The Process

Ogre, Key, and Goettel signed a contract with American Recordings and moved to Malibu, California, in 1993 to record The Process, a concept album inspired by 1960s cult The Process Church of The Final Judgment, with Roli Mosimann producing. The recording sessions were beset by everything from fires to the Northridge earthquake, and Mosimann was eventually replaced with Martin Atkins. Atkins’ presence exacerbated the rift that was forming between Ogre on the one hand, and Key and Goettel on the other. The band’s bickering and excessive drug use made the recording process so long and costly that American reduced Skinny Puppy’s contract from three albums to one. In 1994, Key and Goettel returned to Vancouver with the master tapes, but Ogre remained in Los Angeles and quit Skinny Puppy in June 1995. Goettel was found dead of a heroin overdose in his parents’ home two months later. The Process was eventually completed with Rave, released in 1996, and dedicated to the memory of Goettel. It was an overall stylistic departure from their previous albums, prominently featuring untreated vocals, guitar, and more accessible song structures. The liner notes that accompanied the CD included thank-yous to “Electronic Music Lovers” and “Puppy People”, followed by the words “The End” in bold type.[