The Lion's Daughter - Skin Show

The Lion's Daughter's career trajectory has been extremely interesting to say the least. The band started out playing blackened sludge, but then put out a sort of folk black metal stunner in collaboration with The Indian Blanket in 2013 with The Black Sea. Now the band has reinvented themselves again as a synth driven heavy project. This new record, Skin Show builds on the demented vibes of its horror film inspired predecessor Future Cult. The thing is... this record explores a totally different vibe for the band, one that's... bright? 

There are a lot of interesting components to Skin Show and it's really a delight to sink your teeth into what they do on this record.  The transition to being fully synth driven is unexpected, but also strangely excellent. It's really a delight to unveil the many layers here, and it really stands up to further listens. While there are lots of metal fringes here, when you really unpack it, the only thing that makes this record ostensibly metal throughout is the vocals. They retain the same grit of yore. However, the title track is one of many that doesn't even really showcase guitars at all. While there are certainly sludgy elements, this is a synth album first and foremost. 

Skin Show is an interesting offering and it's cool to see a band really pushing the envelope on who they can be and what they can do. This is a record that will torment the mind and hint at dark and strange new worlds. There's a lot to unpack and a very real emotional depth that helps to make the release that much more compelling. Losing yourself in these layers is a delight and it hints at a strange future world that captures the imagination and punishes the eardrums. For those of us in love with dark music - what more could we want?

Pre-order the album!

https://thelionsdaughter.bandcamp.com/album/skin-show