Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
Before I came across a copy of Skinny Puppy’s new album, Mythmaker, last night, I hadn’t listened to them for going on at least 3 or 4 months. Not for any particular reason. I mean, I bought the live DVD when it came out last winter, but I just hadn’t given them much listening time.
I was pretty excited about this album though. Maybe a bit much so?
Right from the start I was pretty hooked. After listening to the first track and getting up to get a glass of water, it was already in my head. But that’s where that stops — none of the other tracks were as catchy. Though, not that it’s a bad thing.
After one our two more listens, my immediate impression was that this album doesn’t seem nearly as dark or (dare I say) disturbed as The Greater Wrong of the Right was. While their last album seemed more musically accessible (more catchy melodies), it still seemed more dark, which for Skinny Puppy, is what I prefer. It comparison, Mythmaker almost seems positive and uplifting in comparison, especially when you look at tracks like ‘HaZe’ and ‘JaHer’.
And yet another contradiction: although it’s not as catchy, this album seems to be a bit more lyrically or vocally focused, which begs the comparison to much of Ogre’s “independent” work with ohGr.
All in all, it mostly seems like a rehashed version of The Greater Wrong of the Right, with much of the same vocal effects, and not a whole lot different musically either. One specific track, ‘Pedafly’, even sounds like it came straight off the same assembly line as any track from the last album.
From only a few full listens it sounds fairly decent, but not like anything spectacular. Maybe I’ll change my mind after a week though.