At times harkening back to the yesteryear of Skinny Puppy while at other times moving boldly into the future, Weapon is a visceral slab of electronic goodness that is hands down the best album they have released since “reforming”. Probably the most aggressive 21st Century offering from Skinny Puppy as well, Weapon is so in-your-face (And so surprising a release considering HanDover barely came out two years ago) that you’d be wise to invest in concealer to cover up the bruises from the sonic onslaught.
“wornin'” starts Weapon in classic Skinny Puppy fashion meaning macabre lyrics from Nivek Ogre and a throbbing beat. “illisiT” shares a lot of the same DNA as The Greater Wrong Of The Right’s “Pro-Test” while later on “paragUn” makes a case for strongest goth dancefloor anthem of the year.
I’ve said it before that there is a fine line between an ohGr record and a Skinny Puppy record at times and Weapon is no different. Take “solvent” as it sways with this expert ohGr-like cadence that only he can deliver and it’s easy to see why this song could have popped up on 2011’s Undeveloped instead of a Skinny Puppy album released in 2013.
The hits keep coming, though, as “survivalisto” ups the bpm quotient while “tsudanama” confuses the senses with biting electronics on top of an almost militaristic beat. Weapon ends with “plastiCage” and “terminal” giving fans a sense that this is one of the most solid SP releases and on par with classics like Rabies and VIVIsectIVI.
Weapon is out through Metropolis Records on May 28th. Order yours here.
Grade: A+