One of the most enduring bands on the Washington, D.C. punk rock scene, Scream rose from the Capitol City's hardcore community of the 1980s, and they matured into a more diverse musical worldview without losing their muscular impact. The group played intelligent hardcore with precision and ferocity on their debut album, 1983's Still Screaming, and adopted a more refined but still burly sound on their second LP, This Side Up, which also found them dappling in reggae. 1986's Banging the Drum and 1988's No More Censorship boasted a sophisticated fusion of anthemic punk, hard rock power, and alternative rock experimentation, but also preceded the band's 1990 breakup. However, the members of Scream would occasionally get together for live work and recording, and in 2023 they issued a bracing reunion effort, DC Special.