At one point it looked like it would never happen, but
Nivek Ogre and
cEvin Key made nice and put
Skinny Puppy back together again. The first thing to know about
Greater Wrong of the Right is that it's their last album,
The Process, done right. Not an innovative album, not a visceral album, but there are bits of the old Pup here -- more scary-movie samples than
The Process had, and a lot more of the stuttering beats of yore.
Ogre is still singing rather than barking, while
Key has just exploded when it comes to expansive production.
Key's given
Ogre a lush and dark world to deliver his serviceable lyrics over, but it's not always menacing and that's where old fans might cry "sellout." With freaky vocal manipulation
"Ghostman" recalls the band's earlier work for the better, while
Ogre's passe chant of "New World Order" on
"Neuwerld" recalls it for the worse. Too bad they're done making
Matrix movies, because the driven and melodic
"I'mmortal" would have fit on the
soundtrack and the memorable
"EmpTe" is just as poppy. Odd to think that
Skinny Puppy now sound more inspired when playing it straight -- or at least as straight as a band that wears pancake makeup and stage blood to its photo shoots can be -- but the album really comes alive when
Ogre croons.
"Use Less" -- with thunderous drumming from
Tool's
Danny Carey -- is
Ogre's great moment and the best evidence he can keep up with
Key's evolution. Get ready for the hardcore fan backlash, but
Greater Wrong of the Right at least makes up for
The Process, and with stunning structure from
Key, it beats most of the current
industrial music competition. ~ David Jeffries
