Vivisect Vi
Skinny Puppy architects Cevin Key and Dwayne Goettel forge here a disturbing and surreal montage of mutilated sound and fractured noise: a suitable backdrop for vocalist Nivek Ogre's angry and despairing reflections on war, disease, and insanity. "Human Disease" and "Hospital Waste" launch a heated attack on the senses, while "Harsh Stone White" is slow-paced brutal surrealism. "VX Gas Attack" and "Testure" are considerably more direct, with their horrified reactions to chemical warfare and animal vivisection. Through this exquisite clamor an occasional riff or melody emerges, such as in  "Testure" and "Who's Laughing Now?," rounding out the overall sound. The latter third of the album is predominantly instrumental noise-sculpture, Key and Goettel exhibiting their lurid arsenal of sounds and programming technique.--Mark McCleery