The musical partnership forged by cEvin Key and Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy was a match made in Heaven for the deviant music listener. Theirs was an abstract approach to an already unconventional art form. Who knew that angelic atmospherics, and gospel chords could work under an avalanche of beats and warped basslines to such devastating effect?

Many of the rhythms that were constructed by cEvin Key had their roots in funk and hip-hop – hear Stairs & Flowers, Who’s laughing Now? and Tormentor for proof. Goettel added contorted atmospherics, movie samples, and keyboard lines to juxtapose the distorted beats. To tie it all together, they would throw in a bassline that would even make Bootsy Collins shout – check out Addiction (1st Dose Remix), Chainsaw, State Aid, and Tear Or Beat to get a fix.

Another signature of Skinny Puppy was their unpredictability. To add to the masterful musicianship of Key and Goettel was the unparalleled production of David Ogilvie, often considered a fourth member, who was with them from 1985 – 1996. His intricate, textured approach to production only served to enhance the strengths of Key, Goettel, and Ogre, further separating them from the field of their peers by constructing some of the most original compositions in that genre to date.

Ogilvie would keep you guessing at what’s around the corner as his abstract sonic manipulations lead you down a wormhole. Compare the original version of Tormentor with the re-make on Hymns of the Warlock, a cover album of their songs by other artists, and you’ll be floored.

Skinny Puppy are the only band that I have ever listened to whose songs are so sonically sophisticated, that you can hear something new years later after listening to the same song dozens of times. When you discover this, your listening experience changes all over again. One day I was trying to explain to a friend why I liked Skinny Puppy. I shared in his tastes of standard R&B, Hip-Hop, and some Pop, but I noticed he was willing to expand his horizons. It was hard to put into words how an Industrial band that looked like death warmed over on stage could throw down some of the sickest basslines and beats known to man. I had him sit and listen to the remix of Tormentor in headphones. After the song ended, my boy sat for a moment, bewildered… “Man, that’s cold. These fools are tight.” That’s what I had been trying to tell him for two years.

To the casual listener, it probably sounds like pure noise. And then when the vocals kick in, some (like my sister, God bless her) would say it’s “devil music”. Well, the lyrics have always been intelligent and challenging, but I can assure you that there are no “Satanic incantations” – that’s simply not what Skinny Puppy are about; and besides, Ogre is Agnostic. But, Ogre’s voice is distorted in different ways to match the mood of a song. His delivery is extraordinarily unique. He’s not a singer, but he’s not a Death-Metal throat screamer either. Ogre coined what he does as “brap” (a cross between rapping and barking?) years ago. He uses synthetic and organic vocal manipulations to convey unforgiving self-reflective clarity. The result can be pain, shame, guilt, fear, anger, triumph, strength, or hope. Ogre’s voice is so much a part of the compositions that you don’t feel he’s vocalizing as much with the songs as he is in them. And, consequently, you are pulled in, overwhelmed, and enveloped by the sonic sorcery.

These guys were hardcore on the dancefloor before it was fashionable – and they didn’t need to scream behind a wailing guitar to convince you either. Current "Industrial" artists should take notes. Perhaps they were so potent because they believed in what they created. They had no affected lyrics and posturing. They were not posers. They simply dealt pure, raw emotion through sound. Listening to Skinny Puppy can almost be a multi-dimensional experience.

Invariably, people say that Skinny Puppy is unlike anything they have ever heard or seen. On stage they are like Alice Cooper crossed with G.G. Allin (minus the nudity and excrement of course). In sound they are like a Netherworld of deep space horror grooves lurking in the deepest recesses of your mind. When encountered, the result is a concentrated dose of truth in a society of smoke and mirrors. Skinny Puppy’s aim is to open our eyes. And some of us are daring enough to look and listen.

By Cazembe Abena

My Top Ten Skinny Puppy Tracks
1. Tormentor (Remix)
2. Addiction (1st Dose Remix)
3. Who’s Laughing Now? (Album Version on Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate)
4. Dig It (Remix)
5. Chainsaw (from Stairs & Flowers EP or Chainsaw EP)
6. Censor [Dogshit] (Remix)
7. Tear or Beat (Album Version from Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate)
8. Worlock (Album Version from Rabies)
9. The Choke (Remix)
10. Stairs & Flowers (Def Wish Mix) (from Stairs & Flowers EP or Chainsaw EP)

Also Read Part 1