The Scream

The Scream was recorded in one week in August 1978 at RAK Studios and mixed over three weeks. Lillywhite had drummer Kenny Morris record the bass drum and snare first and the cymbals and toms later, and Morris used cymbals sparingly. The group wanted no lead instrument, and Severin described the bass as a driving instrument. J. G. Ballard and William S. Burroughs were reference points for the lyrics, and Severin said Ballard resonated because his near-future tales were set in a suburban wasteland.

The title was partly inspired by the 1968 film The Swimmer. The cover was Siouxsie's idea: photographer Paul Wakefield shot underwater in an indoor pool at the YMCA in central London, using schoolchildren as models. John Peel played the album through from an advance cassette on BBC Radio 1 more than a month before release, then said "that's the one boys and girls, that's the one."

It was released on 13 November 1978 and peaked at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart, with no singles from it. Sounds named it the best debut album of the year, and Record Mirror gave it five stars. Nick Kent of NME wrote that the traditional three-piece sound had never been used in a more unorthodox fashion with such stunning results. Garbage singer Shirley Manson said she responded to the aggression and the darkness in it. A 2005 Deluxe Edition reissued it on CD, with a vinyl reissue following in September 2018.