Florence + The Machine – ‘Everybody Scream’ Review: A Powerful Communal Exorcism of Pain

Florence + The Machine's ‘Everybody Scream’ channels raw emotion and collective female strength through haunting, mystical sounds and unforgettable vocals.

“It’s your troubled hero / Back for season six,” Florence Welch croons on the opening track, The Old Religion, her siren-like voice dripping with irony and raw emotion. But this isn’t just the story of one woman’s struggle. Her sixth album as Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream, serves as a collective exorcism — a communal release of the complex horrors and hopes that define womanhood.

Florence Welch captured in a striking portrait by Autumn de Wilde.

Before the album hit the public earwaves, Florence opened up about the deeply personal crisis that catalyzed this work: an ectopic pregnancy that nearly cost her life while on tour. Despite the trauma and physical toll of her miscarriage and emergency surgery, Welch was determined not to cancel her final tour dates. Ten days later, she was back on stage, embodying resilience and a fierce refusal to be silenced.

Mortality Meets Mysticism

Where her 2022 album Dance Fever wrestled with motherhood’s possibilities, Everybody Scream turns its gaze inward, meditating on mortality with a heightened sense of urgency. This record feels less like a simple catharsis and more like an urgent prayer, an homage to the women who came before and the generations yet to come. The energy pulses and aches throughout, capturing something both ancient and immediate.

Watch: Florence + The Machine - Everybody Scream (Official Music Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03iBgkXb1EE

Following her near-death experience, Welch sought to strip back her vocals to something more elemental and raw. She embraced ululations and medieval vocal techniques, even returning to opera training to hone this new, primal style. To amplify the communal and ritualistic feel, she collaborated with the Idrîsî Ensemble, specialists in medieval music, and the Deep Throat Choir, an all-female vocal group she affectionately dubs her “witch choir.”

This sonic ritual reaches its peak on Witch Dance, where the music conjures an eerie woodland clearing bathed in silver moonlight, with bodies shuddering beneath the glow. Drink Deep adds a layer of unsettling charm, blending delicate wind chimes with the haunting beat of ancient drums, as Florence’s voice casts a spell with every lyric.

A Modern-Day Spellbook

Drawing inspiration from Wicca, the Brontë sisters, and Mary Shelley, Everybody Scream weaves folklore and mysticism into a tapestry that’s unmistakably contemporary. It cleverly reflects the disconnection of today’s chronically online generation, fumbling for relief through new-age rituals.

Take Perfume and Milk for example—a doomscrolling journey through TikTok tarot readings, with Florence crooning about “downloading revelations divine love on my phone” and the distraction that technology brings. The track Kraken captures the alienation of modern bodies and minds: “Sometimes my body seems so alien to me / I quiet it down by watching TV / But grow restless and grow hungry as the water rises up around me.”

Raw Femininity in a Pressurized World

This album arrives at a moment when women face relentless pressure—to remain eternally youthful, thin, and flawless—and in a world where reproductive rights are under attack. Florence’s brutally honest exploration of femininity is as cathartic as it is political, channeling collective rage and grief.

The music industry’s sexism also gets a sharp spotlight. In One Of The Greats, Welch relives the exhausting push to rise above early criticism, highlighting the double standards where male artists can coast in faded jeans, but female artists must dazzle constantly. Music By Men finds her surrendering into a quiet defiance: sliding down in her seat, not to threaten, while listening to a song by The 1975. The sweeping You Can Have It All—with its Bond-esque strings—poses a haunting question: “A piece of flesh, a million pounds, am I a woman now?”

A Subtle, Poignant Goodbye

Unlike many albums that end on a soaring high, Everybody Scream closes with a gentle sigh. Florence reflects,

“The gift of going through something awful is that you can embrace someone who’s been through it too.”

The final track, And Love, drifts away with signature harp melodies and faint whispers of “peace is coming.” It’s a quiet, surprising farewell that lingers long after the fury and anguish have passed—magical and ephemeral, like the changing seasons themselves.

Album Details

The haunting artwork of Florence + The Machine’s ‘Everybody Scream’.

• Record label: Polydor Records
• Release date: October 31, 2025

FAQ

• What inspired Florence Welch’s ‘Everybody Scream’ album?
  The album was inspired by Florence Welch’s personal experience with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, which influenced its themes of mortality, femininity, and communal healing.
• How does ‘Everybody Scream’ differ from previous Florence + The Machine albums?
  This album takes a more raw, primal approach to vocals and thematics, incorporating medieval singing techniques and focusing heavily on collective female experiences and mortality.
• What musical groups collaborated on the album?
  Florence worked with the Idrîsî Ensemble, who specialize in medieval music, and the Deep Throat Choir, an all-female vocal collective, to create its ritualistic sound.
• Are there any standout themes in the album?
  Yes, the album deals with themes of femininity under societal pressure, mortality, mysticism, sexism in the music industry, and healing through shared pain.
• Is there a lead single or music video from the album?
  Yes, the official music video for Everybody Scream is available online, showcasing the album’s intense and mystical aesthetic.

If Florence + The Machine’s powerful storytelling and haunting album art have captured your imagination, consider bringing that magic into your space. Shop your favorite album cover posters at our store for a beautiful piece of music history to treasure.

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