Doomsday: Back And..

Doomsday: Back And..

Seminal in the second Industrial Revolution--the one with grimly foreboding vocals, scary synth sounds, and rat-at-at machine gun rhythms--Skinny Puppy have arguably become as influential as predecessors such as Cabaret Voltaire. Among the faithful, any noise from the Puppy camp is cause for celebration, and <I>Doomsday</I> is no exception. The first full-on collaboration between founding members cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre since the band's 1995 dissolution, the disc offers no new material but instead draws on tracks from albums like <I>Last Rights</I> and <I>Too Dark Park</I>. Taking advantage of new technology to add layers of triggered samples and the like, Key and Ogre grimace and grunt through "The Choke," "Testure," and "Worlock" with all the malevolent rhythmic spasms and fiendish vocals one would expect from a band commenting on slavery, fascism, and, in "Convulsion," "hate disease." Fans will find the abrasive textures redemptive while non-fans will simply find the album to be the sonic equivalent of being trapped in a haunted insane asylum the night of a full moon. Still, the audio clarity is exceptional and Key and Ogre are in top soapbox apocalypse mode. Excedrin, anyone? <I>--Shawn Conner</I>