They're Killing Us With Bacon... Submitted on: 2009-07-09
The cover of Ohgr's latest album consists of an ornate white filigree, composed of what appear to be small budding flowers, set against a black background. In close proximity, one's eye is so entranced by the complexity and intricacy of the design that one almost completely forgets that the filigree forms the face of a cackling demon which is thrown into sharp relief by the black background. The devil is not just 'in' the details then. The devil 'is' the details.
It strikes me that this artwork is a perfect metaphor for the entire album as a whole, which, to these ears, appears to be an exploration of the idea that civilizations in thrall to early 21st century laissez-faire western capitalism have become to enraptured with the details and fripperies of society and consumption that they've managed to completely overlook the fact that the whole shebang is teetering on the brink of climatic, economic and spiritual devastation.
In it's entirety, the album paints such a claustrophobic and bitterly humourous sense of displaced paranoia, disquiet, dissatisfaction and confusion that one can't help but be drawn in by the seductiveness of it's singular vision.
Musically, in direct opposition to Ohgr's two preceding albums, Welt and Sunnypsyop (the latter still being one of my favourite album titles of all time), it favours a densely packed soundscape of thundering beats, kettle drums, ambient darkness, toy shop synthesisers, chicken clucks and sound-bites of exploitation film favourite, Bill Moseley, reciting some quite frankly stunning 'beat' poetry - "Killing me with Bacon", The soliloquy that opens the gloriously demented "Feelin' Chicken", is a personal favourite, largely because it manages to encapsulate, in under one minute, the sense of frustration experienced by modern man at the singular failure of modern society to live up to it's promises of liberty, inclusion and success with more clarity than most high-brow literature has managed to achieve in the last thirty years.
Lyrically, Nivek Ogre delivers yet another stunning and deeply sarcastic stream-of-consciousness broadside at the vagaries of life that have earned his ire, sometimes as himself, sometimes, it would appear, by adopting personas - listening to the previously mentioned "Feelin' Chicken" is almost like eavesdropping on the crisis of faith of a middle-aged adept of Martha Stewart who has finally realised that all the knitted sweaters, bake sales and Oprah specials in the universe are not going to save a world that metaphorically reeks of sugar-free frosting and dog excrement.
Will you enjoy this album?
Well, if mainstream oriented airplay is your thing, then probably not.
If, however, you, like I, enjoy listening to challenging, conceptual music which has something serious to say about the state of the world, then I recommend that you give it a listen. After all, enjoying music is essentially an act of empathy and in listening to this you may experience no small amount of catharsis when you realise that the devils that plague Ohgr's details are also the devils that plague yours.
Pleasantly Surprised Submitted on: 2009-07-08
I wasn't sure what to expect about this album, some people said it sounded like SP and some said it couldn't have been more different. I agree with both in some ways.
This is honestly one of the most original albums I've heard in a while. The opening track, Shhh, is a very fast, hard, in your face tune, that has some creepy orchestrations. It goes from rather Skinny Puppy-esque songs like that one, and then it goes to songs that are weird, even for him. It goes from that to "Pepper," which sounds almost like a deranged clown talking into a megaphone over circus music.
Rather than saying go into this album expecting this or that, I can almost guarantee you what you hear won't be what you'll escaped. A good, original album. It'll take some time to grow on you, but if you like his other stuff, I'm sure you'll like this.
Different but not worthless Submitted on: 2009-05-10
I like the fact that Ohgr isn't afraid to try something different with his music. However, and this is a minor however, this isn't the best record that I've heard of his. I give the album 4 out of 5 stars because I'm a pretty big fan of Ohgr; I've enjoyed most of his music.
This is where the "however" comes in.....
If you're expecting to hear beats and riffs that sound like WELT or SunnyPsyOp, you'll probably be dissapointed because you won't find much of that here. It's not as intense, but that can be good. Definately sounds like more of an introverted "looking at the inside from the outside" type of record. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it takes some getting used to.
The longer you listen to it, the better it gets.
FINALLY! Submitted on: 2009-04-25
Finally, a true "Skinny Puppy Album" that just happens to be by ohGr. This album has the style, sound, imagery, aggressiveness (and humor!) i've been waiting for since Too Dark Park and Last Rights.
Don't be afraid to get this album if you felt WELT and SUNNYPSYOP were just so-so like i did, D.I.M.D. is better by a huge margin.
I'm sure some SP fans will disagree with me, but I think it's a masterpiece and Ogre's vocals, lyrics and concepts haven't been better!!!
If you love SP, you WILL love this album.... GUARANTEED.
YEAH!!!
Pushing the boundaries. Submitted on: 2009-03-21
One thing I love about Ogre, and I know that not everyone shares the sentiment, is that he's always changing. SunnyPsyOp took some getting used to after listening to Welt for a while, and D.I.M.D. is an even more radical change from the last album. Not only does ohGr blur the lines between genres, the duo are continually pushing the boundaries of their own artistic experiences; something that can't be said for a majority of today's artists.
D.I.M.D. is no Welt, and it is no SunnyPsyOp, but that's what makes it great - it's different, it's fresh, it's original. To get the full effect, you have to listen to the whole album in one sitting, because there is virtually no pause between tracks. It is an ever-evolving collage of distorted sounds, twisted rhythms and haunting vocals. Several of the tracks are opened by lyrics that are reminiscent of a poetry slam recital, and quickly go from catchy, diabolical-sounding grooves to airy, ambient soundscapes. I'm tempted to even call this prog-Industrial, due to how much it morphs and glides seamlessly from piece to piece.
This is not for everyone. If you like your music repetitive, simple, catchy, and pop-ish, then this is your worst nightmare. If you appreciate musical art, especially experimental music, then this is a wonderful experience. One complaint I initially had was that some of the songs like Psychoreal seem too short; the grooves and vamps were so menacing, so memorable and dramatic that I felt Ogre could have done more with them before changing the tone. But taking the album into context, that's the very thing that makes this beautiful.
No matter how much ohGr has changed, one thing that hasn't is their uncanny ability for making super-tight bass and drum grooves. Timebomb is a perfect example of this. Ogre also uses some similar-sounding vocal effects that you've heard from the previous albums, along with a slew of new ones that will catch you off-guard. All the sounds, though, are carefully chosen, and each are ideal for the mood that was intended to be created at that moment. Timbre was a very important factor that I believe they took into account very carefully.
In short, this is a fantastic work of art. Not something for pop fans or people who don't appreciate non-standard approaches to music. For those of us who crave something original in the stagnant cesspool of the modern music industry, this is what you've been waiting for.
![Repo! The Genetic Opera [CD on Demand] by](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61AqA0POHPL._SL160_.jpg)
They're Killing Us With Bacon...
Pleasantly Surprised