Die So Fluid – Skin Hunger
Release Date: 20th September 2024
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Punk, Hard Rock, Grunge, Alternative Rock.
FFO: Feline, My Ruin, Scarling, Mankind Is Obsolete, Queen Adreena, Jack Off Jill, Tapping The Vein.
Review By: Mark Waight
Once described as Siouxsie meets Slayer (which is not a bad analogy either) post-punk come hard rock band Die So Fluid can still be considered a bit of an enigma as they have constantly evolved and refined their sound from day one. Unbelievably, Skin Hunger is Die So Fluid’s sixth album in a career now spanning over twenty years. If they haven’t been on your radar before, then maybe now is the time for you to start exploring their back catalogue after being introduced to their latest offering.
Die So Fluid is Grog (Vocals), Drew Richards (guitar) and Justin Bennett (drums). Although now living in different parts of the world (USA, UK and Italy respectively) all three members have still been able to successfully create a great new listening experience for us all.
Make sure you Sharpen Your Sword for the opening track, which cuts a swathe straight to your brain with its razor-sharp riff and laid bare vocals. The softer themed Codeword has a much defter, almost delicate touch with a sugary sweet and catchy chorus.
If you like something a little gloomier, then take a Walk With Me into a retro inspired dark 80s synth infused world and enjoy the journey down memory lane. Title track Skin Hunger follows a very similar thread with lovely melancholy echoes of days long since gone, thoughts of Joy Division came to my mind.
The pace ticks up a notch or two with Dispute, a much heavier song altogether, with a grunge meets punk attitude being combined with some splendidly well executed hard rock guitar work. Not so hot on its heels is the much slower and blacker follow-up, which does indeed cast a Long Shadow as we are thrown into a dark pit of despair and then fully immersed in anguish.
Do You Dare carry on? Yes, we do, and in doing so we are gifted a glimmer of hope and love in this uplifting, dreamy, and fluffy cloud of a song that will certainly lighten your mood. Heavy on the bass and heavy on the pedal, We Are The Virus then takes things down once again. It’s grim, it’s broody, it’s bloody awesome!
We all experience a bit of Disillusion from time to time and music makes such a great tonic, with this penultimate track being no exception to the rule, it rocks! Sadly, we are now at The Start Of The End which is a fitting way to leave things and sign off with this emotionally powerful song bringing the curtain slowly down to the sound of beautiful birdsong!
Skin Hunger is one of those rare slow burning albums that grow on you each time you listen to them. To fully appreciate Skin Hunger, you need to first understand exactly how Die So Fluid tick, and then the rewards are boundless. Once you get Skin Hunger, I guarantee you will absolutely get it, but first you will have to put in a bit of work and effort, too. Recommended, but not for the feint hearted.
(3.5 / 5)
