Sleeping Beast

from the LP Remission, Nettwerk Records, 1984



Long before groups like Nine Inch Nails took the scene in a more mainstream direction, the connotations with industrial music were much darker and more theatrical; seriously, back in school, if someone was wearing a Skinny Puppy t-shirt, you could make a reasonably safe guess that they were also wearing all black, something relating to bondage, and had hair bigger than Robert Smith. Skinny Puppy formed in Vancouver, Canada in the early ‘80s, and this was their first long player (not including their demo); honestly, were it not for Nivek Ogre’s gravelly and slightly-over-the-top vocals, this could blend right in with the coldwave and synth-pop of that time. They have continued to shape their sound over the years, becoming slower and even moodier, establishing a rabid and achingly loyal fan base across the globe.