So, despite the bad blood that Nivek Ogre had with the
other members of Skinny Puppy in 1996, he and cEvin
Key reunited possibly for one time only at the Doomsday
Festival in Dresden Germany in August 2000. Thus
bringing us the recording of “Doomsday: Back+ Forth Vol
5 – Live in Dresden”, under the Nettwerk record label.
Like just about everything else from Skinny Puppy, this
really isn’t a CD that I would rush out and pay twentysome
dollars for. There are only a few tracks that really
catch my attention (i.e.: Deep Down Trauma Hounds and
Harsh Stone White) and a few others that sound a little too weird (not that weird is a bad thing), and a few that were a little too repetitive for my liking.
Whether or not I’d recommend this CD to a devoted
Skinny Puppy fan is a completely different question
altogether. Being somebody who has been a bit indifferent about their music for a long while all I can suggest is to give it a listen to first and decide for yourself.
– Brooke Chiasson
Author: admin
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Skinny Puppy – Back and Forth Volume 5
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Behind The Scenes – Homeless
German based Behind the Scenes has brought us a
fantastic release that is best described as Goth-Pop, or
Goth-Electronic. If you don’t like either of those titles, pick
the other one. It’s been a while since I have been able to review a CD with so many memorable tracks, so bear with me while I attempt to express my passion for Behind The Scenes’ “Homeless” I first encountered BTS through their label, Dancing Ferret Discs. DFD has some great gems, Neuroticfish, Paralyzed Age, The Cruxshadows, and of course, Behind the Scenes.
Behind the Scenes has a fantastic blend of guitars,
electronics, and vocals. The guitars play a great part in
contribution to the overall character of each track, the
electronics compliment the character of these tracks and
the vocals give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside. I really
enjoyed the vocals of BTS – it always seems like there is
more than one man singing, this is most likely done with a
slight echo effect, but regardless of the technical work, it
does have an emotional response for me.
Each track has it’s own distinct flavor, but the great part is
that once you are a seasoned fan of BTS, you will recognize them right off the bat when hearing them in a club.
Every track has great appeal, but to narrow it down, the
tracks that stand out the most would be Human, Protection, Plastic Love (a great track for clubs) and Dark Agression.
– Azriel J. Knight -
Decoded Feedback – Mechanical Horizon
Mechanical Horizon is a creative roller coaster ride
thoroughly enjoyable throughout! Every song features well crafted melodies, which morph seamlessly into creative programming, and solid, powerful rhythms. There’s a lot of rich texture in this release, which never seems to fade after repeated listening. Decoded Feedback are a hard act to review for the simple reason that every time I get a chance to listen to them, someone will inevitably borrow the disc for an extended period of time. Mechanical Horizon is no exception and has been enthusiastically snapped up by fans of Goth, Trance, and Electro genres. There is a perfect balance between Gothic atmosphere and technological prowess allowing the listener to be mesmerized and interested in what is to follow. Mechanical Horizon is an all around energetic, captivating listen, and a very danceable release. The vocals are reminiscent of Carl McCoy without sounding contrived and they suit the atmosphere of the music very well. Marco’s voice is not only expressive but is clear and the lyrics are well conveyed. Mechanical Horizon is one of those rare gems that can be listened to from start to finish and can be enjoyed at home or on the dance floor.
‘Reflect In Silence’ is my overall favorite and my cats would
tend to agree. There is an added bonus in the form of a
video on the disc for the ‘ Relic’ track. Well, what does the
future hold for Decoded Feedback? We have Shockwave
to look forward to in September!
– Regan R. MacLeod
