SKINNY PUPPY "Testure" 1988

By Karen Bliss 2/11/13 | www.samaritanmag.com

Industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy were much more than mechanical music masters; the Vancouver band tackled important issues head-on. One noted topic was animal rights and the disgusting, downright cruel practice of animal experimentation in the name of science and progress. Their 1988 album entitled VIVI Sect VI (yes, it’s no coincidence that three VIs is 666) included the electro-dark single “Testure” — a portmanteau of test and torture — about the practice. Every line of the song conjures up a horrific image of a tortured live caged animals — apes, rabbits, rats, kittens — spine’s cut, eyes burning, brains tapped. The song — which can be purchased here — includes a sample of dialogue from the 1982 animated film The Plague Dogs about two dogs that manage to escape from that life. — K.B.