Skinny Puppy has been around for close to a decade, but with the industrial-tinged assault on music (purveyed by such bands as Ministry, and the grindier, more straightforwardly powerful opener here, Godflesh) finding favor in many fronts, Puppy has been enjoying more mainstream attention of late, particularly for its latest Capitol album, “Last Rites.”
Assaultive but at times compelling, Skinny Puppy is more performance art than band.
The musicians (keyboards, guitar and drums) are practically hidden from view, and frontman Ogre, in a costume resembling a bloody, futuristic swamp creature, was hard to follow, thanks to the intentionally arty, obfuscating lighting and the large, static-y video screen.
During the hour-plus set, Ogre frequently used the large “trees” hanging from the stage with dismembered “limbs” and other objets d’horror as props for Skinny Puppy’s post-apocalyptic musical vignettes.
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Like avant-metal band GWAR without the humor, Skinny Puppy takes its “art” to heavy-handed excesses, and the weak, nearly nonexistent encore indicated even some fans may have found the band’s mein a tad overbearing.
