Today, 43 years ago, Siouxsie & The Banshees released their debut album Scream!
The Scream is the debut album by Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was an almost instant commercial success, peaking at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart and was recorded in only one week and mixed in three during August 1978. The album was released on 13 November 1978 by Polydor. Before the album's release, the band had developed a strong reputation as a live act, and had achieved a Top 10 UK single with "Hong Kong Garden”, a track which did not appear on the original album, but was added not much later to most others issues of Scream.
Upon release, The Scream was widely acclaimed by critics. It was also a commercial success, peaking at No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart. The album is regarded as a landmark of post-punk.
Late 1977 and early 1978, Siouxsie and the Banshees received major press coverage but failed to secure a recording deal. A fan undertook a graffiti campaign in London, spraying the walls of the major record companies with the words "Sign the Banshees: do it now".[2] Polydor finally signed them in June.
J. G. Ballard and William Burroughs provided the reference points for the lyrics of The Scream.
Since its release, The Scream has received a number of accolades from the music press. NME rated it at No. 57 in their "Writers All Time 100 Albums" list in 1985. Uncut magazine placed it at No. 43 in their list of the 100 greatest debut albums. It was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
The Scream placed the group among the pioneers of post-punk, as Robert Smith of the Cure said:
"When The Scream came out, I remember it was much slower than everybody thought. It was like the forerunner of the Joy Division sound. It was just big-sounding."
Joy Division's Peter Hook, who saw the band in concert in Manchester in 1977, said about The Scream: "Siouxsie And The Banshees were one of our big influences, The Banshees first LP was one of my favourite ever records, the way the guitarist and the drummer played was a really unusual way of playing."
The Scream had a strong impact on other musicians. Massive Attack covered and sampled "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" on their song "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" in 1997.
Scream (1978 LP) - Tracklist
| A1 | Pure | 1:50 |
| A2 | Jigsaw Feeling | 4:38 |
| A3 | Overground | 3:48 |
| A4 | Carcass | 3:50 |
| A5 | Helter Skelter | 3:48 |
| B1 | Mirage | 2:46 |
| B2 | Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) | 4:16 |
| B3 | Nicotine Stain | 2:56 |
| B4 | Suburban Relapse | 4:10 |
| B5 | Switch | 6:50 |
Darkwave/Industrial Act, VEXILLARY Turns Therapy Into 'Full Frontal Lunacy'
After a string of singles and EPs, darkwave-industrial act, VEXILLARY has unveiled their first full-length album, Full Frontal Lunacy.
A long winter, the Covid-19 pandemic and an endless lockdown provided the perfect backdrop for a sonic self-portrait documenting one’s brush with madness.
After the conceptual, SurViolence EP, VEXILLARY wanted to create a personal record as a form of therapy to examine the darkest parts of his own psyche. The resulting eight tracks that shape the record document the demise of a protagonist from flirting with madness and burnout, all the way to the point of total nervous breakdown and mania.
The record ends on a beautiful note with "Exit the Void". Does the track suggest a new beginning, or is it a celebration of a cruel end? Either way, there is way more than meets the mind in the twisted world of Full Frontal Lunacy.
Full Frontal Lunacy is available on limited edition cassette and digital formats.
Industrial Band FLEISCHKRIEG Brings Sacrifice & Introspection To 'Herzblut'
Industrial band FLEISHKRIEG has just unleashed their highly-anticipated new full-length album, Herzblut.
"Herzblut" translates to “Heart’s Blood” in German – a metaphor used to describe the total effort and sacrifice a person makes towards their life’s work. The album’s songs reflect different stages of this hero’s journey and the scars borne in the process.
The songs often deal with the paranormal, aliens, and dystopian matrix/simulation theories. A night of alien abduction nightmares inspired Vocalist Richard Cranor to write the song, “Bloody Prophets”.
The album also deals with much more introspective topics. “Parasite”, for example, documents the ordeal of never being able to free yourself from your worst self-destructive tendencies.
For fans of: goth, industrial, ebm, electro
Herzblut debuts the sound of “Brutalwave”, a sub genre of industrial that blends the synth-pop of new wave with more aggressive metal elements. Songs such as “Fools Folly” and the cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” showcase this NEW sound in great detail.
Herzblut is steeled in melodic synth, metal guitars, and apocalyptic vocals – packing a heavy enough punch both lyrically and sonically to keep any fan of industrial rock music listening from beginning to end.
Washington DC-based dark alternative band, AMULET has just unveiled the video to their song, "Last Ditch." The song appears on their latest album, House Of Black + White.
About the song: You can only take so much tragedy. There comes a point where you wonder if you'll be able to go on. The ache of sorrow and loneliness feels eternal and all-consuming. You have a choice to make. You wonder if seeing crimson is the only way to really heal.
For fans of: dark alternative, darkwave & goth
About the album...
House of Black + White is a bass-driven dark rock experience led by powerful female vocals. Each track is channeled from raw emotion and the exploration of concepts that only grow more profound with time. It is intense – yet nuanced – rock music that will activate you. It feels like victory with a side order of bitterness and despair, only to kick life back in the teeth with a steel-toed boot.
