ALBUM REVIEW: Skin Hunger – Die So Fluid
From back in the day in the year 2000 to the present, DIE SO FLUID have strived to remain self-made. The English-originating rockers have always persevered as creatures of determination, willing to do whatever was necessary to push their craft into the world.
Consequently, their will to be part of the music scene is bold and evident today. After all, their latest album Skin Hunger came to total fruition through a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo. Through the platform, the band set a goal to make, and then tour the album. To make matters more challenging, they chose to do so on their own label Vorvolaka Records. But by harnessing the power of their fanbase, they have made great efforts to maintain creative control.
Releasing Skin Hunger was a slow burn. Parts of this new album have been released through the years via a series of singles dated as far back as 2020. The track Do You Dare is notable – in part – for that reason, having been released around the time COVID-19 struck the globe. Lyrics like “It suits me best if you’re compliant and suggestable” set to an almost hypnotising lull in the track are the band’s way of advising those to reflect on what they have been told to believe.
Comparatively, a progressive, gothic rock sound is laced in the bones of Long Shadow. The track starts with the prominent sound of Grog‘s bass and is soon accompanied by her slow, alluring drawl. Plucked strings in the instrumentation create a feeling of suspense and unnerving. The energy of the song shifts once the sound of guitars and percussion intensifies.
In many instances, songs are as melodic as they are gritty. In a track like Walk With Me, Grog reminds the listener how important it is to stand strong through total ruin. The song features the lyric “Let your heart / Break apart / Do not withdraw,” set to minimal instrumentation and prefaced by a winding guitar riff. Similarly, the title track is a particularly mournful tune with elements of a grunge sound.
There is no doubt DIE SO FLUID mean business with their return. The band wanted to make this release special by promising unique merch to donors. They relied on their own funds. In November, they will embark on a tour supporting THE MARCH VIOLETS in the USA. Currently, it is unknown whether Skin Hunger will live up to the likes of their most popular release Spawn Of Dysfunction (2004). Its success depends entirely on the climate of self-release in the present day, and the crowd receiving Skin Hunger now. Nevertheless, the band released this album through tireless efforts. That, in itself, is respectable. As a result of their drive, this may very well become a popular release.
Rating: 7/10
Skin Hunger is set for release on September 20th via Vorvolaka Records.
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