Off the Dial

Written by: Steve Moore
November 3rd, 2009 ~ Vancouver, BC

When I saw that Skinny Puppy were returning for a live show in Vancouver this year, I thought, who better to provide Off the Dial with a live review than one of the biggest Skinny Puppy fans we know; Steve Moore. One half of the Unravelling, member of Post Death Soundtrack and former front-man of Calgary metal group Inner Surge, Moore took in their show earlier this month and provided us with a fantastic review. Enjoy!

In case you’ve been distracted by the seemingly endless barrage of horrid music this year and didn’t get the memo, Skinny Puppy is back. They have, since their 1982 Vancouver birth and their 1984 Remission release, long been recognized as one of the most artistic and intelligently shocking bands the industrial and dark music scenes have ever seen.

I’m going to say right off the bat that I’ve been a Puppy fan for many years, and I consider them artists in the truest sense of the word. To the casual music listener they have a harsh exterior and are easy for the glancing eye to misinterpret, but they are actually quite an emotionally charged unit. Many of their songs deal with human rights issues, dealing with addiction and depression, religious power, and of course, animal testing and abuse (watch the video for “Testure” on VIVIsectVI for a potent piece on this subject). This is a band that means a lot to a lot of people.

Over the years, Skinny Puppy, headed by cEvin Key (instruments/programming) and Nivek Ogre (vocals) have released critically acclaimed masterpieces such as Too Dark Park (1990), VIVIsectVI (1988) and what many consider their crown jewel, Last Rights (1992). Many Puppy fans thought the band’s story was over after the breakup and drama surrounding the recording and release of 1996’s much underrated release The Process. Luckily for listeners of good music (and beautiful noise), Ogre and Key decided to reform the band shortly after playing the 2000 Doomsday Festival in Dresden, Germany. Since then, SP has released the live CD Doomsday: Live in Dresden (2001), The Greater Wrong of the Right (2004) and the critically acclaimed Mythmaker in 2007. The Puppy sound has changed and evolved over the years, and most of their fans respect them for it.
They are not the kind of artists who have any intention of sticking to a formula.

The band’s triumphant return to Vancouver Nov 3 at the Rickshaw Theatre was a thrill for die-hard fans and new converts alike. SP are preparing for the upcoming release of their new album In Solvent See, which with any luck we’ll be seeing late 2009/early 2010. With keyboardist/instrumentalist cEvin Key and live drummer Justin Bennett already on stage, Nivek Ogre hobbled out with a walker, a 2 foot tall Pope-style hat, a white mask, and what appeared to be a straight jacket, all to the beautifully chaotic sounds of “Love in Vein”, the opening track to Last Rights. Seeing Key perfectly at home in his musical control centre and Ogre in his devilish element was a thrill. This is how you open a show.

As is to be expected from a band whose ideas and moods evolve from song to song, so did the visuals, costumes and effects. Ogre stuck himself in a metal cage for part of the show with a closed circuit camera, venting and growling his way through VIVIsectVI’s “Dogshit”. To continue with the sensory overload as the set continued, the backdrop flashed images of bombings, destruction, and of course, religious imagery – most notably the frantic imagery of Jesus during “ugLI”. The mechanical chorus finds Ogre repeating “Jesus wants to be ugli” over and over while holding a cane/cross.

“Assimilate” probably got the biggest crowd response of the night, and rightfully so. It’s one of the most recognizable tracks in the industrial genre, let alone the Puppy catalogue. Differing greatly from the setlist on the Greater Wrong of the Right live DVD, the band definitely made some obscure song choices which was nice to see. Tracks like “Rodent” and Too Dark Park’s “Tormentor” were rather excellent surprises.

After having his face covered in various ways throughout the show, Ogre came out mask less for the encore to play an explosive version of the fan favorite “Worlock”, and the blast from the past “Far Too Frail”.

All in all it was a classy show and I can’t imagine anyone in attendance being disappointed by the performance of Key, Ogre and Bennett. It was seamless and potent throughout. Though I would have loved to see “Tin Omen”, “Testure” or “Killing Game”, it was a highlight of my musical life seeing what I consider one of the most intelligent, and one of my personal favorite, bands of all time. I’d advise you to take a break from your downloading binge and buy In Solvent See when it hits stores.

The Unravelling have finished recording their debut album, 13 Arcane Hymns and are preparing it for digital release very soon. Keep an eye out for details on their web site and right here on Off the Dial!

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