S.o.t.D. - Assimilate – Radical Face

Assimilate – Radical Face

An acoustic cover of the snarling techno-industrial track by Canada’s Skinny Puppy. I can see how some fans might hate this, but I think it’s fantastic.

S.o.t.D. - Chainsaw (Josh Wink Remix) – Skinny Puppy

Chainsaw (Josh Wink Remix) – Skinny Puppy

The pups seem to be my fallback Canada Day song. But hell, why not?

S.o.t.D. - Assimilate (Red Union Remix) – Skinny Puppy

Assimilate (Red Union Remix) – Skinny Puppy

The original was plenty punchy. This one makes it even punchier.

S.o.t.D. - Carry – Skinny Puppy

Carry – Skinny Puppy

Since it’s Canada Day, I figured some cancon was in order. And what better than some of the more ambient stuff these guys did, from their very early days.

S.o.t.D. - Three Blind Mice – Skinny Puppy

Three Blind Mice – Skinny Puppy

Just those booming drums alone.

S.o.t.D. - Rash Reflection – Skinny Puppy

Rash Reflection – Skinny Puppy

The video is the backing imagery they used for this track on the Too Dark park tour.

S.o.t.D. - Stairs and Flowers – Skinny Puppy

Stairs and Flowers – Skinny Puppy

I was always so thrilled the rare times I got to see this video.

S.o.t.D. - Tormentor – Skinny Puppy

Tormentor – Skinny Puppy

Seems like an appropriate act to feature on Halloween. 

S.o.t.D. - Rodent – Skinny Puppy

Rodent – Skinny Puppy

This album rocked my world like everything else they did. The production, the rich complexity of their sound, that chugging, never really kicking over drum beat, that little dat da da horn sound just before the vocals kick in at the 1:30 mark, the stream of consciousness lyrics, and then the fact that for being an abrasive band / sound, it was a really hooky song.

S.o.t.D. - Smothered Hope – Skinny Puppy

Smothered Hope – Skinny Puppy

Seems only appropriate to feature this greatest Canadian band ever on Canada Day.

S.o.t.D. - Harsh Stone White – Skinny Puppy

Harsh Stone White – Skinny Puppy

The puppy may be skinny, but the music is heavy.

S.o.t.D. - Addiction (Second Dose) – Skinny Puppy

Addiction (Second Dose) – Skinny Puppy

The original was good, but when Adrian Sherwood was done it was great.

S.o.t.D. - Deep Down Trauma Hounds – Skinny Puppy

Deep Down Trauma Hounds – Skinny Puppy

I was at this concert, and Crompy drumming was the best part. When the video filmed at it came out, my only disappointment with it was that it wasn’t entirely of his drumming.

S.o.t.D. - Worlock – Skinny Puppy

Worlock – Skinny Puppy

Rabies may not have been their best record, but this track off of it remains one of their tracks I still really dig.

S.o.t.D. - Double Cross – Skinny Puppy

Double Cross – Skinny Puppy

I met a gal in 90 that I ended up having a relationship with, who I was to find out was friends with Mr. Crompton. She had gone to Papua New Guinea in 86 on a zoological expedition and he had given her a tape to listen to that he had called “Day in the Jungle/Night in the Jungle” that she made me a copy of. Very thrilled to get to listen to it. It contained some Legendary Pink Dots stuff, some Nocturnal Emissions, and some demo and instrumental versions of Skinny Puppy songs. And this track, which wasn’t to see the light of day until the release of Brap: Back & Forth 3&4. 

Still remains one of the most evocative pieces of music I have ever heard. It showcased some of the more ambient stuff they were doing, with as always lots going on in it when you listened to it on headphones. Like most of their stuff, it warranted very close listening to discover all buried in tracks.

S.o.t.D. - Clocks – Doubting Thomas

Clocks – Doubting Thomas

Waited a long time for this record to be released, and made a trip to Detroit to get an advanced copy of it.

S.o.t.D. - The Center Bullet – Skinny Puppy

The Center Bullet – Skinny Puppy 

An ambient gem on their second album, Bites. Later released as a Tear Garden track, with Edward Ka-Spel rhotacising on it.

S.o.t.D. - Aphasia – cEvin Key

Aphasia – cEvin Key

If I had to form a “super-group”, like an ambient-dub-techno Asia, Kevin Crompton would be one of the members.

S.o.t.D. - Assimilate – Skinny Puppy

Assimilate – Skinny Puppy

I can still recall how the firmament shook beneath my feet the first time I heard this. I had already heard Remission and it blew me away, but this, this knocked it out of the park. I was already listening to loads of experimental and industrial music, but these guys put it all together into one amazingly cohesive package.

S.o.t.D. – Jaher – Skinny Puppy

Jaher – Skinny Puppy

Since it’s Canada Day today, it seemed only appropriate to feature a Canadian artist, and why not the greatest Canadian musical act of all time.

The end, from 4:20 onward - totally sublime.