Reviews (page 5 of 8)
A very enjoyable album with a unique and engaging sound. Go Sioxsie
Seminal post punk band, this is awesome! It still blows me away that it came from 1978.
Lots of screaming alright. Not all bad.
I prefer Kaleidoscope and Juju, but this is still a cool debut album! 3.5
A pretty incredible debut and all my favourite things about post punk and a great follow up after just finishing The Damned. Fave: Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)
I've dabbled in Siouxsie And The Banshees before but reading up on this album I realize I haven't been giving them nearly enough credit - a lot of the things I associate with early post-punk that I hear in their sound likely originate with them - they weren't just going with the flow, they were the source of the current! Definitely need to go through their discography in more depth! Fave tracks - "Overground" was probably my main stand out - that slaps. "Nicotine Stain" was another. Also really dug their version of "Helter Skelter"...
I enjoyed them when they matured a little more, this sounds very garage-demo-ish.
Not my thing
The Scream is another amazing album from Siouxsie and the Banshees. It has been a long while since i did an album by this band and because of that, i have forgotten just how good they really are. There is already the fact that the guitars and vocals in the songs are great and really do a lot to help me enjoy them as much as i do. This album is also home to my second favorite Helter Skelter cover (My favorite is the Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson one). I don't think this album is as good as Juju though i can't really pinpoint why. Regardless, i think both albums are some of the best listens i have had on this project. Best Song: Mirage Worst Song: Suburban Relapse
Too much like hard work
3.4
One of those albums that is able to transcend a band’s lack of talent (which sounds harsher than I mean it) to be something great. So many punk/post punk bands aspire to do something like this, but few succeed. A pleasant surprise for me.
There is nothing quite so annoying as a screechy, atonal female angrily screaming into the mike. Put it to some mediocre punk arrangements, and what? Edgy? Maybe if you’re a fucking poser. This is crap, always will be.
I dont mind this music, this has some good tunes that raise it above just punk for punks sake. Im not a fan of her voice but its the better end of this particular spectrum
Music brings people together, and sometimes people bring music together. I’ve learned that many times over, and this album is no exception to that rule. With that in mind, I’m so thankful for my lovely wife Emma and her strong conviction to bringing my ears to women-led hands like this, and to the catharsis Siouxse and the Banshees provided her and so many others. Not only is there a great deal of catharsis to be experienced in the topics this record covers, but it’s performed so well - especially for the late 70’s. The last minute or so of “Carcass” has a super catchy clap rhythm section that must’ve been especially fun to hear in concert. Immediately after is one of the coolest covers of all time, “Helter Skelter” with an eerie, silence-ridden intro. It’s a cover that has so many cool tricks and production elements in it, I don’t want to spoil any more by further talking about it. The high-pitcher vocal intonations towards the end of “Metal Postcard” and the beginning of “Nicotine Stain” give everything all the more character. Please forgive my ignorance, but whatever that now famous punk/postpunk drum pattern is that’s done on “Switch” here is maybe the best example of it ever performed. The only crime here is not one to do with the music or the band, but on American audiences not giving this album aa much widespread love aa it deserves.
Umm, I get that this is "post-punk", but it sounds chaotic. Maybe it's controlled chaos, but it's a lot of noise for me.
I can appreciate the influence this band had on artists I really dig (The Cure, Florence and the Machine, etc) but this is completely not for me.
Pretty good. Nice darkness to the sound. Nothing too memorable on here though.
I really liked 'Pure', 'Overground' and the closing track, 'Switch', but the rest of it kind of bled together for me. I could really hear the future direction of the genre in their music, though. They definitely influenced many bands that followed them. 3 stars
Mysterious, sporadic, and weird. It just doesn't feel like it's going anywhere half of the time. There are tracks on here that are really fun and interesting, like Jigsaw Feeling/Carcass/Nicotine Stain, but it makes the rest feel like bloat. I really appreciate the post-punk vibe on a lot of these, I've just known the genre to be done so much better that this falls short. 7/10
I'm gonna give this a 4, I think this was a very good album all the way through. They reminded me of the Pixies and this was in 78'! People said the Pixies were early to the scene and this was ten years before them. Good shtuff.
Just uninteresting to me.
A classic album that I loved in my youth. As I've aged, I can still remember how this made me feel, but I also hear it grating a bit on my sensibilities with it's rougher edges.
It was OK but I'd hoped for more.
Liked another album by the band but not this one unfortunately
More punky than I expected to be fair, still not really great though, felt more noisy than musical.
More of this kind of stuff would be welcome….
I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could, but I'm going to bump it up to 5 for this scale, because this album and band was just so influential for so many artists afterwards and started a sound that is being carried forth still today. I don't think it's their best album, as it was a first of what they would later improve upon. However, it is still amazing to me to think of such young kids (as they were at the time) creating such a brand new sound that would help push and change music forever.
It’s OK
Not my favorite Banshees album, but still a really good one. This debut is definitely early Siouxsie and the Banshees, when they were still weird art punks figuring out what the band was. It's also before guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie joined and took their sound to the next level. The album opens with a weird, atmospheric mood piece set to the tune of Three Blind Mice. The rest of the album alternates between aggressive, discordant rock where Siouxsie often does more yelling than singing (including an f-bomb laden cover of The Beatles "Helter Skelter") and more upbeat, danceable tracks complete with handclap beats. There's another curve ball towards the end of the album with "Hong Kong Garden" — the album's sole single — a bright, poppy tune protesting the skinheads who would harass the staff at a popular Chinese takeaway frequented by the Banshees. It's arguably one of the first post-punk songs, and is a bop (though you could be forgiven for thinking it hasn't aged terribly well with its stereotypical "Chinese"-sounding keys). I'm not sure if I'd recommend this as an intro to Siouxsie and the Banshees to most people since it's a little less accessible than some of their other albums (Tinderbox or Through the Looking Glass might be better starting points), nor is it the peak of their quality (Juju, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, and Hyaena for that). But it's still a really good album that's essential to the Banshees' catalogue and post-punk history. 4/5
Simply a fantastic debut. This is a band that rarely missed, especial thru evolving thier sound throught the 80s. The debut here really sets a high standard for the raw power and emotion exhibited in their full discography
Exhausting
Not their best
Solid. I can see why and how this would mean a ton to certain people. Just didn’t do it for me on a deeper level. But there’s nothing wrong with it!
I think punk rock was exciting at the time but it comes across as dated and, well, a bit banal in 2025. But maybe that’s just me , ageing.
Very cool! A band I’m surprised I’ve never gotten into before because they align so closely with a lot of those I love so I’ll be checking out more of their albums now for sure. Favourite tracks were Overground, Carcass and the extra fun little Hong Kong Garden. (3.5 stars)
I wanted to like this so much, because it felt and sounded so original, but I really couldn't get into the singing style. It's a 2.8 stars for me, but I feel bad about it.
Solid proto-post-punk. More important than many records of that era
God dammit, I went into this album super excited, and when "Jigsaw Feeling" finished I was so hyped. Then the rest of the album is just....a bit underwhelming :/
3.5/5
I enjoyed this musically - angular, catchy and cleanly produced. Vocals and lyrics not so much. It also lacks variety, and the last couple of tracks nearly dropped it a star.
Prettty badass
Generally a good album but it didn’t jump out at me in any way
Not as terrible as some other Post-Punk albums; I even liked a couple of the tracks
Really enjoyed this. She had a great voice and it was far more melodic than some other post-punk stuff that we’ve had. Simpsons: No
This was alright but I can't see myself listening to it again.
Banshees are known for their wailing so their name is perfect. The music is far form that though
Really liked this. The cover of Helter Skelter was fun, definitely put their own twist on it which was nice.
Reminded me a little of jefferson airplane’s white rabbit. Not my vibe but some good beats
Good album. Really like the songs. Not for my playlist tho
🤘
I liked it a lot more than I though I would.
I find the singing style annoying and the music is really uninspiring (and the Helter Skelter cover is just cringe) but somehow these elements work better together than they have any right to. It helps that that particular band was one of MTV's darlings when that station still was focusing on music, and so I might have become a little numb. I wouldn't come back to this, but I can bear it better than I would have expected. 2.5/5
Great female led punk. Loved the helter skelter cover
I liked it but it did feel a bit repetitive.
Not terrible
i completely understand why people enjoy this album, but this just isn't my cup of tea.
This lot were maturer sooner than but were ultimately surpassed by Cure. Still, this is good, if slow starrting. It gets better – and more dynamic and fluid – as it goes along. Indeed last few cuts are best. This was a powerful group that perhaps didn't quite ever come to full fruition. Remains serious and substantive and stylish, too.
no es mi estilo
Did not enjoy this one as much as the first album I had from them.
I hate to give this a 4, because it's not as a good as Brothers in Arms (one of my other 4s) but it was more enjoyable than some of my most recent 3s. I've never heard of Siouxsie before, but I actually was digging this album, and from what I've read, was instrumental in ushering in post-punk. Sometimes they had groovy rhythms, with a ton of bass and drums, other times it felt like Siouxsie was just screaming like a member of the Runaways...of course, it is "The Scream" after all. I wound up listening to their songs "Cities and Dust" from their 1986 album Tinderbox, and actually enjoyed that sound of there's a lot more. So credit to this as their debut album, I'm curious to hear more of their discography from the 80s. A fun pick-up for me though.
The Scream is the debut album from Siouxsie and the Banshees, a British punk rock band. The bandmembers were all part of a group of avid Sex Pistols fans, known as the Bromley Contingent. The bands sound evolved considerably in the course of their career; their debut is primitive, abrasive art-punk. These songs feature distorted, aggressive guitar riffs, and driven rhythms from an intentionally limited drum kit, adding to a minimalist sense to the band's work. The defining element of theirs songs is Siouxsie's raw, angst-ridden vocals. This album - and the rest of the band's catalog - were incredibly influential across a range of genres.
Took me a while to finally listen to a Siouxsie album. It's as cool and dark as I thought.
Excellent album rock, touche d'exotisme malheureuse dans Hong Kong Garden, puissante reprise de Helter Skelter.
I think it was the singing for me. Liked alot of everything else. Not bad but not great!
Listened Before? N Hell yeah! Raw and post-punky, this album has a lot to love. I will revisit this again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Hong Kong Garden
Enjoyed this, probably a 3.5 but rounded up as it’s been a while where I’ve been stuck in 2-3s
3.5
Farligt tæt på en 5'er. Virkelig fedt album. Da jeg var yngre syntes jeg, at deres Helter Skelter cover var dårligt, men det var tydeligvis fordi jeg var et BARN! Det er virkelig fedt!!
Cool! Det er noget rigtig larm, føles som om det er en inspiration for en del af 80er-støjrockscenen
Crazy energy. Would love to attend a show with them in 78!
Rough around the edges, but has a very cool, dark sound
Love it
This was a solid album, and I generally give some benefit to debuts in their time. What may have been groundbreaking in the 70s may not be super exciting today almost 50 years later. Not a lot of high or low points on the album for me so that makes it one of the most solid 3s I've had in a while. I see the Switch song has the most plays, so I'm not sure if that was the single or maybe in a movie or something,but I liked the mystery of The Staircase more. I'm not sure if they have gone more into that somewhat spooky style but I'd be into a full concept album like that with some more theatrics. Favorite track "The Staircase" 3/5
3.5
About a year before they went gothic rock but this is an excellent post-punk debut. Feels like a gold standard for sweet and simple post-punk of the day.
Man, Siouxsie sucks doesn't she?
just bland, helter skelter was cool though
All my friends that grew up listening to this band bought combat boots and became goths. Anyhow, I like it alright, but it isn't that great. Never got its hooks in me and today wasn't its day either.
I was under the impression this was all Goth-y sadness and never thought there'd be anything I would like with this band. Super happy to have listened to this. Siouxsie reminds me of Grace Slick... But the music backing her up is incredible. Mostly heavy, but the melodic stretches in some tracks are unexpected.
Our second Siouxsie album, and it’s just as good as “Juju.” This being their debut, it must have really been a breakthrough, and the influence can be heard for decades after. Their “Helter Skelter” cover is fantastic, woven seamlessly into a string of songs that ooze attitude and intensity. “Metal Postcard” was the only misstep, with too much yelping. Without that, it’s a 5.
When we had Juju I wrote that I liked the music but not Siouxsie’s vocals.The Scream is a worthy achievement in post-punk. I like the music and the vocals. So of course I had to go back and listen to Juju. I don’t know what I was hearing. The vocals are nearly as good for Juju as The Scream. I may need to use the new edit functionality and correct Juju’s undeserving 2.
Was ok, but wouldn't go back to it. Liked Helter Skelter the most
a menacing set of songs which, as far as I can tell, sort of set the template for the first wave of post-punk and gothic rock! Siouxsie's voice isn't the most in-tune, but it's among the most evocative and intriguing voices I've heard in front of rock instrumentation. the guitar work definitely earns them the "Banshees" moniker; it's jagged, often noisy, and almost always angular. all of this is grounded by some excellent basslines and some pounding drums with a ton of delay and reverb. you can tell how many eighties bands had checked this album out, along with Joy Division's work from around the same time. pretty great Beatles cover! decent 8/10.
Siouxsie Sioux has a great voice and delivery, but this album does become a bit samey as it goes on. It’s not bad, but it’s not as good as some of their later stuff such as ‘Juju’.
Not really my thing. This is the side of new wave I don’t really jive with.
Not terrible. Some of the songs were fun!
I wonder how I'd feel about this if I'd heard it before Juju. I've listened to Juju so many times since generating it, and this didn't hit quite the same, but I'm sure it has the potential to grow on me more. It's still an incredible debut and would have blown my mind hearing it for the first time in 1978. I think Siouxsie Sioux is a treasure.
I appreciate that this was from 1978
Really enjoying this. Love the vocals and the urgency of the music. I love covers of Helter Skelter, but my favorites from this album are Jigsaw Feeling and Metal Postcard.
Solidno ko većina njihovih albuma fali mi nešto za zakucavanje.
Love me a bit of Siouxsie
other album was better and the awful Beatles cover did not help
Det här var bra dom första tre låtarna. Men när 10 låtar in så låter alla spår exakt likadant, och hennes sätt att sjunga börjar bli riktigt jobbigt att lyssna på.
Interesting
I think this is a 4. Or a 3. Or even a 2. It's hard to tell. I think I'm very relieved to be away from Elton John and listening to stuff that's more my interest. There's a weird unemotional delivery to Siouxsie Sioux's vocals and the music generally. It's sort of industrial punk minimalism. Or something. I think I like it. I think it's a 3.5 with a note to investigate further. "Hong Kong Garden" is great though.
Only knew Hong Long Garden before listening to this and enjoyed the rest…
This band is more of a presence than a band. I don't really like most of the songs but it was still a valuable listen.
Really good, raw sound
5/10
I liked the lively tracks more than the more somber ones but hey, it's the scream. Can't be all sunshine and rainbows, can it.
For this review, I will not include the bonus tracks "Hong Kong Garden" and "The Staircase (Mystery)" from the 2006 reissue. I've heard of Siouxsie and the Banshees as an influential band in the post-punk and alternative genres. I certainly respect that the Banshees' debut album The Scream is considered the genesis of several later acts. After giving the album a couple of listens, I like it albeit with some caveats. Let's start with the positives. I genuinely enjoy the melodrama in Siouxise Sioux's vibrato vocal delivery, where she commanded attention with near-operatic wails. She's backed up well by John McKay's crunchy guitar riffs, Kenny Morris's pounding tom-tom-focused percussion, and Steven Severin's elegant bass. Songs like "Jigsaw Feeling", "Carcass", and "Mirage" pop off well early on in the album given how synchronized the band was in their unorthodox mannerisms. That said, not every song on The Scream is great. It took two minutes for this album to get going with the intro track "Pure" taking a while to crescendo. Halfway through, "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" kills the pacing starts. I understand if they were going for a more mechanical-sounding presentation for a track about the metal aesthetic, but I find it a slog. By the time that song is over, the album has difficulty getting its momentum back, even with fun tracks like "Nicotine Stain" and the seven-minute closer "The Switch". Overall, I enjoyed The Scream and what Siouxsie and the Banshees brought to their table with their sound. It can be a difficult listen, but one that is worth the effort.
Slow rock/psych
Sounds angry, kinda samey throughout, at least its consistent. Carcass caught my ear pretty well though. Not bad, maybe no repeat listens though.
Pretty one note spooky witchy rock music. It kicks ass but it all sort of slurs together. That cover of shelter Skelton though!!!!
Furious and wild!
I feel like enjoyment of this album hinges entirely on whether or not you like Siouxsie Sioux’s vocals. I do not. Score: 2/5
Music was a bit different but the singing was grating low 2.
Wasn’t into this
Ενδιαφερουσα παραγωγη και αρκετα influential αλμπουμ της post punk σκηνης. Παρ'ολ'αυτα δεν θα μπορουσα να ακουσα μουσικη με τα vocals του αλμπουμ. Απλα δεν ειναι για μενα. Παντως σαν δισκος επαγεται στην ποιοτικη πλευρα της μουσικης. Rating: B+
Such a singular sound. Intense and focused throughout.
Quite innovative arrangement with the trebly-guitar and tom-tom driven beats. As punk singers are want to, the vocals are a bit shout-y and lacks dynamic range, which gets a bit much at times.
Nice instrument work, screaming voice which I find excessive and completely uninteresting. Next!
It seems like I hear more about Siouxsie and The Banshees more than I have ever heard there work. It is raw, edgy, provocative, etc., but gets lost in the transition from Post Punk/New Wave to alternative. I kind of like what's going on here, but I have trouble reconciling the raves.
I am not a fan of post-punk. I do not like this album or its sound. It’s just not good. 1
I really like the guitar work on this album. I also do like an album that is innovative and pushes music forward, as the drumming does for this album. Musically, it's fine. I don't think it's particularly special other than what I said above. Contextually, it's an important album, and I'm guessing a lot of albums today can trace influences back to this one. With that in mind, it's good, but still not really great. Favorite Song(s): Helter Skelter, Hong Kong Garden
Post-Punk with driving basses, eerie textures and at times unconventional, yet intriguing melodies. Amazing lead vocals Standout Tracks: Overground, Metal Postcard (Mittageisen), Suburban Relapse
This is a little too raw for me. I like Siouxsie, but this is closer to punk that what I know of her and her band.
The squeak of leather. The taste of hairspray.
chicken chow mein and chop suey
Some really cool 80's punk sounds
Was alright, not as good as the previous album
I was listening to this while on a long distance drive. One song blended into another. I can’t even really remember much about it other than it being alright. 2.5/5
Very avant-guard post punk. Siouxsie's vocals are some how both awesome and grating but no matter your tastes, they work here. Not sure how often I'll revisit this album, but it did send me down the Siouxsie and the Banshees rabbit hole which is full of wonderful music. I'd give this a 3, but since it resparked my joy for the rest of the catalog, it gets bumped to a 4
Couldn’t get past the first few songs. Decent guitar work but her voice is so annoying. Lyrics were weak.
early early Souxsie - NOT my cup of tea until Hong Kong Garden when they start to sound recognizable
Huge fan, but not of this album. It has its moments. But it lacks her more ethereal voice and wickedness.
You can't overstate the influence SATB had on the music world. This is a pretty radical album for '78 but they got so much better. So much more dynamic. So much more themselves. Unless there are at least 2 other Siouxsie albums on the list not sure why you would include this. It's a moment in time but their best song of this era - Hong Kong Garden - isn't even on the album.
Pretty good debut, takes the harsh punk rock sound of the sex pistols but applies it for dissonant, atmospheric tribal music. Note that it's atmospheric because they can't play fast. C
The music is very good but I get what some people say about the singing but that’s just Sioxsie! An excellent debut album to be fair.
Not one for me. Music is good, but the vocalisation drives me insane.
Didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected
nice listen instrumental wise but overall kinda boring and vocals get annoying after a while 3/5
I like, but not love. Voice not my favourite.
this had some okay songs overall, didn’t blow me away though
Pretty decent album. Interesting punk influences 3.9
Great album!
Post Punk is hard for me..
I like the the latter stuff better but still a fun listen from time to time
Das Debütalbum der britischen Rockband erschien im November 1978 und gilt als ein wegweisendes Werk des Post-Punk, dass zwar einige beeindruckende Momente bietet, aber nicht überdurchschnittlich ist. Positiv ist der Innovativer Sound durch seine experimentelle Herangehensweise. Einflussreiche Songs wie “Jigsaw Feeling” und “Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)” zeigen die Fähigkeit der Band, düstere und eindringliche Atmosphären zu schaffen. Leider ist es auch über längere Phasen zu viel des Guten an Experimenten. Hier hätte dem Album sicher ein Hauch von Wave gutgetan.
Ban she’s? In my America? I don’t think so
Great early goth with great range of aesthetic approaches.
Thoroughly enjoyed the cover of Helter Skelter, but hee haw else about this album did anything for me! Shame really, I was kind of looking forward to this one.
Love Hung King garden
If Edvard Munch had a Spotify account, this would be his top-played album.
Did the author of this book have a deal with punk bands?
What the hell….
It sounds like anti-music. Good at first and then overwhelming.
I wasn’t really vibing with it until helter skelter. It’s a banger for sure, and then kinda liked the rest of the album
siouxsie is such a badass. i love hong kong garden, if you’re lucky you’ll hear it at the king soopers on colorado/yale
fínt. þarf aðra. 3,5.
This is one of those albums which you have to read the Wikipedia Article to understand why it's on this list.
This was a very solid debut album for a very solid band. Banshees is a good way to describe the style of them. Also, I love Siouxsie Sioux. She is my goth queen.
It's an excellent debut album, and shockingly close to the sound they would have once the band fully came into its own. That being said, it suffers from a slow pace, its runtime clocks in at only 45 minutes, but it feels significantly longer.
Sioux's vocals are so raw and intense. This is a wild debut album that really shows where they would go. The Beatles cover is an interesting inclusion, but I really like their take on it.
Wichtig, ein Zeitdokument.
I have always favored Siouxsie and the Banshees. So it is not mystery that I would like this album. However I have growing insight as I review albums nearly every day. I think I not only like her voice, somewhat shouting rather than singing, but I look forward to hearing it in the next song -- quite the oposite of getting tired of someone after a few songs. And then there is in how this is truly genre defining post-punk. A bit cleaner, a bit more rock directed, less noisy. Just listen I sometimes say. And again, if you want to "understand" what post-punk is, than ... just listen!
It was OK, but I was expecting more I think. They were a band I had overlooked, and thought this might be a revelation, but didn't really do that much for me.
Meah
Don't think I'd revisit but it was perfectly fine
quite fun and nervy. absolutely cracked guitar work - divinely jagged and noisy. album really *feels* like the work of a bunch of 21 year olds which is one of the most beautiful things about it
I give them credit for being pioneers but nothing too catchy for a punk album.
7/10. Not consistent for me but some good ones that made the playlist and had good creativity.
Holy shit. Blown away by this album. I know I've heard of Siouxsie and the Banshees but I am not sure I ever listened to them. Honestly probably judged a band by its name and rightly know I made a mistake because this is one of the coolest albums I've ever heard. So angsty and angry and bleeding influence into the bands that followed them. Pleasantly unpleasant. Never ever judge a band by their name because you never know what you're missing until you actually listen.
I mean it's ok
Well it’s definitely Siouxsie—lots of wailing, icy guitars, and foam-soft drums. I acknowledge the very distinctive soundfont and vibe that this album has, I just don’t really enjoy it. Best song: Carcass
13/10/24 An average listen.
Painful. All I heard was whining and shouting for 45 minutes. This is giving actual banshees a bad rep Metal Postcard was enough to drive me to insanity And the Helter Skelter cover was honestly a hate crime 2 ⭐️
cool album cover, terrible album.
01) Pure - 5,0 02) Jigsaw Feeling - 5,5 03) Overground - 6,0 04) Carcass - 5,5 05) Helter Skelter - 5,5 06) Mirage - 5,5 07) Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) - 5,5 08) Nicotine Stain - 5,5 09) Suburban Relapse - 5,5 10) Switch - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,45 (55/100) Current ranking: 291/332 Not really something I enjoy. Her screaming is not helping.
I feel I should like this more than I do.
Expectation: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! Reality: ооооооооооооооооооооооонннн...
Did not enjoy this.
So awesome. Never heard of this album and or group however it rings true to me and my inner angst. I hear a multitude of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Sex Pistols in all of the instrumentation and song structure. However its own unique twist on it. Well worth the time to listen to it.
Not my cuppa joe
Punky
A couple of classics I love anchor the back half of this album. I didnt find the front half to be as engaging, maybe too harshly mixed? Solid album though. 3.5
High highs and low lows
This ate. I loved the power of her voice and I wasn't bored at any part of the album.
Not my favorite album of theirs but pretty suitable for some Halloween crafting action
Rating this in terms of music-historical significance it's an easy 5 stars. This is the one clear and obvious link from punk and early post-punk to the darker and often synth-driven wing of post-punk and new wave such as The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Smiths, as well as what later became gothic rock and gothic metal. To a modern listener, the album doesn't sound entirely fleshed out yet. It's sort of unpolished and still very raw (a testament to its punk roots). There's a lot of potential here, but it's not entirely convincing and sounds more like 3.5 stars to me. Definitely rounding up for impact though.
I like the style but this particular album does not strike me as one of their best
While this doesn't sound super terrible, it wasn't the best either.
Siouxsie es una de las artistas más influyentes de Inglaterra, siendo la principal precursora de la estética y el sonido gótico, lo que queda bastante claro en su debut "The Scream". Tambores estridentes, interpretaciones de guitarras punk agresivas, letras extrañas y pantanosas, sumados a la particular voz de Sioux, crean una experiencia que dejó a más de algún británico sorprendido y obsesionado (Robert Smith, por ejemplo). Sumamente influyente e importante. Escúchelo por favor.
3.5/5
Interresting. To die for ????
This is actually a little disappointing. I was expecting to like it much more than I did. Just seems to miss the mark a little bit - not quite as certain as their later stuff, but for sure it's an opening salvo.
Not as good as X, but struck me similarly.
This is terrific. I'm not really a big lover of them and haven't heard of any of the main album tracks but this is a distinct powerful sound unlike any other.
It's not bad, but very one note and falls down at the end.
About time we got some proper goth representation up in here.
Middle of the road punk music. Helter Skelter was sick tho
I have not heard the songs on this album yet. I quite enjoyed it.
Their later stuff is better but you can hear what's to come here and it's promising.
Here’s where all the post punk really starts….. I like JuJu better, this is just them all learning to play. Shows some of the coming brilliance and many things that get copied later.
I really like this album. Because there are so many of my favorite bands that were influenced by it and them it holds an even more dear place in my heart. I think the Scream is underrated, even among Souxie fans
Decent, of its time, not my favourite signing
Meh!
Some excellent punk music from a band I've been meaning to check out for the longest time. I don't know much about Siouxsie and the Banshee's later works, but I'd assume they only continue fleshing out the darker post-punk sounds subtly presented on this album. For this debut though, as many future post-punk acts would start, the band sticks to more traditional punk sounds - while still keeping it much slower and more melodic than other bands in the punk genre. Many moments here reminded me of the band 'Wire'. Siouxsie is an incredibly dynamic yet simultaneously consistent vocalist, and lyrically speaking, the unsettling imagery of songs like 'Suburban Relapse', 'Switch', and 'Carcass' further push that gothic post-punk aesthetic. Sonically, the jagged guitar playing and fast-picked basslines you'd expect out of this genre make themselves apparent on most of these songs - which makes for a consistent yet, at times, repetitive 40 minutes. Still songs like 'Mirage' and 'Nicotine Stain' are absolute bangers despite not straying from that very simple formula. The final track switches it up with a shimmering and ominous guitar tone driving the track - it's the most gothic and ahead-of-its-time moment on this entire record. For a debut record, this is honestly quite incredible. Hoping I get more S&B on here, I'd like to check out what their sound evolves to on their more critically acclaimed records. Or, y'know, I can just check them out myself.
Outstanding first album
Pretty good. Some I loved and some I found annoying. Her voice is amazing though I absolutely love it
Missy, outstanding and energetic. Not a fan of Helter Skelter.
Great!
'Ik? Nee, ik maak alleen lelijke muziek. Dat zal ze leren. Daarmee wreek ik mij op de maatschappij. En dan zul je zien dat die arrogante zelfbenoemde muziekpausen zo dom zijn om mijn flutplaat in een boek met pakweg de beste 1001 albums aller tijden te zetten. Ha! En als je het niet erg vindt, ga ik nu even een cavia villen.'
Punk met een zangeres. Het stomme is dat ik soms wel wordt gegrepen door een simpel melodielijntje of zelfs door de zangeres als ze even niet expres zo vals zingt. Maar meer dan 2 sterren kan ik er niet van maken.
We hebben al heel vaak iets onder de noemer post-punk moeten aanhoren en het wisselde van slecht tot heel slecht. Ik moet zeggen dat hier nog wel aardig een lijn in zit, en er is nog wel iets van punk in te horen. Het zijn vaak 3 of 4 akkoorden zonder al te veel poespas, rechttoe rechtaan. Er is wel degelijk melodie in te herkennen. De zangeres is zeurschreeuwerig en soort van expres vals, maar het past wel bij de quasi Velvet Underground meets the Stooges waar ze zelf waarschijnlijk inspiratie uit haalden. Het is blijkbaar van grote invloed geweest op bands, die wel goed waren in muziek maken. Een grondlegger. En we weten allemaal wat we hier doorgaans van grondleggers vinden. Op de schaal van slecht tot heel slecht, zit dit aan de slechte kant van het spectrum. Maar meer ook niet. Een 2,5
I don’t get it. doesn’t sound good to me.
Super forgettable and kind of a drag to get through
I liked the later half of this album. Switch and Staircase were my fave
I love and appreciate women in all genres, especially when heavily male-dominated, and I'm thrilled Siouxsie and the Banshees was female fronted. But The Scream just wasn't for me. The abrasive punk sound never interested me much, and it was hard to get over that. For what it's worth, the Banshees did a lot right. The Scream had a whole ass spooky vibe! High school goths should be all over this album. Songs like "Jigsaw Feelings" or "Carcass" were so unnerving, too.
I was conflicted when this album came up. On one hand, I really do like Siouxsie and the Banshees, but on the other hand, knowing that this was their first album had me contemplating if their debut really was a must listen. At this stage, Siouxsie and the Banshees are definitely more punk and post-punk and haven't leaned as much into their goth sound yet. Siouxsie has an unmistakable voice either way, but it's just better paired with their goth era. They were never exactly a band that preferred a "polished" sound, but they eventually got more melodic, something that this album lacks. An okay album that will get a good rating from me, but again, I already like Siouxsie and the Banshees. I don't think this is all that great of an inclusion on this project, and if this was my first exposure to Siouxsie, I wouldn't probably be giving it as good of a rating.
A bit disjointed, but I can see the appeal.
I could hear some motifs that reminded me of other bands, so I don't doubt that this had some influence on future groups, but the music was just mediocre for me.
Good band but not my thing.
I like "hong Kong Garden" and a couple of other tracks.. but overall.. didn't like it.. too shouty.
Écoute pénible, les voix sont insupportables. Niveau mélodie ça n’est pas transcendant non plus, tout paraît trop déstructuré. J’ai l’impression d’écouter en boucle la même chanson. J’ai fini par passer toutes les chansons pour arriver sur Hong Kong Garden qui est super (et passe dans Marie-Antoinette), je ne savais plus que c’était eux qui avait fait ça. Mais sinon c’est vraiment pénible. Pas/plus du tout mon style.
This album is apparently their debut album. It has Helter Skelter on it..... That Beatles song Charles Manson thought had hidden prophesies in it .... So that's creepy as fuck. This version is dark as hell. I'm not a huge Siouxsie fan, but this album isn't bad. It isn't great, but I can see how it was a turning point in post punk/goth rock which influenced a shit ton of bands to follow. This one is better than the other one I had (Juju). Favourite songs: Carcass, Metal Postcard (Mittageisen), Nicotine Stain Least favourite songs: Pure (just random moaning) 3/5
I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected. It has a great punk vibe, Siouxsie brings the energy and the attitude, and I can hear the influence on Bat for Lashes, PJ Harvey, Sleater-Kinney et al. But something about the actual song selection left me cold? I don't know. I hated the Helter Skelter cover, everything else was fine but lacking anything truly memorable on first listen.
It’s all just kind of odd and discordant. Maybe that’s the point? Either way, not my vibe
Scream it all out, Siouxsie! Just scream it all out.
This is the first full Siouxsie album I listened to and I enjoyed it.
I was really expecting to hate this at first but I ended up really liking it. This takes so much that I don't like about post-punk and makes it a lot more interesting. The guitar tones here are a genuine highlight from top to bottom. Favorites were Carcass, Helter Skelter, and The Staircase
This very much reminded me of Joy Division. I really liked it, but I can’t say I enjoyed it more than Unknown Pleasures so it gets the same score. Will definitely be returning to this. The cover of Helter Skelter was awesome. Favorite songs were Overground, Carcass, Helter Skelter, and Switch.
I've heard of this band, but I didn't know they started this early. Second album in a row I'll compare unfavorably to The Slits album, though it's perfectly OK girl punk. I listened to the 12-track version with Hong Kong Garden which gave the album a bit more variety. Favorite track: Nicotine Stain
Masterpiece!
I wasn’t expecting to hear a connection between Siouxsie and the Banshees and The B-52s but they have a similar exuberance in their performances, particularly in the vocals. (And anyway, B-52s are more punk than people give them credit for.) I liked when this album had that bouncy, get up and move energy. The vocals were the main draw for me. I don’t think I’m gonna become a big fan anytime soon but I see the appeal and I enjoyed this.
The riffs are standoffish, the drums are cool and uniquely tom-heavy, there's grit, and yet I really couldn't get into this. I get it, it's like tough female-led post-punk with attitude, that's great! And normally something I'd be into, but maybe it's because I've heard this sound so many times that I can't help but hear this and hear like hundreds of local band shows that feature acts that sound just like this. Yea, I get that this is maybe one of the pioneering acts of that kind of sound but I don't really like that sound in general I think? To me all of the songs sounded the same until "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" (well except for their cover of Helter Skelter), and this is probably my least favorite track on the album. The riffs sound like a beginner guitarist trying to write riffs to play on Halloween, and the vocals are kind of annoying. Just kind of bored with this one. It's like a 1.8/2 for me.
so good
I tried but it’s just not really my style of music, I’m sure it’s very popular with some people
Ugh enough with this style of music already.
Eh. Not for me. Kind of annoying after a couple songs.
No thank you. on to the next one!
I don't like this. Helter Skelter cover sucks.
Trash. That Helter Skelter might be the single worst Beatles cover I have ever heard
9.5/10. The vocals and instrumentation are incredible. It's heavy, and great!!! :)
Is this 80s synth pop? I think so. I like it but it's not my go to.
Want sure I liked it, but I couldn't stop listening either. Pretty alright.
Favourite song - carcass
it's a halloween listen, and it's august.
I think I like the music that this inspired better than this actual music. Love to see a deranged woman (said affectionately) screeching into a mic and just going nuts but it wasn't actually that pleasant to listen to. Alas! The Helter Skelter cover was pretty cool, though.
oof... another album that i understand the importance and impact of, but just really isn't what i want to spend my time listening to. the tracks here are moody and evocative, but just don't have a hook to really pull you in beyond that. anything interesting kind of just gets muddled into a brooding and repetitive whole. i will say the ending of metal postcard was fun. i liked the part where siouxsie yipped like a dog. also hong kong garden is definitely the standout track here, but it reeeeally hasn't aged well. the helter skelter cover is interesting, but not a must-hear. favorites: jigsaw feeling, helter skelter, hong kong garden
I really enjoyed this. A good assortment of tracks with that punk grunge sound I like. I had only heard one song not from this album before this, definitely want to explore more now. Highlights: Overground Helter Skelter Mirage Hong Kong Garden The Staircase (Mystery)
Pretty impressive debut album that was a landmark breakthrough for creating the post punk genre. Wasn't exactly my taste but I can appreciate it for what it was. Standouts are "Hong Kong Garden" and "Helter Skelter".
Sometimes maybe good. Sometimes maybe shit.
not really for me
I get why this album is important and you can clearly hear other bands who were influenced by them so kudos to them. I now wanna put on eye liner and punk out but it’s also not great to me. Helter skelter really is a jam though wow
Not quite bad enough to be a 1.
4.5 rounded up absolutely fantastic debut highlights: jigsaw feeling, carcass, mirage (aug 10 2024)
could i write poetry to this? y
Not quite as consistent as ‘Juju’ which is the other album featured in the 1001 albums book by Siouxsie and the Banshees, but really, I’m just nitpicking, as this is still pretty incredible for a debut album. I like what I have heard from these guys a lot.
not my vibe
What a way to start a band's discography. Really gloomy, with dark subject and outstanding performance. Although I'm not a fan of post-punk genre, I can see the glimpse of Joy Division and others here. Great opening and ending, it's definition of rage on terms of using guitar (maybe Greenwood took an inspiration from it) and vocal which transforms into a special effect (like 'metal! Metal! METAL'). The middle is sagging, though, and, again, not my genre. It's great anyway.
Punky
This was surprisingly good. Much preferred it to the othe SATB album on the list
Oh, this one was painful. I possess enough self love that I only allowed myself to be tortured by her horrible voice for a few songs before I turned it off. What is it doing on this list 😩
Just more terrible British Rock
Really disliked this
I hear they're popular. I think a 3 for me. Not a bad album but olivia rodrigo came on after, and it was so much more my thing, though I'm sure she owes such a debt to Souxie.
🎧Pretty neutral on this. Nicotine Stain and Hong Kong Garden are cool
Day207 - i love the new wave punk sound of siouxsie and the banshees, missing persons, berlin. i wish i would have been introduced to more of it growing up.
Enfin l'occasion de me pencher sur Siouxsie and the Banshee, et pas déçue du voyage ! The Scream est leur premier album, il va donc me falloir me pencher sur la suite de la discographie pour bien prendre la mesure de la forte aura de ce groupe et son impact sur tant d'artistes que j'apprécie et qui les cite allègrement comme source d'influence. Carton plein !
I want to like this more, but just can’t get into it.
This was so bad.
This is one of the first post punk albums ever. Siouxsie has always been a legend, even in her debut album. This work is gothic, aggressive, exciting, and explosive. Love it!
For a band called The Scream, they sure do scream a lot
A pretty cool post-punk sound but I honestly couldn't discern a single song from any other
Not unlistenable, but not my vibe
Annoying
Not for me. Felt like unpolished wanna be Go Gos. Then I learned they came first. Still not for me.
I think I could listen to this one over and over again - loved it!
This album rocks. Lived the instrumentals and the general vibe of the album.
This is an album that is focused on sonic exploration and I like that about it. Definitely striking, but I personally wasn't grabbed by it in the way I thought I would. I'm led to believe Siouxsie would go on to release stronger material but not as shocking as this. Maybe I need to give Scream some more time.
No, this band will never become a favourite of mine. This is the second album I had and I disliked it even more than the first one
What is more impressive: 1) Laying the foundation for the entire post-punk genre, or 2) Actually turning 'Helter Skelter' into a tolerable tune?
I really miss John McGeoch’s sublime guitar in this debut record. It’s the thing that made Siouxsie And the Banshees truly shine on their masterpiece, Juju. The Scream is just fine - and that’s not quite enough coming from such an influential group.
Yeah she sure screamed
Good debut, but they would do so much better in the future.
A great starter for Siouxsie and the Banshees and the best was only yet to come. Love that band.
I did not enjoy that at all
Its not something i listen to for the sake of it. I like this list giving me albums i wouldnt listen to or never would have discovered. Im not a big goth fan or post punk or punk at all, its something i never listen to. While this is a very influential album that apparently influenced Sonic Youth which is one of my favorite bands that also influenced some of my other favorite bands, I feel neutral about this. I dont like it, but I dont dislike it either?
70’s
Uhh, another album by The Long Name band. I didn't like it before, I don't like it now. Well, I guess it always could have been worse.
An interesting album. I could see where this band was influential to a lot of others, but as is, I didn’t really care for it. Too many times it felt more like noise than music. The only song that really stuck out to me was the last one on the album, and I wish there had been more like it.
One of the better Siouxsie albums - not perfect but quite a good post-punk / goth standard. For a genre album it’s tops.
Can't see much of a reason to revisit this one.
Not sure why this one is in the list?
While I appreciate the influence this album had on later bands, the overall sound of the music felt hollow
Very influential post-punk album from the 70s which inspired many bands later. It's punchy and tight, the singing is often good, at another times it is a bit much. I preferred JuJu over this album, but I'm giving it a 4 because of its influence it had on so many others.
This one was ok. You can really see the influence that came from this thing. There’s a few good songs, but it didn’t really make me feel anything throughout. It’s good but has its flaws.
I’m so glad wee weirdos have someone to look up to 🖤
This is so ahead of its time. It sounds like Sleater-Kinney or some other 90s indie garage rock, but almlst 15 years earlier. Crazy, and it sounds pretty great for a garage band. Given the limited scope of the instruments, many parts of it sound similar, but it still largely works and I'm really impressed with this sound vs what was popular in the era. Switch eas my favorite, and Jigsaw Feeling did a good job of priming me for the album.
Not for me… just noise.
AAAHHHHHHH
I just imagine a bunch of hippies singing these, not bad just funny. 2.7
Mittageisen becomes even more fun if you imagine it being said by a Tom Baker era Doctor Who villain. A lot of talk here about how influential The Banshees were, and despite that not being up for debate, it also misses that the reason this was so influential is because of how good it is. Like so much of the early Gothic Post-Punk scene, The Scream grips you with it’s doomy atmosphere, but unlike the gloomy soundscapes of The Cure’s Gothic trilogy or Joy Division’s albums, The Banshees still bring Punk energy to Post-Punk. This is one of my favourite albums simply in terms of how music sounds. I’m sure I’ve read a joke somewhere about an aging Baby Boomer music critic complaining about new music because his Platonically ideal music sounds exactly like Led Zeppelin. Well to me, that sound is Post-Punk. When I picture myself recording an album, it sounds like The Banshees, and The Cure, and Joy Division, and all of these other bands that I love so dearly
Love to listen to an album that pioneered a particular sound. Very solid album.
Soild album deserves its place on the list but not as good as JuJu though so won’t be getting added to my frequent rotation.
Very conflicting. I liked the overall vibe and the instrumentals were good. The vocals were sometimes interesting and sometimes grating. Made me feel something at least.
Favorite Track: Jigsaw Feeling
One of the things I always appreciated about this band is that they had their own sound and unusual vibe during a time when most bands were jumping on the punk bandwagon. Their cover of Helter Skelter is one of the better Beatle covers you'll hear.