1. A stock sound effect originally from the movie Distant Drums, released in 1951. Many speculate that the sound was voiced by actor Sheb Wooley, as he was credited as a voice actor for the film. Since then, many sound designers have used the wilhelm scream as a sort of inside joke.
It has been featured in films by Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas,
Steven Spielberg, many Disney films, and quite a few more. More recently, the wilhelm scream has been used in television shows, music, video games, and internet videos.
2. A Wilhelm Scream is a melodic
hardcore punk band from New Bedford,
Massachusetts, started in 1996. Having been previously gone under the names Smackin' Isaiah and Koen, the band changed its name to A Wilhelm Scream, a reference to the above stock sound effect. Many critics have referenced Strike Anywhere, Propagandhi, and Hot Water Music as similar artists.