If I had to choose one industrial music band to represent the genre I might have to pick this Vancouver, BC based group. Skinny Puppy began around 1982 and have been producing music more or less ever since. There have been very few lineup changes, the most significant of which however was the tragic death of longtime member Dwayne Goettel in 1995. A long legacy of fascinating albums span the bands history but arguably their best material comes from the albums released between 1988 - 1992.
Harsh, beat-driven soundscapes with frightening vocal performances and movie samples is typical of their music, although some of their early material is interesting for its softer synthesizer touches and quieter moments. Listen to outtakes from their Brap: Vol 3 & 4 release. Listen also to tracks like Dig It , Deep Down Trauma Hounds, and Addiction for examples of the influence this band had on the likes of Nine Inch Nails and others.
Let's take a look at some of the key tracks from this highly influential band, concentrating on their late 80s material:
- VX Gas Attack - From VIVIsectVI (1988). A sonic account of the Iran-Iraq war from the late 80's (ironic now because remember that we were backing Saddam Hussein at the time) specifically about a chemical weapon attack. This album also marked a more modern and focused sound for the band.
- Worlock - From Rabies (1988). Rabies is a really great album and probably the best one to start with as it is mostly comprised of synth-and-guitar laden tracks without many harsh or dissonant sections. Al Jourgensen of Ministry was heavily involved on this album and some fans see this as more of a side-project album than a Puppy album but either way it's great. Worlock is particularly fine.
- Spasmolytic - From Too Dark Park (1990). A fascinating track (along with Tormentor from the same album) featuring heavy synth bass and a sonic clarity not heard on their previous albums. Partially I think this is due to advances in digital recording and partially their composition and arrangements skills had had plenty of time to mature. Too Dark Park is a more challenging album to appreciate at first blush but its washes of harsh unpredictable noise may sound random but upon closer inspection it's clear that it's in fact carefully constructed.
- Love in Vein - From Last Rights (1992). This might be my favorite Puppy album of all time, and Love in Vein is certainly one of their best songs. Last Rights is thick, troubling, and at times downright scary to listen to. That said, I think it has a certain classical music quality; there's a unity in the sound and subject almost making this a concept album of sorts for the band. There's also a sincerity to it which is hard to ignore. Nothing they've done before or since sounds like it and I think it represents the pinnacle of their craft.
Both The Process (1996) and Greater Wrong of the Right (2004) are worth listening to if the tracks listed above catch your fancy. If you want a good taste of their earlier music check out Bites (1985) for one of the best examples.
