SKYND center their craft around true crime, exploring the darker side of humanity through their music. Earlier tracks were largely electronic, though since their collaboration with Korn’s Jonathan Davis on “Gary Heidnik,” things have turned metallic, particularly with recent singles such as “Violets Are Blue” and “Armin Meiwes.” Their single drops are sporadic and unpredictable, much like the killers they write about, and their latest one is a particularly disturbing one.
“Aileen Wuornos” is about the infamous serial murderer who shot and killed seven of her sex work clients over the course of a year between November 1989 and November 1990. Her life and crimes were depicted by Charlize Theron in the 2003 biopic Monster, for which Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The song is percussive and boisterous, with lead singer and face of the group SKYND hitting some uncharacteristic belts during a couple of points in her vocal performance. The production of her cohort Father is tight as ever, weaving a musical backdrop for this horrifying tale.
Its accompanying music video features SKYND in a new red outfit, playing a stark contrast to her monochromatic makeup. As their media has historically done, it does not glamorize Wuornos’ crimes, but depicts the madness and the descent into it, showing her turn from someone taken advantage of into someone who became her own judge, jury, and eventually, executioner. The video is equal parts cathartic and unnerving, exploring an uncomfortable tale.
New merch has been released by the group in celebration of the new single, which can be found in their online store. Much of it centers around the lyric “if you can’t be a good example, be a horrible warning,” which is poetic as much as it is potent.
Check out the music video for SKYND’s “Aileen Wuornos”:
