A shout, scream, yell, shriek, hoot, holler, vociferation, outcry, or bellow is a loud vocalisation in which air is passed through the vocal folds with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalisation. This process can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, including humans. There are slight differences in meaning amongst them; for example, "scream" and "shriek" generally refer to a higher-pitched, sharp sound, used by some birds and other animals, and a "hoot", such as emitted by an owl, usually does not involve words.

A scream is often an instinctive action, with a strong psychological aspect, like fear, pain, surprise, joy, anger and others.

As a phenomenon

In psychology

In psychology the scream is an important theme in the theories of Arthur Janov. In his Book The Primal Scream, Janov claims that the cure for neurosis is to confront the patient with his suppressed pain resulting from an experienced trauma. This confrontation gives birth to a scream. Janov believes that it is not necessary that it heals the patient from his trauma. The scream is only a form of expression of primal pain, which comes from one’s childhood, and the reliving of this pain and its expression. This finally appears through the scream and can cure the patient from his neurosis.

Screaming is an extended vocal technique that is mostly popular in "aggressive" styles of Western popular music including many styles of heavy metal and some styles of punk rock (especially hardcore punk) and industrial. In metal, the related death growl vocal technique is also popular. Intensity, pitch and other characteristics vary between different genres and different vocalists.

Genres

The following is a summary of notable genres in which screaming is often used:

Classical and experimental music

Although screams are often suggested in stories performed in the grand opera tradition, they were never performed literally, always being sung. The first significant example of an actual scream in an opera is in Alban Berg's Wozzeck (1922), where the eponymous character screams "Murder! Murder!" in the fourth scene of Act III. Even more strikingly, Berg's unfinished Lulu, written mainly in 1934, features a blood-curdling scream as the heroine is murdered by Jack the Ripper in the closing moments of the final scene. In Mascagni's 1890 CavalleriaRusticana the final line "They've murdered Turiddu!" is spoken, not sung, and often accompanied by a scream.