Dave Grohl’s D.C. Hardcore Band Scream Prep Album Reissue
Scream, the beloved Washington D.C. hardcore band that once featured a young Dave Grohl, will reissue their fourth album, No More Censorship, April 27th via Southern Lord.
Retitled NMC17 (No More Censorship), the 12-track reissue is available to pre-order digitally, on CD and silver vinyl. The physical versions boast new packaging and artwork, as well as a booklet filled with photos, lyrics, poetry and other personal writings from the band from that era. A remastered version of album cut “God Squad” is also available to stream.
NMC17 is dedicated to photographer Naomi Petersen, who uncovered the album’s original master tapes and passed them along to Scream singer Peter Stahl. The tapes were then restored and remixed at Grohl’s 606 Studio.
Scream released No More Censorship in 1988 at the tail end of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The album gets its title from the administration’s efforts to censor art and music, with Stahl recalling, “Ed Meese, Ronald’s Attorney General, was appointed to do a report on the effect of pornography on society. Hearings were held in Congress about lyrics and albums, and warnings were placed on album covers. One bitter example being Dead Kennedys, who were taken to court over the Frankenchrist album’s [H.R.] Giger poster. Scream raised money to help in the Dead Kennedys’ court battle, and more widely participated in benefits to raise money to fight this oppression. So much of what was going on then is still so relevant today. History repeats.”
Stahl’s brother, guitarist Franz Stahl, added that the work of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei inspired the new album art for NMC17. “The CD and vinyl covers are each unique, but both were created in the spirit of one of Weiewei’s own exhibits, and our idea, limiting or censoring information. Leaving only an acronym for the original title and a number for the year we did the remix (NMC17).”