Skin On Flesh arrive All the Way with a fearless debut

If there’s one word to describe Skin On Flesh‘s debut album, All the Way, it’s ‘catharsis’.

Formed in 2020 by Laura Jiménez A. and Michiel Sybers, the band channels personal trauma and frustration into raw, rhythmic alt-punk. After bursting onto the Berlin music scene with their debut singles and EP Terrible and Sad, which was recorded in Mexico, the band gained wider recognition when their song El Tiempo was featured in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, before releasing All the Way earlier this year.

Featuring 11 tracks, Skin On Flesh is an autobiographical album that presents a melting pot of life experiences and attitudes. Its emotional and musical energy intensifies with repeated listening. The bilingual use of English and Spanish gives the album an intimate feel, allowing Laura to oscillate between ferocity and vulnerability in a genuinely distinctive way, a quality that deserves to put Skin On Flesh at the forefront of the current scene.

The album opens with Inevitable, a brutal burst of energy that immediately sets the tone. It channels the modern alt-punk urge to push forward despite burnout, with a confessional sensitivity that is reminiscent of IDLES.

Groundhog Day and Giving Up delve into rawer territory, reminding us of The Distillers with their straightforward riffs and choruses ready to be shouted along to at live gigs. But there’s a deeper emotional charge here that elevates them beyond the typical teenage rage of similar songs; these tracks transform pain into empowerment and draw a clear line in the sand. Noise continues in this vein, opening with the defiant declaration, ‘I will not stand where you want me to, watch me crumble,’ and never looking back. Adopting a riot-punk style in the style of Veruca Salt or Hole, Skin On Flesh abandon doubt entirely, embracing frontal resistance against those who seek to minimise or silence them.

Catholic School highlights the band’s politically engaged side, with lyrics that speak out against guilt, control and the suppression of individual identity, delivered in a style that combines alt-rock with elements of riot grrrl.

The title track, All the Way, is a declaration of intent. Skin on Flesh are tired of dreaming and want reality, commitment and an end to empty words. In the spirit of The Donnas, it’s a call to live life to the fullest.

Sunburn Road is the album’s most vulnerable moment, addressing the difficulty of letting go of someone who has become a stranger. Its melodic restraint contrasts sharply with the aggression of Bite and the final track, Videogames, both of which continue the introspective theme of the album: the monotony of routine and the contradiction of putting on a brave face when you’re actually broken inside.

The brighter side of Skin On Flesh shines through in their two Spanish-language tracks. Para Mí is an infectious garage-punk dance track that encourages you to embrace life over dwelling on sadness. Ejercicio de Motivación, meanwhile, takes a lighter, more ironic approach, poking fun at procrastination and the tension between laziness and perfectionism.

All the Way is one of the most compelling debuts of the year and one you won’t be able to stop playing. If Skin On Flesh are coming to your city, don’t miss them live.