Metal & Mike: THE LION’S DAUGHTER Unleash Horror & Synth in Future Cult
Michael Pementel
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“I discovered horror and metal at a very young age and was instantly infatuated with both,” states The Lion’s Daughter vocalist/guitarist Rick Giordano. “They both triggered the darker aspects of the psyche, the ones you were taught to ignore. They were fascinating and intriguing. Two of my favorite bands were, and still are, Slayer and the Misfits, [as well as] later stuff like Gwar, Skinny Puppy, etc. All of which incorporated tons of horror elements. It was the best of both worlds. I’ve always wanted to emulate what those bands did, but put a unique spin on it. It’s taken years to figure out, but I think with this record we’ve finally achieved that. It’s been a long time coming.”
The Lion’s Daughter is an extravagant and unique take on metal, horror, and synthwave. Their new record, Future Cult (Season of Mist, released this past July), is a hauntingly thrilling experience. From the moment it starts, the record is a pulse-pounding trip into madness. Sonic rhythms of synth ride alongside clashing drums and sinister vocals and guitar work, presenting a captivating atmosphere. The end product results in music that would make any horror soundtrack proud.
The band finds their inspiration from a variety of acts, some whose music has appeared in horror films. One of their biggest inspirations is the legendary Goblin. “Besides [Goblin],” Giordano says, “John Carpenter is also a pretty obvious one. Perhaps unsurprisingly we all really dig the synthwave thing that is exploding right now as well. We approached several songs with Zombi [in mind], who are a big influence; [such as] the way they will take a synth loop and build and expand on it and let it evolve over the course of a song. The experimental aspects of bands like Terra Tenebrosa, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Horseback were also quite inspiring during the writing of this record. Those bands are all very difficult to categorize and think very much outside the box; [that’s] something super admirable I wish more bands would have the guts to do.”
For Giordano, creating such visceral music requires a certain mindset; he states it takes a specific vision and level of uncomfort [sic] to present an intimate feeling of horror. In creating their music, he says, “The willingness to spend some time in a fairly uncomfortable part of your brain is definitely a necessity (for me at least). Music like this doesn’t come from a good place. It also requires a great deal of patience. It’s easy to write a standard pop song, or a typical rocker… but finding eerie, violent sounds takes a bit more work and experimentation. I think it’s also a lot more taxing on your overall mental health. If there’s an easier or more standardized way to approach it, I haven’t found it yet.”
He also shares how the band focuses on creating what they want, rather than be concerned with the wants of listeners. “Honestly, I’m not really trying to convey anything. I don’t think about how the listener is going to respond to the songs, or what kind of emotional reaction they might have. I’m more interested in working through these sounds and ideas and then figuring out what exactly they mean to me and where the hell it came from.”
“I try to just stay out of the way and let the songs themselves tell me what they demand lyrically and listen closely to where they are trying to go. You follow different paths in different directions and see where you land… then step back and look at the piece and try to understand what it all is. Fear and hopelessness seem to be strong themes throughout the record. I’ve maybe become less of an angry person over the course of this band, and apparently when I stop writing about hatred and misanthropy… fear is what I’m left with? So I can’t really make a listener’s interpretation a concern, when I’m not really even sure of my own.”
The Lion’s Daughter‘s love for music and horror inspires them to create grim compositions that linger with chills and unease. Future Cult is a sincere horror experience, each song slipping under the skin of listeners and contorting around their minds. Giordano shares that The Lion’s Daughter is still growing, but that they will focus on what moves them. “As far as [a] philosophy [in regard to our work],” he states, “I’ll have to be honest and say that I don’t really know. It’s something that I’m learning about and figuring out as the band progresses. If anything I would say that the title of our previous album ‘Existence is Horror‘ pretty accurately sums up what our band is about and how each one of us feels in general.”
“And again, how the musical or lyrical content effects the listener really isn’t a concern. We don’t make this music for them, we make it for us. If any of this were written with other people in mind, I think it’d be a completely different kind of record. And one that I personally wouldn’t even be able to listen to. If you enjoy it, that’s great. If you hate it, that’s fine too… we didn’t make it for you. That’s not just us trying to be edgy or too cool… This band has been about doing whatever we wanted and pleasing ourselves from day number one. If that every changes, then it’s time for us to hang it up.”
You can purchase a copy of Future Cult via the Season of Mist website or Bandcamp. You can also check out the song “Call The Midnight Animal” below. Click here to read older posts from Metal & Mike. You can also find me on Twitter.
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