like a live performance from 1990 and "Co-Burn", the only album by DC-10, which is a new incarnation of The Scream; a very short-lived life here too, needless to say...