For their sixth studio album, Everybody Scream, Florence + The Machine deliver a raw and theatrical return that traverses mysticism, trauma, and catharsis under a gothic shimmering swirl. Led by Florence Welch, the album is equal parts ritual and pop explosion — an ambitious statement that positions the band at once in the realm of art-rock spectacle and intimate survival.
A Haunting Return
Announced in August 2025 with the single and title track “Everybody Scream,” Everybody Scream is set for release on October 31, 2025. Critics note the track’s eerie choir, glam-rock stomp, and horror-soundscape aesthetics.
What gives the album its visceral depth: Welch’s personal trauma. In late 2023 she underwent an ectopic pregnancy that nearly cost her life, an event she now says fuels the themes of this record.
Sound & Themes
Everybody Scream builds on Florence + The Machine’s signature grandeur — sweeping harp, choir, orchestral drums — but filters it through a darker lens. The production involves collaborators such as Aaron Dessner, James Ford, and Mark Bowen, tying in art-pop pedigree.
Lyrically and sonically, the album touches on:
- The cost of performance (“Look at me run myself ragged / Blood on the stage…” in “Everybody Scream”)
- The interplay of witchcraft and myth, horror and euphoria
- Female identity, loss, and rebirth — Welch delves into what it means to scream, to survive, to summon.
Musically, the album does not shy away from extremes: stomping glam rock meets choral chants; acoustic harps meet industrial rhythms. It feels bigger in scale but stripped of certain polish, in favour of visceral immediacy. Guardian review calls it: “alt-rock survivor surveys her kingdom with swagger.”
Highlights & Caveats
Highlights:
- “Everybody Scream” opens with portent and throws you into the maelstrom.
- Moments of rare vulnerability: when Welch’s voice softens, when orchestral quiet builds before the break.
- Ambitious production and bold thematic scope make this one of the band’s most daring works.
Caveats:
- The high theatricality may overwhelm listeners seeking simplicity or earlier folk-pop leanings.
- Some critics point to the album’s intensity as edging toward over-the-top: “brutally dramatic” in Swedish review.
Where It Stands
In comparison to earlier Florence + The Machine records — Lungs, Ceremonials, How Big How Blue How Beautiful, and Dance Fever — Everybody Scream is arguably their most unflinching yet. It retains the anthemic big-voice energy, but turns inward toward rawer emotion and mythic framing.
For fans seeking Florence Welch unleashed, this is it. For listeners who preferred the more stripped or introspective side, this might push too far into spectacle.
Verdict
Everybody Scream is a triumph of ambition. It doesn’t compromise its theatrics for accessibility, and that is both its greatest strength and its greatest risk. When Florence + The Machine lean fully into their mythic, haunted pop realm, they remind us why they remain one of the few acts willing to scream, soar, and shake the dust off the stage.
Score: 8 / 10