Skinny Puppy – Rabies

Considering the bulk of Skinny Puppy's catalog, this album is definitally, at least in my opinion, a very confused album and for that reason falls into the weaker side of the SP spectrum. The standout tracks for me are RODENT, WORLOCK, RIVERS and CHORALONE. I used to like WORLOCK more than RODENT but recently i may have changed my mind. RODENT and WORLOCK save this album, and are usually the two reasons i ever put it on. :P
As far as the ending goes… the thunderclap to end it is cool, but noticably weak, and the band knew this and they give you a 'proper' thunderclap ending on TOO DARK PARK :)
I like some Ministry, but not nearly as much as i love SP, and, yeah because Al J was on this thing, and the tension and mood he created for the band, kind of confused cEvin and Dwayne i think. Should they make tracks that sound like SP tracks? or tracks that Al would like? we end up having a bit of both and the album feels incomplete or scattered in a way.
This is probably the only SP record i DONT feel i HAVE TO LISTEN to the WHOLE THING THRU. Because pure and simple, its not that kind of an album, its not very cohesive, it has some very cool tracks, and some middle of the road tracks. and then theres FACIST JOCK ITCH which is easily the weakest part of the record for me. Ogre got drunk and hassled some skinheads and they later beat him up for it, (the story goes somewhere along those lines) so he wrote the lyrics for that track… and while its aggressive, its not SP aggression, its not unique, its just machine gun drumming and guitar wanking; it sounds like Ministry, and if i want Ministry, ill go put on Ministry. Al got Ogre into doing Heroin on this album, and it shows. He lost a lot of his flair and focus.
ANd as far as this album being the most bought or 'liked' i feel that it is most accessable to people who arent into the classic Skinny Puppy sound, which would be plenty of people, think about it, probably there are more people out there who dont listen to SP than do, and for them, this sounds most like the 'music they're used to' The heavy metal guitar sounds probably has a lot to do with it… go figure.
Again, sure RABIES might have a 'harder sound' or more 'aggressive feel' to some, but to me, it just seeems like theyre being aggressive for the sake of being aggressive. No clear motive or idea that flows thru the album to tie it together. Ill take MIND or VIVI over RABIES anyday.