Voivod Albums (14)
What The Critics Say
Possibly more so than any other prior Voivod release, 2009's Infini is all about their late guitarist (and co-founding member), Piggy. Armed with guitar parts he recorded prior to his 2005 passing, the surviving Voivod members subsequently set out to finish off these final tracks. And musically, Infini really is a tribute of sorts to Voivod's fallen guitarist, as his playing propels many of the songs throughout the album. Back in the '80s when most metal guitarists were busy shredding away and/or trying to "out thrash" the next guy, Piggy's jazz-oid guitar playing was a breath of fresh air amongst all the standard shredding/noodling going on at the time. And it was an instantly recognizable, signature style he pursued until the very end, as evidenced by such tracks as "Earthache" and "Global Warming." And on the album opening "God Phones," Infini sees Voivod focus more on "the metal" rather than "the prog" (another style the group has been known to detour into). If Infini turns out to be the final Voivod album, then the group has gone out on a high note -- with help from one of metal's most underrated guitarists of all-time. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
2005 was a rough year for one of metal's most respected bands, Voivod, as their co-founding member, Piggy, passed away at the age of 45. But before his death, the guitarist laid down a multitude of completed parts for songs the group was in the midst of working on. So as a tribute of sorts to their friend, Voivod finished off a handful of these tracks, and issued them as 2006's Katorz (a title that the late guitarist had scrawled on a CD demo). Interestingly, although they're known primarily for prog-metal explorations (remember the near 20-minute "Jack Luminous?"), Voivod are at their most straightforward and economical on Katorz, especially such tracks as "Dognation" and the album opening "The Getaway." And even though they started off of as an extreme thrash metal band (originally influenced more by Venom than Pink Floyd), Voivod is not afraid to inject some melody into the proceedings, as evidenced by "Odds and Frauds." Arguably their most consistent album from front to back since 1989's metal classic Nothingface, Katorz serves as a fitting send-off to one of metal's most underrated guitarists. With the tracks on Katorz this strong, it bodes well for the additional unfinished material the group plans to complete and release at some point in the future. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On its 13th album, Canada's groundbreaking metal veterans Voivod have undergone a renaissance of sorts. With vocalist Denis "Snake" Belanger returning to the fold, three quarters of the original band is reunited with a unified purpose. Adding former Metallica bassist -- and longtime friend -- Jason Newsted to the fold adds new energy and vision. No longer a thrash metal act, Voivod has simply become one of the best hard rock bands on the planet. They write songs with complex melodies and bone-splintering riffs, yet they stick to the roots of their trademark sound. In many ways they feel more like some crazy combination of the 1977-era Saints and Queens of the Stone Age with better lyrics and no stoner quotient. Newsted is nothing less than phenomenal in this new context; check out "Rebel Robot," with its four-to-the-floor running riff, propelling the drums and pushing guitarist Piggy into overdrive. Stripping the songs to the essentials of shattering guitars, pumped-up muddy bass throb, and heavy-bottom drumming was a plus in the production department. On the opener "Gasmask Revival," a rebel call to open protest in the streets and the refusal to be "good citizens," four chords and three riffs crank themselves into a frenzy of jarring, cacophonous, metal garage rock. Things slow down on "Facing Up," but become heavier in the process with Michel Langevin's double-bass drumming, triple-timing the super-slow 4/4 grid of the tune led by Piggy's blues-out crunchy and Newsted plowing through the middle. The centerpiece of the album is "The Multiverse," a complex, multi-faceted opus with its lyrics inspired by writer Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series of novels. Time signatures shift, blur, change, reverse, and reinvent themselves. Newsted's bass work here becomes a wall of pure propulsive, sludgy writhe and Piggy's guitar is knife-edge yet weighs a ton. Langevin's lightning double-kick drums provide a flawless directional force as Snake soars above the mix telling dark truth after dark truth with intelligence, sensitivity, and a willingness to let the words hold him accountable. Voivod has always been among the most intelligent bands in any genre of music; they have evolved into an entity that gives up nothing when it comes to pure rock mania, yet offer something more as well: thoughtful songs that provocatively and critically examine the world we live in. "I Don't Wanna Wake Up," a mid-tempo cruncher, sums up the state of the masses without condescending to or about them. "Divine Sun," with its off-kilter bass and guitar lines -- they are played in opposition to one another -- leaves a huge hole for Snake to deliver his lyrics surrounded by a restrained sonic intensity that busts loose on the refrain courtesy of Langevin's thunderous propelling tom-tom work. "Reactor" features some of the old Voivod thrash and burn, but with drums that fall just behind the beat, everything is de-centered and tumbling, almost chaotic. The album's closer, "We Carry On," like the opening track throws out its garage rock leanings more than it does metal riffing. It's an anthem for cultural warfare that Belanger snarls his way through, asking hard questions and pointing out the irony in seemingly insignificant contradictions. Piggy's guitars are buzz saw, cutting through the entire lyrics and into a fractured sonic void. In sum, Voivod is back with a vengeance. This is among the finest records of their storied career, and will be one of the hard rock and metal records (or any sub-genre thereof) to beat in 2003. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A year after the release of 1997's Phobos (Voivod's second -- and ultimately, final -- release with bassist/singer Eric Forrest at the helm), an 11-track compilation of odds and ends saw the light of day, Kronik. Focusing entirely on the group's mid- to late-'90s era (one that saw Voivod return to their metallic roots and eradicate their prog metal excursions), you get a smattering of outtakes from both the Negatron and Phobos recording sessions, a trio of remixes by the likes of Foetus, Haig Vartzbedian, and DJ? Acucrack, as well as four tracks recorded live in Germany from 1995. The track that will be most welcomed by Voivod fans will be "Ion," which was heard in the movie Heavy Metal 2000 but mysteriously was not included on its subsequent soundtrack. Also included are fine readings of such Voivod classics as their cover of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine" and "Nuclear War," the latter a track that stretches all the way back to their 1984 debut, War and Pain. The remixes are your usual "not as good as the original" fare, but the outtakes and live tracks will be worthy of any Voivod fan's time. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite entering their third decade together by the dawn of the new millennium, Canadian metal vets Voivod had yet to issue a live album. But this oversight was corrected with the arrival of Lives in 2000. During the mid-'90s, bassist/vocalist Eric Forrest replaced original frontman Denis "Snake" Belanger, which as a result saw Voivod return to their metallic roots and shy away from the melodic direction of Nothingface and Angel Rat. What you get is an 11-track collection of tracks that spans the group's entire career, from early classics ("Voivod," "Ravenous Medicine") through to the "Forrest era" ("Negatron," "Project X"), with even a surprise cover, Venom's "In League with Satan." While admirers of late-'90s-era Voivod will fine plenty here to sink their teeth into, fans of the group's earlier aforementioned eras may be a bit disappointed (although a rendition of "The Prow" from Angel Rat was included as a bonus on most CDs, as well as another track, the latter-day "Forlorn"). Hopefully someday soon, Voivod will open the vaults and compile a live set that spans the '80s. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the disappointing showing of their 1991 album Angel Rat, Voivod took two years to produce a follow-up, 1993's The Outer Limits. And although the band offers several strong compositions, it soon becomes apparent that Voivod had already peaked artistically on their three preceding albums. Perhaps the band's chemistry was knocked off balance by the defection of original bassist Jean-Yves Theriault after Angel Rat's completion. Present is the group's second Pink Floyd cover, the Roger Waters composition "The Nile Song" (they had covered "Astronomy Domine" earlier). The opening track, "Fix My Heart," is one of the album's best, since the band sounds inspired and focused, which isn't the case on some of the album's other material. You'll also find the ambitious track "Jack Luminous" here, which twists and turns for nearly 18 minutes, recalling the days long gone when prog rock ruled the earth (especially Yes, Jethro Tull, etc.). The Outer Limits would also prove to be original vocalist Denis Belanger's last album with the group; he left after the following tour's completion. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the success of 1989's excellent Nothingface, progressive metal experimentalists Voivod were poised for their big breakthrough with their follow-up, Angel Rat. It didn't happen. For reasons unknown, the album quickly sank from sight upon its release in the fall of 1991, which is surprising, since it's nearly as good as its predecessor. Founding member and bassist Jean-Yves Theriault left the group after Angel Rat's recording was completed and was not officially replaced until bassist/vocalist Eric Forrest would take over for both Theriault and singer Denis Belanger in time for 1995's Negatron. The band's ongoing science fiction imagery is still conveyed in both the music and lyrics, which sound like a cross between early Pink Floyd (circa Meddle) and Rush (circa Caress of Steel) with an added heavy metal edge. Angel Rat also proves to be one of Voivod's most consistent releases, without a weak track in sight. Included are such spacy highlights as "Panorama," "Clouds in My House," "Golem," and the moody psychedelia of the title track. Produced by former Rush knob-twiddler Terry Brown, Angel Rat definitely deserved more attention and commercial success. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Voivod's third release, Killing Technology, still has elements of the band's early extreme metal sound, but they show hints of things to come -- namely, more mature and interesting songwriting. All you have to do is listen to the beginning of the appropriately titled "Tornado" to hear the young metal band grind and thrash with the best the '80s had to offer. There are several tracks that stretch past the six-minute mark (the opening title track, "Forgotten in Space," and "This Is Not an Exercise"), but Voivod knows how to hold interest during these extended pieces. The group is comprised of excellent musicians who have no problem whatsoever with the challenging song structures and odd time signatures that arise on Killing Technology. One of the band's all-time classics, "Ravenous Medicine," resides on this album, which makes it an essential purchase for Voivod fans. The group was still developing on Killing Technology, though -- vocalist Denis Belanger relies a bit too often on screaming rather than singing, something that he would work out on future releases. An interesting metal album nonetheless, one that doesn't sound too shabby years after its original release, something that's all too uncommon for the majority of metal acts from the '80s. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
