Skinny Puppy

There's no denying the one-of-a-kind influence of Skinny Puppy on pop culture. What started as an after-hours studio project between friends emerged as a rule-breaking conceptual, industrial nightmare. Their debut EP, Remission, is still hailed as a classic, thanks in part to a double dose of distortion and an arsenal of vocal effects and vintage synthesizers.

The hair-raising antics of Kevin Cey, Ogre, Wilhem Schroeder (aka Bill Leeb, later of Front Line Assembly and Delerium) Dwayne Goettel, and Dave "Rave" Ogilvie shined a spotlight on subjects that had rarely been touched upon in popular music, including animal rights ("VIVIsectVI"). The group's live show proved both provocative and disturbing.

Skinny Puppy's dark, disturbing persona took its toll. Dwayne Goettel died of a drug overdose in 1995, while Kevin Cey focused on his new projects (Download and The Tear Garden), Ogre collaborated with Ministry and Pigface, and Bill Leeb started Front Line Assembly. Cey and Ogre eventually reunited and have started making music again. Prepare to discover some of the band's finest remixes and hard-to-find tracks.

Skinny Puppy's legacy is an alternative-music success story. From the very beginning, the group explored topics rarely touched upon in mainstream culture. Soaking their sound in distortion and over-the-top vocal effects gave them no hope at mainstream radio play. But with their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink studio approach and art-performance-meets-horror-flick live show, Skinny Puppy emerged as leaders in the worlds of industrial and goth culture — and time and trend have done little to diminish their incredible influence.