Rabies (Skinny Puppy album)
| Rabies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Skinny Puppy | ||||
| Released | November 21, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988 - 1989, Vancouver (Vancouver Studios) & Chicago (Chicago Trax Studios) | |||
| Genre | Electronic music, post-industrial | |||
| Length | 40:51 (original) 60:54 (re-issue) |
|||
| Label | Nettwerk | |||
| Producer | David Ogilvie, Alien Jourgensen & cEvin Key | |||
| Skinny Puppy chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Singles from Rabies | ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Sputnikmusic | |
Rabies is the fifth studio album by Skinny Puppy, released in 1989. It was released on CD, cassette, and LP by Nettwerk Records in Canada, licensed for release on the same formats to Capitol Records in the United States, and released on CD only by Nettwerk in Europe. In 1993 the CD edition was reissued by Nettwerk to correct mastering errors in the original release.
The album notably features Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen (credited as Alien Jourgensen) and offers a somewhat more guitar oriented sound. The cover art was made by longtime collaborator Steven R. Gilmore.
Most of the band's previous albums had been mixed and produced by the group's "fourth member" Dave "Rave" Ogilvie. For Rabies, lead singer/songwriter Nivek Ogre brought in friend and Ministry frontman, Al Jourgensen. Ogre had met Jourgensen during the recording of the PTP song "Show Me Your Spine" in 1987. Ogre later toured with Ministry (Ogre can be seen and heard on the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up video and CD) and would also go on to provide vocals for Jourgensen's side project Revolting Cocks. The other two members of Skinny Puppy, cEvin Key (drummer) and Dwayne Goettel (keyboardist/synthesist), did not approve of Jourgensen's takeover, creating a "glacial coldness" between the band members. A couple years following the release of Rabies, Key mentioned to Alternative Press that he believed Jourgensen's motive for assisting in the album's production was to try and break up Skinny Puppy.
Much of the album had been written before Jourgensen was officially involved, though Key has mentioned that the process was influenced by the notion that Jourgensen might join them in the studio to "jam." The group took into consideration what type of music Jourgensen would be interested in making, thus writing guitar heavy material such as "Tin Omen," a song which makes reference to the Tianamen Square protests of 1989. "Fascist Jock Itch," also written with Jourgensen in mind, was inspired by an incident between Ogre and a few skinheads. Ogre states that he had been approached by the skinheads who then proceeded to question him regarding his "loyalty towards communism" (prompted by a small Red star on his pants). Feeling threatened, Ogre pushed one of them away and a short scuffle ensued. Other songs on the album, such as "Worlock" and "Choralone," have been described as being more "pure" to previous Skinny Puppy material. The song "Hexonxonx," a song which criticizes the use of oil (written in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989), has been described as being an exemplary mixture of "twisted humor and Throbbing Gristle-like experimentation", while other entries from the album have been noted for their novel use of sampling.
...
Wikipedia