Seen as a side project from industrial music gods Skinny Puppy, the short-lived Hilt actually had roots predating the start of that band. Vocalist Al Nelson and multi-instrumentalist cEVIN kEY first worked together in Vancouver's early punk scene via the band Illegal Youth in the late '70s. After the group fragmented, Key's path ran through Images in Vogue and then eventually to Skinny Puppy itself. Nelson continued working in more punk-oriented efforts