Skinny Puppy - The Greater Wrong Of The Right

Written by Tom Johnson
Published May 25, 2004

It's not so difficult to imagine Skinny Puppy continuing to exist throught mid-90s - most of the solo output of the members has sounded more like Skinny Puppy than the band's own "final" album, The Process, actually did. After Dwayne Goettel died of an overdose, the band finished up that album and released it to a world that was rapidly growing sick of the industrial sound. While the album maintained much of the attitude and fury SP was known for, they had begun to absorb more mainstream sounds - guitars were featured heavily and song structures veered more toward standard rock than ever before. While guitars had been a part of the mixture, they had never been so prominent, not even on the very "rock" Rabies (which featured the influence of Ministry's Al Jourgensen.) The Process failed to satisfy many fans - which is unfortunate because what's good on the album is pretty great - but what's not . . . isn't. The members of Skinny Puppy disbanded, but the sound continued on as Download - named after a cacophonous Skinny Puppy track from the seminal Last Rites. The first two albums as Download, Furnace and The Eyes Of Stanley Pain along with their accompanying EPs, Microscopic and Sidewinder, respectively, picked up where Skinny Puppy had failed to pick up with The Process, incorporating SP's penchant for intriguing sounds and angular structures with touches of techno. Later Download albums would explore the techno end of music more as they shed the identity of being Skinny Puppy Part II. In the meantime, on various other side projects, the Skinny Puppy sound still continued - you can't blame them for seemingly being unable to get away from sound they helped pioneer. Ogre's project Ohgr was really a more pop-oriented Skinny Puppy, and his other project, the (so far) one-off Rx, with the legendary drummer Martin Atkins was akin to what Skinny Puppy might sound like with less reliance on keyboards and computers - I always liken this to "acoustic industrial." It came as a pleasant surprise to hear that Skinny Puppy had reformed for a reunion concert, which was documented on Doomsday: Back and Forth, Volume 5, and only a slightly more shocking surprise to hear that a new album was in the works. The Greater Wrong Of The Right brings Ogre and Key back into the fold with new member Mark Walk. But is is really Skinny Puppy?

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Skinny Puppy - The Greater Wrong Of The Right
Published: May 25, 2004
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Section: Music
Filed Under: Music: Rock, Music: Electronica
Writer: Tom Johnson
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Comments

#1 — May 25, 2004 @ 16:12PM — Smenkharon

I am very excited for this album and even more excited for the live tour! I hear Wayne Static and Danny Carey will be joining them on tour!

#2 — December 22, 2004 @ 03:20AM — stF [URL]

As a fan of skinny puppy wotk for some 10 years now I can say that the new album is not SP as before, it's just SP as now. They still continue to entertain me their own special way and that's definitely OK with me. 100% agree with your comment.

#3 — February 1, 2005 @ 00:27AM — revolut10n

Well, after having listened to this album for the 1st time, and having been a long time fan of SP (own 9 albums or so) I'd have to say that I like this quite a bit.. Granted, tis not the SP that I grew up with, but what the hell? We've had 9 years or so. People change in time. You cannot expect to hear the same sound year after year after year.. I'm glad this release turned out as it has..

#4 — May 11, 2006 @ 04:49AM — Progression: Natural? [URL]

Judging that Kevin Ogilvie paired up with Mark Walk to produce the two ingenious ohGr albums, recruiting him for Skinny Puppy seemed a shoe-in. As I heard this album, I was verified that Mark Walk, Kevin Ogilvie, and cEvin Key can produce excellent work together.

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