Review Summary: smash glass houses
Reviewer's note: this was assigned to me from Ryan P.'s random review game, and it should be noted that I'm unfamiliar with this artist's work and made this review to the best of my ability with respect to the artist and also my own tastes. Some prior research was also done in an effort to retain historic accuracy in respect to the artist. Enjoy!
Vancouver, CA electro-industrial band Skinny Puppy first released
Remission in 1984 as a debut EP as a brand new artist signed to Nettwerk Music Group, then was released a year later with five additional songs (Incision, Film, Manwhole, Ice Breaker, and Glass Out), and became the definitive version of the EP, while also becoming what is recognized as the artist's debut LP. This album has since, at least to this listener, been an influence of numerous artists that sprung up from the following decade, such as Rob Zombie, NIN, or hell, even Ministry. In this modern era, I hear artists such as MGMT, La Roux, Dead When I Found Her, Grimes, Pearly Drops, the list goes on.
Remission right away fires on all cylinders, and introduces the central vibe and beat with Smothered Hope, and eases you in to the rest of the album, with a TR-909 drum machine leading the fore and the hoarse, energetic vocals of Nivek Ogre brooding along with the aggressive snares, contrasting well with (what I would describe as) a bright darkness of synth leads and funky bass tones. Glass Houses kicks this up a notch, and commands everyone onto the dance floor, with Nivek ordering everyone to "smash glass houses" as an ethereal synth descends upon the ears. It's here, my favorite beat of the album exists, commanding me to move my shoulders and step my feet to the cascade of the dark and careless rhythm. Incision features Nivek's most aggressive vocals and line delivery, positively exuding brooding energy with a signature heavy and echoey snare and grooving cymbals. Far Too Frail starts to push the pace a bit further, heavy kicks and a build up of pads and shrieks from Nivek, giving no quarter and only relenting to allow samples of spoken word commentary to play out to give depth to its lyrical themes. Film opens up mysteriously and curiously, showcasing some of the albums most diverse use of delay and acid-bass notes and layers, a low, almost whisper-quiet growl over the build-up, leading up to Manwhole, serving as an intermission of sorts to allow the listener to breathe a bit while still enjoying the clever droning of dark electro beats, and cutting itself short into Icebreaker, a truly remarkable cavernous pit of low, guttural, dark electro spoken words, abandoning all hope and every rhythm trend the album established thus far. Solvent keeps the battery acid industrial vibes going, becoming more and more sinister in its execution, Nivek returning to melodic and woeful singing, and it's at this point in the album I imagine I would be drenched in sweat on a dark dance floor, sunglasses barely hanging on to the bridge of my nose. Sleeping Beast, the longest track of the album, and arguably the most fun, begins with those familiar 80's synths and metronome clicks, that refuse to let up throughout it's six minute length, only to end with an interesting guitar solo played in reverse and fades out. Glass Out is a redux of sorts to Glass Houses, offering break-beat snares and tingly synths that keep the mood of the album going, until you hear Nivek enter with glitching and reverberating vocals and lyrics that return from Glass Houses, becoming the most "electro" track on the album with its' ferocious cuts and malfunctioning break down of vocals. The album closes with ...Brap, an interesting series of samples of blood-curdling shrieks and screaming over the usual fun beats and positively charged synths that feels like a funny way of saying "shows over, get your drinks and get out."
As someone who has never been familiar with this artist or their work,
Remission has been nothing less than a ton of fun and an interesting and pleasurable cruise through what is an origin of electro-industrial music and many of its sub-generes to date, its' dark passageways leading me deeper and deeper, all the while feeling a warm breeze of sheer energy and funk guiding me along the way, never fearful of its' sharp turns and toothy grin. Fangs out and collar turned up, I'll be dancing the night away to this for years to come.
