Change of Skin

Change of Skin marks the 2011 reunion of The Danse Society, arriving twenty-five years after their previous studio effort. It represents a significant evolution in their sound, most notably through the introduction of vocalist Maethelyia, who replaced original singer Steve Rawlings. This change fundamentally altered the band's harmonic profile, shifting from the traditional 'gothic baritone' toward a more ethereal and powerful range. Recorded with modern digital tools but retaining the band's signature use of icy, atmospheric synthesizers and driving post-punk basslines, the album serves as a bridge between their 1980s legacy and contemporary darkwave. Critical reception noted the album's polished production and its success in maintaining the band's 'metropolitan nocturnal' aesthetic without sounding like a mere nostalgia act. It is a dense, thirteen-track exploration of spiritual and identity-based themes, culminating in the nearly ten-minute epic 'End of Days.'