Cleanse Fold and Manipulate
Skinny Puppy · 1987
42 min · 10 tracks · industrial music
Dark electronic soundscapes intertwine with aggressive beats and haunting vocals, creating an unsettling yet hypnotic atmosphere.
Top tracks — play these first
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Addiction — This track exemplifies the album's dark thematic exploration through its pulsing rhythm and layered vocal effects, making it a quintessential example of Skinny Puppy's sound.
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Draining Faces — Featuring chilling samples and a relentless beat, this track captures the essence of despair and struggle that permeates the album.
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Deep Down Trauma Hounds — A standout track that blends industrial noise with poignant lyrics, showcasing the band's ability to merge harsh sounds with emotional depth.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's dark soundscapes and aggressive beats create a unique industrial experience that stands out in its genre.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a harsh, distorted soundscape that sets a dark tone, followed by aggressive beats that drive the intensity.
- Vocals are layered with effects and often delivered in a haunting manner, creating an unsettling atmosphere throughout the tracks.
- Several tracks feature abrupt transitions and tempo shifts, which contribute to a sense of disorientation and tension.
- The last track serves as an epilogue, fading out with ambient sounds that contrast sharply with the preceding aggression.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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9/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady, consistent energy levels
- long, immersive listening sessions
- dynamic emotional journeys
- contemplative late-night vibes
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 1987, Cleanse Fold and Manipulate was Skinny Puppy's third studio album, following their breakthrough effort, Bites. At this point in their career, the band was solidifying their reputation as pioneers of the electro-industrial genre, pushing boundaries with a more polished production while delving deeper into themes of addiction and societal critique.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Ministry· Front Line Assembly· Nitzer Ebb
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Addiction
The shift from first-person narration to an accusatory tone mid-verse intensifies the song's sense of conflict and desperation.
This structural choice serves to create an unsettling tension, reflecting the internal battle portrayed throughout the song.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 First Aid 4:30
- 2 Addiction 6:01
- 3 Shadow Cast 4:18
- 4 Draining Faces 5:12
- 5 The Mourn 2:41
- 6 Second Tooth 4:06
- 7 Tear or Beat 4:42
- 8 Deep Down Trauma Hounds 4:41
- 9 Anger 4:54
- 10 Epilogue 1:14
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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