BitterJalapeno “The Tiger’s Daughter” is the fourth full length release by one-man progressive metal machine Brett Windnagle, otherwise known as Lascaille's Shroud. Windnagle stated that the mood he was attempting to project on this single-track epic was reflective of the emotions he experienced whilst reading a trilogy of fantasy novels by K. Arsenault Rivera which focuses on the ups and downs of a romantic relationship between two female Oriental warriors. He certainly did not fail in his endeavours as this is one hell of an emotional journey through sound, encompassing both dark and light realms while maintaining an impressive level of cohesion throughout.

A wide range of musical influences is explored, including but by no means limited to death metal, progressive metal, classic heavy metal, post-rock, and traditional Oriental folk. The bulk of the music is slow to mid-paced death metal with riffs and chord progressions that steadily chug along underneath brutal death growls. Also present is the classic death metal technique of tremolo picking but, in this case, it is not overused, adding variety rather than being a mainstay. The inclusion of synthesisers provides an atmospheric background to the whole experience while the use of Oriental elements - possibly a koto - add a touch of authenticity to the subject matter.

There are few guitar solos throughout the album, but lack of quantity is more than compensated for by the quality as when they appear, they soar to great heights, displaying effective use of melody in contrast to the brutality of death metal while also drawing some influence from the classic heavy metal of the 80s. Even though I have not read the novel in question, I imagine that Windnagle created these solos to mirror the most joyous parts of the novel’s narrative and has done so with great success. Further adding contrast are piano-led segments – reminiscent of the softer side of 90s and 00s post-rock acts such as Mogwai – which bring moments of calm to the album and maintains the listener’s interest as the journey continues. The greatest contrast, however, is the inclusion of clean vocals which are provided by Mercedes Victoria. Her soft voice adds huge volumes of emotion, simultaneously producing a true sense of love, pain, and longing.

To conclude, it can’t be denied that “The Tiger’s Daughter” is an excellent example of genre-fusion with a commendable level of cohesion. Although not something I would typically have sought out as general listening, I found it a most captivating listen where many musical styles are brought together in unexpected coexistence.