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)
Influenced
Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It’s bad habits left at the door
Face to face, though ignored, that frighten me
Influenced to ignorance
You influenced to ignorance
Influence
Influence
You that accused
Of second thoughts just used
That impel me to pursue
The old ways that always stay
A thought occurred to me
From what I thought to be
I looked around and saw the sound
But like the dark it surrounded me
Unaware of the stare
That my mind held to see
Influenced to ignorance
Influenced to ignorance
The song "Influenced" by Scream is a reflection on the negative effects of being under the influence of others. The first verse alludes to personal struggles and bad habits that seem to be haunting the singer. They feel that these habits are a barrier to something more significant and that they are facing something that terrifies them. The chorus, "You influenced to ignorance," repeats the idea that the singer's decisions are being manipulated by someone else. The song's refrain mirrors this idea, with the repetition of "influence" as a reminder of the power that others can hold over us.
In the second verse, the singer seems to be addressing someone who has accused them of something. The accusation may have caused the singer to have second thoughts, but they remind themselves to continue pursuing the old ways that always stay. The subsequent lines switch perspectives - with a thought occurring to the singer that they are seeing sounds and being surrounded by darkness. At the same time, they are unaware of those around them, staring at them with judgment. The final chorus repeats the message that the singer feels their ignorance is a direct result of being under someone else's control.
Overall, "Influenced" is a song that speaks to the importance of being independent in our thoughts and decision-making. It recognizes the power that others can have over us and how that can lead to negative consequences. It warns against being complacent in the face of manipulation and emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
No, they won’t let me go there no more
I am no longer allowed to enter that place
It’s bad habits left at the door
I am trying to leave behind my destructive behavior
Face to face, though ignored, that frighten me
I am afraid of confronting my problems directly
Influenced to ignorance
I am being guided towards a state of obliviousness
You influenced to ignorance
Someone is leading me towards ignorance
Influence
The power of persuasion is strong
That makes sense for you
What works for you does not work for me
You that accused
The person who blames me
Of second thoughts just used
The doubts they planted in my mind are being exploited
That impel me to pursue
I feel compelled to continue down the same path
The old ways that always stay
I cannot seem to break free from old habits
A thought occurred to me
I had a moment of realization
From what I thought to be
Based on my previous beliefs
I looked around and saw the sound
I became more aware of my surroundings
But like the dark it surrounded me
Despite this newfound awareness, I still feel trapped
Unaware of the stare
I was oblivious to the scrutiny of others
That my mind held to see
Even though I was unaware, I was still observing and judging myself
Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hopescope
I put off watching this specific video because it happened in my home town. My brother-in-law went to school with them and we all knew people on the “hit list.” I definitely learned more from your video than I ever was told about this growing up.
@nicolanewton1084
That must be scary!! Knowing people on some psycho’s hit list but at least they never got the chance
@ssmith543
Bailey = best morality teacher ever!
@LongBody6ft4
Yeah ok sure you know em
@maximilianraley2457
@Furious Why is that so hard to believe? I was in prison with Brian and was his workout partner. Not that hard to believe that someone live md in Pocatello. Why even lie about knowing them?
@aceykrew5207
@Furious why do you even care that someone did or didn't know them? Why does this effect your life SO MUCH? You have gross life insecurities & shouldn't be on the internet. Get help.
@kateburns9011
ok, but i feel really bad for Cassie’s cousin. i can’t even imagine the trauma she must have had to endure.
@oodlesofaxolootls3655
Cassie is my dads first cousin, my first once removed. This affects our family to this day. When we go to Pocatello for family reunions we always pray for her, her dad and I are very close, its very sad.
@barbiesings1
Kate Burns, I thought that too.
@sashamedford9991
Cassie's cousin is actually my friend. I have been to that house hundreds of times and yoh can feel the pain from Cassie when u walk in that front door. It's heartbreaking. The family still mourns and it definitely messed up her cousin.