Customer Reviews

Vivisect Vi

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those who love industrial music, especially the latest generation of bands such as VNV Nation and Wumpscut, this offering from Skinny Puppy will put you in motion. Vivisect VI is the epitome of industrial music, containing ominous and pounding beats, haunting vocals and brilliant socially, environmentally conscious lyrics. With tracks such as Harsh Stone White, Who's Laughing Now, VX Gas Attack (a song that condemned Hussein for his use of chemical weapons against Iran and his own Kurdish subjects, when the rest of the Western world was silent as he was still considered an important ally to the US) and the unforgettably eerie Fritter (Stellla's Home), Vivisect VI remains on of the essential Industrial albums produced. Also included on the album is, of course, the track, Testure--a song that points out the essential cruelty and pointlessness of animal testing and vivsection, and has been a club stand by since it was released.

The uncanny power of Skinny Puppy and this particular album is that they never seem to sound dated or a relic of the past like so much other music. This is due to their revolutionary innovation of sound, noise and sampling and amalgamation of punk/electronic/gothic aesthetics, which turned into the most prominent bands of the last 20 years. Their influence has been repeatedly acknowledged and manifested in bands as diverse as Ministry, Pigface and Nine Inch Nails to Marilyn Manson, Leather Strip and VNV Nation. Listening to these songs, will make you want to get up and dance, even stomp and pound...it will rouse even the gothiest goth and the punkest punk to meet in unison on the dance floor-an increasingly rare occurrence these days. And it is precisely as a result of Skinny Puppy's ability reunite these once so closely integrated groups, which is where their ultimate attraction and musical power lies.
Brap On!

Sometimes I'm amazed by the albums that I haven't yet reviewed. I was sure I had done this before; after all, my user name just might be based on this album. At any rate, this is a masterpiece of the genre and for creative music in general.

The output is both surreal and nightmarish, fueled by angst, doubt, fear, rage, uncertainty and unrelenting introspection. Imagine being inside a world designed by Edvard Munch and Salvadore Dali while a horror movie is projected on the wall and a radio turned up too loud spits out war coverage news. The sound often intentionally lacks cohesion allowing the music and lyrics to wildly ramble along to some bizarre stream of consciousness. Chopped phrases are parsed together to form a sort of dark poetic montage as opposed to even attepting sentence structure. The music follows a similar process whereby spoken samples, noises, electronic stabs and harsh, often reverse sounding, beats come together forming a wicked, evil brew. To the neophyte listener the sound is imposing ans scary barely bordering on "music". However it really does start to make sense with time. I think that is the true brilliance of this album; after hundreds of listens the hidden beauty is not only apparent, it's glaringly obvious. My friends are always amazed that I can clearly hear every word and discern each melody. Somehow this album that at first seems like a wall of noise and chaos seeps into your soul and becomes as clean to you personally as though it were a single violin.

If you find that the album is just too dense and impenetrable then focus on the first half which is slightly more direct. The singles "Who's Laughing Now?" and "Testure" have fairly accessible beats. Another favorite from the first half, "Harsh Stone White", is very creepy but there is also clarity. Industrial heads revere this album as one of the all-time greats; it has always been a Puppy fan favorite probably 2nd only to 'Too Dark Park'. The album, and the band in general, will be difficult for newcomers, requiring a conscious effort to fight through the madness. This isn't easy listening, but nothing that matters is easy.

Note for those who might be interested: "Who's Laughing Now?" was featured in the movie 'Bad Influence', a psychological thriller starring Rob Lowe as a psycho pulling a pretty cool mindscrew on James Spader.

I wish I could say that I was a fan of them from early on, but unfortunately I only discovered them about a year or two ago. At first I was more into the Too Dark Park style, but then I delved deeper into the remissions era stuff. In between I discovered this gem. This might be the hardest one to get into, but once you do its the funnest one to listen too. Most people would by no stretch of the imagination consider this fun. I still marvel at how much it has changed in my own eyes from when I first heard it. Now I really cant figure out if I like the early stuff more, or this more. Without a doubt I have probably listened to the early stuff more often. This is quite different though. It has all the benefits of a trip without taking any drugs. This Cd is a drug.
VIVIsectVI is like deep man. Its like this. Instead of being a Cd that tells you what is happening. It allows you to reach your own conclusion by taking you on a journey through life's junkyard. The Cd doesn't exist on a musical level. Rather you become the Cd. Instead of lyrics Ogre just shouts poetic thoughts to guide you through the maze of his demons. Sometimes during the more claustrophobic sections you are confronted with different realities. At this point it is up to you whether you are up to reaching the zenith of reality, or to plunge deep in the depths of cathartic reflection. In this case each song is different every time it is played. The song is not a song per se, but a reflection of your own mind. I know that this is a over the top description, but then again this is a over the top Cd. It deserves nothing short than your complete submission. Certain songs that stand on their own are Harsh Stone White, and the classic Testure. One thing that I disagree with is the idea that another reviewer said that this is a pro-israel Cd. I can easily see and understand how he got that impression based on the song VX Gas Attack. I have a different take on the subject matter. I believe that song was more about their disapproval of the fact that we armed Iraq with the very WMD's that we later attacked them for supposedly possessing. That is very true, and it is something I recommend everyone to research. I believe that SP was trying to get that point across based on the live performance of this song on the GWOTR DVD. So whether you are pro-Zionist, or anti-Zionist as I am you can still listen and enjoy this Cd for what it is. Another review that I disagree with is the fact that the second half is unlistenable. Not that it isn't amazingly abrasive, but it is some of the best industrial noise ever! This is Einsturzende Neubauten+Throbbing Gristle multiplied by 10! There are so many dimensions to this that any normal person would cringe at the sound of it. I am quite frankly freakishly enthralled by the soundscapes of this part of the Cd. If you don't get it let me suggest that you listen to it around 4:20. Most mortals could never understand what goes through the minds of Key and Goettle. So for us we need help. I suggest vitamins T, H, and C. Vitamins L, S, and D would be cool except that these soundscapes are not friendly places to take a trip. This Cd proves that SP are on a totally different plane of existence. We can only look on as these geniuses grind, crush, grate, and pound us into oblivion.

This 1988 album, VIVIsect VI, is one of the most highly recommended works by Skinny Puppy (the other is 1990's Too Dark Park). Years ago, I wrote my original Amazon review and argued that the album, while great, was actually rather uneven, and definitely not my favorite. While I still place their later work, Last Rights, at the top of my favorite musical recordings of all time, in the past year I have also developed a new appreciation for this particular record.

The opening track does indeed start off a bit awkwardly, as the first audible vocals are distinctly atonal (that is, more atonal than Ogre usually is) and they don't begin on the particular beat I always seem to want them on. It does all fall into place eventually, but you'll immediately know you're in for a typically unconventional listening experience. Actually, this austere opening song sets up the mood for the rest of the album perfectly.

All the elements are here for a classic Skinny Puppy recording: heavy on the complex, metallic sounding industrial drumming and layers of analogue synths, a light sprinkling of reverb-laden guitar riffs here and there, interjecting snippets from films, and on top of it all, Ogre's inimitable ranting and raving.

Where the music of VIVIsect VI is straightforward you'll find catchy and memorable tracks. The highly political (and still relevant!) "VX Gas Attack" along with the plaintive and morose "Testure" are indeed Classic songs, played live at concerts to this day. The former is composed with an infectious dance-floor one-two beat. The latter is an emotional mood piece, lyrically comparing animal testing to satanic rites and Nazi experiments. It's keyboard driven, sounding more than a bit like Joy Division's equally sad-sack "Decades." Given that Ogre has cited Joy Division as an inspiration for his work, I guess that's no surprise.

But it's those songs that aren't so straightforward that give this album its distinct nature. "Harsh Stone White" and "Human Disease" aren't too post-modern(y), but those songs either mutate half-way through or evoke a uniquely bleak mood that couldn't be mistaken for the work of any other band. Then you have tracks like "Who's Laughing Now," and "State Aid" which are very difficult to describe. They are cryptic; complex and fluctuating collages of drums, samples, Ogre, and various sounds arranged in difficult ways. I hate to call them "experimental" because that would imply that the band didn't know what they were doing. I assure you they did. It took me a long time to realize that tracks like these are what really set Skinny apart. Previous albums began to incorporate these odd instrumentals, but never with such complexity and aggression as what you'll find here. The back end of VIVIsect VI is fully loaded with these wilder abstract tracks.

Overall, VIVIsect VI is a very dark, dense record, filled with unconventional songs, some classic and catchy (like "Testure"), others nerve-racking and bizarre (like everything that happens after "Testure"). The music is often grating, its tone dark and harrowing, the lyrics are inscrutable word mishmashes, with rasping, processed vocals that whisper and shriek, but never sing. Some people will hate Ogre's style. I love it, personally,though I do still admit I still wouldn't necessarily expect everybody to fully understand or appreciate what the band was trying to do. It is also in many ways a product of its times. The analogue synths are a bit dated, as are the drum machines, and the stream of old horror film clips has become a bit of a genre cliche. However, if you give this a listen, you'll hear something that even now exemplifies Skinny Puppy's sheer originality and uniqueness, something that has often been imitated but never surpassed. Skinny Puppy is my favorite band for a reason, and this is for better or worse, one of their defining works.

I've only heard about the first minute of the song 'Testure' on here. I think it's really good. I had never heard of Skinny puppy until I was at the website for my favrorite movie "The Plague Dogs" an di went into trivia. It said that on Skinny Puppy's album ViviSect IV there were clips from the movie in 'Testure'. I knew I had to look into it! You Skinny Puppy fans that have never seen the Plague Dogs, here's some stuff on Testure:
"I hope you make sure we're properly dead before you start old rip-beak!" This is a part when Snitter (the Fox-Terrier) yells to some buzzards cuz the dogs are close to dying from starvation.
"I'd rather die here than in the whitecoats tank...at least with the dignity we have left.." Rowf (labrador mix) says this a bit before Snitter yells the above sentence.

Bascially, the Plague Dogs is about 2 dogs that escape froma research lab and then they're on the run. That's why those clips are in the song...

ViviSectIV is pretty chilling in my opinion. I'm living with my older sister right now and I don't have the CD. BUt, my mom back hoem has bought it for me so I'm happy! I have to tell ya, this CD is dang hard to find!!! ^_^
By the way, he website to The Plague Dogs is:
www.plaguedogs.homestead.com
If you want to check it out!

Although Skinny Puppy broke up several years ago due to the death of Dwayne Goettel, their music continues to be one of the foundations of todays industrial music. This album, "VIVIsectVI", contains some of their greatest works. True to their well known sound, their music is at once chaotic and noise-ridden as it is melodius and haunting. The best song on this album, "Testure", floored me the first time I had heard it. "Testure" is simply one of the most haunting, yet fantastic, songs I have heard in a very long time. This album is a must have for anyone.

Was of the SP logo, just beacause of this album. I was HOOKED. I could not believe how intense the music was, how riveting it could be. It was teh only thing I would listen to for weeks, ahhh...the good old days. Seriously, if you have ever liked SP at all, well then BUY THIS CD! It helped convince me to follow the Too Dark Park tour a few months later.

This album just spews venom and is possibly the most corrosive industrial album that could easily stand up with the industrial pioneers such as Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle. Anybody who loves industrial music would be a fool not to get this album - it might take a while to get into but it's a certainly stood the test of time better than some records

It's hard to pinpoint a definitive Skinny Puppy record, but Vivisect VI is pretty awesome. This is Skinny Puppy in their most intense, noisy, nightmarish form. The recording itself is really complex, distorted, and it may be their most inaccessible. This album could take many listens for the average listener to warm up to, but underneath it all, it's loaded with ideas and is pretty much a brilliant record. All the songs stand on their own, yet seem to be part of the greater sum that is Vivisect VI. The socio/politial lyrics, though pretty grueling, abstract and angry, are some of the most intelligent I could name by a contemporary group, and hit on the typical SP issues (environmental degradation, animal rights, AIDS epidemic, chemical warfare). The bonus tracks (10-13) are experimental and actually add quite a bit to the album. Forget Rabies, this album is the essential body of the Skinny Puppy catalog...actually it's probably among the best industrial albums ever put out.

This CD is quite good. If you're into hip-hop beats or something that has a stand-out melody, this isn't your CD, but if your a fan of industrial music, this is an essential part of its history.

The first song is very appealing, especially after the first minute goes by. Then Ogre's voice pops in and you say to yourself "Wow. This guy sounds awesome." The second song uses alot of samples, and has a great soundscape, although it does sort of sound like song 1.

"Human Disease (S.K.U.M.M)" is also a very good song, with great electronics, and their is a message in this song that I like. The song "Testure", which is about vivisection, is good lyric-wise, but I think it fails with the music. It's just not too catchy.

The last few songs are only music, but are GREAT! You have to listen to "Fritter (Stella's Home)" with headphones at night in the dark to get the full effect. It makes you feel like something is breaking into your house. The next song "Yes He Ran" has some catchy music and a sample that says what the title is. You wouldn't think they could do much with just 1 sample, but they can!

You must get this CD, but only if you like greatness. If you've never heard of Skinny Puppy before, I reccomend this CD, or "The Process", which sounds different but is still good. However, heed my warning: "Not for pop music lovers." This has meaning, and was created by people who had purpose, not looks.