Moonskin is Northern Dark Melodic Metal from Canada.
Taking inspiration from the dark eeriness of the forest at night, the music is a combination of symphonic and melodic death metal sound, with groove and black metal influences, culminating in a rhythmic and intellectually focused sonic landscape.
The music and lyrics delve into a wide range of emotion and explore fantastical concepts of the supernatural, lycanthropy, high fantasy, and horror; touching on exploration, loss, healing, ascension, power, life and death. With musical influences like In Flames, Children of Bodom, Meshuggah, Lamb of God and Six Feet Under, for fans of the melodic metal genre Moonskin is certain to please.
Moonskin began in 2009 as an idea of being a place for exploration of musical concepts that were outside the scope of Northwind (Kris North’s former band). Kris, Moonskin’s founder, had written nearly an albums worth of material that was yet unused and thus the album concept for Lycanthropy was born. Over nearly a decade of work at a leisurely pace the first (fun) track was released in 2017. ” Blakkr Jarn Burdr Daggr” or atramentous observance of diurnal course, or black metal happy birthday is a happy birthday song done as a tribute to black metal.
Subsequent single releases followed. “Melody for the Grey” (2019), is a melodic and melancholy look at loss, grief, healing, and holding ones head high and rising to life's challenge. Lycanthropy (2020), is a Meshuggah like grinding, energetic, track about Lycanthropy and the bloody, grisly, horror of a Lycanthrope enslaved by the moon’s insatiable bloodlust, rampaging through the darkened woods on a moonlit night causing death and destruction to all he encounters.
Moonskin’s first full length EP release, “Lunar Ascendence” (2022) is a dark look at subjugation, oppression, war, lycanthropy, duality: logic and instinct, the conscious and unconscious mind, temptation and restraint, reinvention, rebuilding and revenge.
A forthcoming full length album (release date yet undetermined), “Lycanthropy” is a rich drawing from many styles across the metal genre and focusses on telling a high fantasy tale about a town haunted by a Lycanthrope and the horror, gore, adventure, chaos, and transcendence that ensue.
Imagine walking through a dark forest at night, a rich smell of pine on a gentle breeze rustling the trees. A large, sadistic, haunting moon glares down at you through gnarled tree branches. Your hair starts to rise as you hear the far off howl of a lone wolf. You shudder as thankfully it is so far off. The shudder turns to panic as you hear an answering chorus, this time closer, and from all around you. You realize there is something standing outlined in the darkness, watching you from the hill ahead. Something eight feet tall, heavily muscled, and with the head of a wolf…… This is the music of Moonskin.
