Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism. Their music is faithful to the roots of rock, but spun itself into other genres by employing sounds that predate the raunchiness of grunge, while saluting reggae and speed metal. Scream hated the classification of bands into certain types and considered what they played as simply 'music.' Recording their music in the basement of the now legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia, Scream became the first band on the Dischord label to release a whole album, Still Screaming, as opposed to singles or 12 inch EPs. Like the hardcore band Bad Brains, they could play clearly at breakneck speed, but also played mid-tempo songs like "American Justice" and "Hygiene," which were metal-tinged reggae.
For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances. In turn this eventually led to a powerful dual-lead guitar style, with complex guitar tracking, a more powerful live sound and an over-all crunchier sound for their third album. For a few compilation efforts and some live shows they added a keyboard player, Bobby Madden, who was a colleague of Davidson's from the same metal scene.
After the third album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship. The band then toured Europe; with their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10. Scream then recorded their fifth and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and started rock band Wool, while Grohl joined Grunge band Nirvana. In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl worked as a road manager for both the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, while continuing to record albums with several bands, including the Earthlings? and Goatsnake. Skeeter Thompson remained in the D.C. area and continued to work in bands, as did Kent Stax with the Skinhead/Oi! -tinged bands: the Suspects, United 121, Spitfires United, and Alleged Bricks. Stax has also committed himself to a family life. Davidson continued in the band Angelstorm, (in Huntsville, Alabama), from 1993–1995 and created the new bands Orangahead, Festival of Fools, (with Madden in 1998) and two different bands both named God Is Dead, (one in D.C. and one in Huntsville, Alabama) from 2002-2005.
The original line-up of the band played a reunion show on December 20, 2009 at the Black Cat nightclub in Washington, D.C.
On February 7, 2011, the band supported Foo Fighters on a special show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, when the Foo Fighters showcased their new album Wasting Light for the first time from beginning to end.
Current members
Peter Stahl – lead vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Franz Stahl – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Skeeter Thompson – bass, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Kent Stax – drums, percussion (1981–1986, 2009–present)
Former members
Dave Grohl – drums, percussion (1986–1990)
Robert Lee Davidson – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1989)
Came Without A Warning
Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one just knew
Except the ones who were doing it to you
Looked all around
It came without a sound
Was no reason, no time
No warning, not a sign
It came from beyond
When they dropped the bomb
You were watching the Brady Bunch
While your brain was out to lunch
Fast food fed on Captain Krunch
Drowned in atomic punch
Gone in an eternal munch
You didn't even have a hunch
It came without a warning [x4]
Came without a warning [x3]
Came without a warning [x3]
That's why we warned you!
In Scream's song "Came Without a Warning," the lyrics speak to the suddenness and unexpectedness of a catastrophic event. "It came without a warning, no one just knew except the ones who were doing it to you," suggests that the event in question was planned and executed by a select few, leaving the majority unaware and unprepared. The lyrics go on to describe the aftermath of the event, highlighting its suddenness by stating that "was no reason, no time, no warning, not a sign."
The song then goes on to speak to the origins of the event, which "came from beyond" when "they dropped the bomb." The lyrics suggest that those affected were simply going about their daily lives, oblivious to the danger that was lurking just outside their knowledge. The mention of being "watching the Brady Bunch while [their] brain was out to lunch" speaks to the mundanity of their existence and the shock of being suddenly thrust into such a life-changing event.
Overall, the lyrics of "Came Without a Warning" are a reflection on the suddenness of catastrophic events and how they completely alter the course of our lives without warning.
Line by Line Meaning
It came without a warning
Something unexpected happened suddenly without any prior indication or hint.
No one just knew
No one was aware or had any knowledge about the unexpected event beforehand.
Except the ones who were doing it to you
The people responsible for causing the unexpected event were aware of it while others were unaware.
Looked all around
People searched for any signs or indications of the unexpected event after it had already occurred.
It came without a sound
The unexpected event occurred silently, without making any noise or alerting anyone.
Was no reason, no time
There was no explanation or justification for the unexpected event, and it occurred at an unpredictable time.
No warning, not a sign
There were no warnings or signals of the unexpected event beforehand.
It came from beyond
The cause of the unexpected event was external, beyond human control or influence.
When they dropped the bomb
The unexpected event in question was the dropping of an atomic bomb.
You were watching the Brady Bunch
The person experiencing the unexpected event was engaged in a mundane activity, completely unaware of the catastrophic event occurring outside.
While your brain was out to lunch
The person experiencing the unexpected event was not mentally alert, but instead, relatively relaxed or unfocused.
Fast food fed on Captain Krunch
The person experiencing the unexpected event had consumed unhealthy food, possibly leading to a lack of mental clarity and alertness.
Drowned in atomic punch
The person was overcome by the catastrophic effects of the atomic bomb.
Gone in an eternal munch
The person perished instantaneously, with no time to react or comprehend what had happened.
You didn't even have a hunch
The person experiencing the unexpected event had no intuitive sense or inkling of what was about to happen.
That's why we warned you!
The songwriter is emphasizing the importance of being prepared for unexpected events, possibly caused by external, unforeseeable factors.
Contributed by Kennedy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.