Hailed as the godfathers of electro-industrial, Skinny Puppy has been producing innovative electronic music for over three decades and has never been shy about voicing their opinion about issues that plague society. The group’s latest, Weapon, stands as a commentary on that which it was named after. For this release, the duo of cEvin Key and ohGr (with the aid of Mark Walk) ventured back to the early days of composing simple and direct songs that focus on strong abstract themes. In this case, the glorification of gun culture and the mass media’s homogenization of an instrument of death into an entertainment centerpiece.
Raw, uncompromising, and visceral Weapon is a solid and dark effort that fuses elements of ambient, noise, electro, new wave, industrial, and rock. There are some truly powerful moments here that are highlighted by ohGr’s sneering vocals and philosophical lyrics and cEvin’s snyth modulations and sound manipulations. The dancefloor worthy “wornin” opens up this controversial release. Some musical experimentation takes place in “paragUn,” with its pop undertones. “tsudanama” is another experimental piece in which menacing mechanized rhythms crash over the listener in waves. “plasiCage” will provoke you to retaliate against a gun worshiping culture. The pulsating rhythms of “illisiT” and analog synths of “gLowbeL” pay homage to the classic Skinny Puppy sound as does “solvent.”
Weapon is more methodical than past efforts, but it’s a smart, dynamic and tightly written record that finds ohGr and cEvin really showing off their chemistry.Check it out when it hits the streets on May 28th. – NIN
No comments:
Post a Comment