Remission (EP)

In December 1984, Remission was distributed through Nettwerk as Skinny Puppy's first major release. Despite being preceded by the embryonic Back & Forth EP that was limited to just 35 home-printed copies, On May 17, 2018, cEvin Key released "Coma", an instrumental track created during the Remission era, through his YouTube channel. ==Background and composition==

Both Remission and Skinny Puppy's follow-up album Bites were created before Dwayne Goettel joined in 1986 and helped crystallize the band's hard, percussion-driven industrial sound. As such, Remission features more synthpop and electro elements than Skinny Puppy would come to be known for. It is one of the first known commercial releases to use a TR-909 drum machine. In 2013, Skinny Puppy's album Weapon was released as a sort of spiritual successor to both Remission and Bites. Apart from containing a re-recorded version of "Solvent" from Remission, Weapon was deliberately created with antiquated instruments to achieve their early 1980s-style electronic sound. ==Critical reception==

Contemporary reception of Remission was mostly positive. The AllMusic review wrote that the EP "remains the Puppy's finest hour. The breadth of vision and amazing instrumental prowess of vocalist Nivek Ogre and sound-designer cEvin Key will likely never be transcended." In an article about Skinny Puppy's broad influence, Alec Chillingworth of Metal Hammer wrote, "Al Jourgensen’s Ministry was laughable in ’84, whereas Puppy gave us Remission: an EP bursting with potential, exuding a dance-ready racket heavier than anything their contemporaries offered." ==Track listing==

• Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock}} • Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock • Remarks by Ronald Reagan upon signing the Child Protection Act, May 21, 1984}} }} • Blood for Dracula (1974) by Paul Morrissey}} }} • Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock}} • The Tenant (1976) by Roman Polanski}} • Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock • Remarks by Ronald Reagan upon signing the Child Protection Act, May 21, 1984}} • The Legend of Hell House (1973) by John Hough • The Tenant (1976) by Roman Polanski}} • The Legend of Hell House (1973) by John Hough}} • The Legend of Hell House (1973) by John Hough}} • If You Love This Planet (1982) by Terre Nash}} • Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock}} • Blood for Dracula (1974) by Paul Morrissey}} }} ==Personnel==

All credits adapted from Remission liner notes. Skinny Puppy • Nivek Ogre – vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, spooky horn • cEvin Key – synthesizer, drums, percussion, tapes, vocals, treatments, production Additional personnel • Dave Ogilvie – production, engineering • Bill Leeb (credited as Wilhelm Schroeder) – bass synth on "Incision", "Manwhole", and "Ice Breaker" • D. Plevin – fretless bass on "Glass Houses" • Steven R. Gilmore – cover art • Greg Sykes – typography ==Certifications==