Scream - This Side Up

Released in 1985, This Side Up finds Scream pushing past the boundaries of early hardcore without losing any of its urgency. As the band’s second full-length, the album blends blistering tempos with sharper songwriting and flashes of melody, signaling Scream’s evolution into one of the most forward-thinking bands to emerge from the Washington, DC underground.

Featuring the dual vocals of Peter and Franz Stahl alongside Robert Lee Davidson’s guitar work, Skeeter Thompson’s driving bass, and Kent Stax’s relentless drumming, This Side Up delivers a fierce yet increasingly dynamic sound. It is a snapshot of a band in motion, bridging raw hardcore roots with a broader punk sensibility, and stands as an essential document of mid-80s American hardcore and Scream’s lasting influence.