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Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker review



Reviewer:
N/A

19 users:
7.63
Band: Skinny Puppy
Album: Mythmaker
Release date: January 2007


01. Magnifishit
02. Dal
03. Haze
04. Pedafly
05. Jaher
06. Politikil
07. Lestiduz
08. Pasturn
09. Ambiantz
10. Ugli

Ah, Skinny Puppy. Truly, few bands out there right now have as much of a legacy to live up to as these industrial pioneers. Skinny Puppy of yore was never commercial or in any way willing to compromise and join the ranks of the emerging early 90s industrial metal scene that they helped create. Then, after they disbanded the hopes of the fans regarding the quality of the band's music after the 2003 reunion were extremely high. 2004's Greatest Wrong Of The Right didn't really deliver in this respect - it was an intriguing and experimental album; however, it was also quite far away from the classic SP sound that the fans adore.

Well, Mythmaker is basically more of the same. The band is still experimenting with all kinds of things - broken-up deconstructed rhythms, cut-and-paste approach to vocals, danceable beats etc; however, there is something missing. Personally I think it is the fact that the band rarely delves into their trademark "Ogre crying, keyboard atmosphere, noise background" formula that after all was what made albums like VIVISectVI and Last Rights so compelling in the first place. A friend of mine once said that "Skinny Puppy sounds best when they bleed" and this is definitely not what is happening on Mythmaker. It's more like they are either dancing or shouting angrily.

Naturally, this comes from the biased point of view of a long time Skinny Puppy fan. For newcomers or people who simply don't have that much of a sentimental attachment to SP's past discography, Mythmaker will most likely seem like quite an interesting and original industrial rock album. And this is because it definitely is! "haZe" does offer one of the most haunting moments since Last Rights and "pedafly" is one of the heaviest songs the band has recorded. Meanwhile, "jaHer" reminds me of the more bare and touching moments of Process. There are also some somewhat annoying moments, such as the weirdly bouncy "Magnifishit"; however, that is to be expected from an album that is filled with experiments.

I hope this somewhat unfocused review will still give you an idea whether Skinny Puppy's new album is worth getting. Frankly, the shape of this review reflects my own lack of clear emotions towards this album. On paper everything is perfect - the band sounds reinvigorated and hungry - but at the same time, something is missing.





Written on 19.06.2007 by With Metal Storm since 2002, jupitreas has been subjecting the masses to his reviews for quite a while now. He lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he does his best to avoid prosecution for being so cool.


Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 47 users
19.06.2007 - 06:39
Icewings
La Luna
Yea I see what you mean , I'm not sure why latetly great bands are missing a lot of things !Btw great review
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21.06.2007 - 00:13
kaoz
Account deleted
Being a long time SP fan I agree that there is something definitely missing.I hated "Greater wrong of the right",and that was because I had my hopes up. I didnt hate "Mythmaker" so much because my expectations were so much lower this time. I might have even enjoyed it more If I didnt know it was SP. They are going in the opposite direction of Ministry.Like the way Ministrys sound has evolved from "Twitch" into a kind of "industrial speed metal" I see SP as kind of de-evolving into " well we are Skinny puppy,and we have all these cool synths etc... so lets make a half assed effort at throwing some sounds around,and someone will buy it" SP was one of those bands I grew up listening to,so I have more of a nostalgic affection for them .Maybe thats why i am so bitter. I am happy enough knowing that I have plenty of "pre-sucky" SP to listen to! Your friend was dead on about them being best "...when they bleed" good way of putting it! The song "Spahn dirge"(off the"Tin Omen" 12") came to mind when I read that.
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21.06.2007 - 16:18
Rating: 7
Slyfang

i don't understand at all people liking Mythmaker more than TGWOTR. what i feel is missing from the new album is the feeling of despair and confusion that i found in all the previous albums, of which i like pretty much all
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22.06.2007 - 04:17
akira_20xx

I'm not that big a Skinny Puppy fan but i do think that 'Jaher' is one fantastic acoustic/ambient song. I heard it on a Terrorizer Uk cd and was amazed that it was Skinny Puppy, i thought they were a mental industrial band. i got the album and realised that song seemed to be a one hit wonder within some noise of an album.
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17.01.2008 - 02:57
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
Not the greatest album....oh yeah. Not the worst....oh yeah. But definitely worth listening too....oh yeah. Even if only once....oh yeah. That first track is fairly annoying....oh yeah.
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28.01.2015 - 18:36
Rating: 7
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
I really dug this album at first, but the magic wore off. I like TGWOTR better for sure. Still good stuff, I just have to remind myself with every new release that we will never get another Too Dark Park, VIVIsectVI, or even Rabies.
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