Published on Apr 2, 2001
I never got into Skinny Puppy in their heyday, even though I had
many friends who all but worshipped that band. So why, I asked
myself, should I get excited about
Welt, the debut disc from ohGr – the new project from former
Skinny Puppy member Nivek Ogre?
Then I listened to the disc – and, suddenly, it all became
clear. Teaming up with Mark Walk, Ogre is daring to reinvent the
concept of electronic/industrial music. This is Nine Inch Nails
without the hoarsely-screamed angst – and it’s nothing short of
incredible.
Granted, it takes a minute or two to adjust yourself to this new
approach to electronica. And, granted, you cold argue that bands
like KMFDM (with whom Ogre also logged some time) might be the true
pioneers of this style. But ohGr takes the musical intensity into a
whole new sphere; they turn down the volume of the music a notch
without depleting any of its power. That in itself is a neat
trick.
What is also a neat trick is that Ogre and Walk make the music
on
Welt a lot of fun to listen to – another thing one can’t
often say about industrial/electronica. The backbeat created on
“Solow” is infectious, and is built on by a solid vocal performance
from Ogre. Likewise, “Water,” “Earthworm” and “Chaos” all capture
the listener’s attention and keep them enthralled throughout the
course of the songs.
Normally, I might complain about a CD clocking in at just under
45 minutes, never mind the fact that the length of an album in
pre-CD days was about the same. But ohGr seems to know the right
time to make their exit, leaving the listener wanting more without
overstaying their welcome. This is what “Minus” serves to do as the
disc’s closer, and it does its job well.
What is amazing is not merely that Ogre and Walk have done
something exhilirating with such a well-known form of music, but
that this disc ever saw the light of day, the first version of the
album locked away in the vaults of a record company who won’t be
named here. If anything, I’d like to think that the time spent
between the different versions of these songs gave Ogre a chance to
grow as a songwriter and as a musician. Having never heard the
original version of the album, I’m taking a guess here, but I think
it’s safe to say that he succeeded in ways even he could not have
imagined.
Welt is the disc that Ogre has had in his blood all along;
we should be thankful that we can now share in that creation. This
is a disc that seems to promise even bigger and greater things from
ohGr – if that is indeed possible, I can’t wait.