Voivod

Voivod

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With their 13th full-length album, Voivod welcome back original vocalist Denis Belanger, and bring on board none other than Jason Newsted of Metallica fame. They're clearly enjoying a fresh lease on life. Indeed, here they recall the rough and punky days of the new wave of British heavy metal. With "Rebel Robot," though, they rediscover their old rhythm-shifting form. "The Multiverse"'s echoing, head-spinning intro evolves into a complex monster, as Belanger howls about the incomprehensible enormity of everything. He rises to the occasion yet again during the discordant but melodic "Divine Sun" and the churning, shape-shifting "Invisible Planet." Occasionally, they drift into more conventional heavy rock, and one wishes they'd included some sonic experimentation along the lines of the grim and freaky extra track that follows the apparent closer "We Carry On." Nevertheless, their new-found exuberance is a joy to witness and, hopefully, the presence of Newsted will help them find them an overdue large following. --Dominic Wills

Product Description
Respected, influential, sometimes difficult, usually godlike, & always amazing. The most creative band to master the metal form, their thirteenth album includes founding members Denis D'Amour, Michel Langevin, Denis Belanger, & former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Digipak. Chophouse/Surfdog. 2003.

Voivod,Voivod,Surfdog Records Ada,Heavy Metal,Pop,Progressive Metal,Rock,Thrash

The Outer Limits
Average customer rating:

An all time classic band & release

AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE

Truly Awesome

3-D GLASSE's AND ALL!!!!! CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Voivod Sneaks Another One in Under the Radar

The Outer Limits
Voivod
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
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Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
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Angel Rat

Voivod

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Voivod - D V O D 1

ASIN: B000008M1Z
Release Date: 1993-08-03

Tracks:

Fix My Heart
Moonbeam Rider
Pont Noir
Nile Song
Lost Machine
Time Warp
Jack Luminous
Wrong-Way Street
We Are Not Alone

Customer Reviews:

An all time classic band & release.......2007-06-26

As others here have commented on,this incredible album unfortunately came at the worst possible time for this type of "metal".This is some amazing songwriting,any doubts to the talent possessed by this band only need hear this! It truly is a shame how criminally overlooked Voivod was at this time.Such is life,I suppose

AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE.......2006-01-22

For my money, this is the high point of Voivod's career. I was so blown away by this thing that I actually bought five more copies to send to friends around the country. I've never done that with ANY other recording by ANY other artist. Amazing and ROCKIN'!

Truly Awesome.......2005-12-21

I feel pity for anyone who have never heard this album because it is amazing! The band has always been a gem amongst the trendy clones that have come out of the metal scene. Every song on this album is exciting and unique, and so well-structured. And there is nothing I can compare to "Jack Luminous" because the song is a real journey, it's awe-inspiring. This album is at the top of my favorite Voivod records, second only to Nothingface.

3-D GLASSE's AND ALL!!!!! CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-10-05

My version has the 3-D glasses..and that is a very unique idea!! something alot of bands could and should do!!

This is the more heavy and less ''commercial'' version of ANGEL RAT..which was a great album(see my review!)

Every song on here is 100% VOIVOD!!! no one can touch them when they are at their peek..and this was their peek!!

This stars off with the upbeat ''FIX MY HEART''..very catchy and full of LIFE!!

''LE PONT NOIR'' is a dark number..that is also CATHCEY!!
''WHY DOSENT HE WANT SECRACEY''

''JACK LUMINOUS'' ha..17 freakin minutes long..no one can touch that..and it dosent get boring either!! THE BEST ON THE ALBUM!!

''WRONG WAY STREET'' is great as well..GREAT LYRCIS about how we are living in a NOG HELL!!(well to me thats how they appear!)

''WE ARE NOT ALONE'' is a great closer..it wraps up the theme to this SCI-FI METAL ride!!

I have had this for what seems like for ever..one of my PERSONAL FAVE albums..skrew ''GERNES'' this breaks em all..
AND AWAY WAS ONE OF THE BEST DRUMERS EVER..EVER!!

AND R.I.P. PIGGY..YOUR PLAYING WAS LIKE NO OTHER!!

Voivod Sneaks Another One in Under the Radar.......2004-07-25

This album came out in in 1993, when the biggest bands on MTV were Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Snoop Doggy Dogg. Most of that stuff bored me at the time, mainly because I was discovering things like The Outer Limits. This was the very first Voivod CD I ever owned, and I've been in love with it for over 10 years now.

In some ways this album is a continuation of the direction Voivod had been heading in at least since Nothingface, but it really isn't imaginable without Angel Rat as a predecessor. The biggest difference between the two is in the production, which is bigger and heavier than Angel Rat, as well as the songwriting, which is a lot stronger, in my opinion. Piggy's guitar work on this album has astonished me for over a decade -- his creativity and use of layering single lines and chords really does manage to create an "unearthly" sound. Plus he uses quartal harmony (notably in "The Lost Machine" but also in "Moonbeam Rider" and elsewhere), which is highly unusual for metal -- it's something you'd normally find in jazz and modern classical music.

I love Voivod not because I am a die-hard metal fan but because they have made a unique and lasting contribution to the genre. To me, The Outer Limits is a big part of the Voivod legacy and will always remain one of my favorite albums.

Average customer rating:

Voivod's Nothingface.
Greatest prog metal album ever
Pure brilliance.
the best metal band nobody ever knew about...
singular

Nothingface
Voivod
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dimension Hatröss
The Outer Limits
Angel Rat
Rrröööaaarrr
Killing Technology

ASIN: B000008M1Y
Release Date: 1989-10-13

Tracks:

Intro
Unknown Knows
Nothingface
Astronomy Domine
Missing Sequences
X-Ray
Inner Combustion
Pre-Ignition
Into My Hypercube
Sub-Effect

Customer Reviews:

Voivod's Nothingface........2007-05-23

This is Voivod's best work. Their more recent work seems a little all the same sounding, but back when Nothingface was released they were tight! I highly recommend buying this album! Dimension Hatross is also their second best and well worth getting as well. So keep those two titles in mind when choosing which album to buy. NOTHINGFACE!
As soon as I get my next check I'm gonna order it again.
I hope there is a reasonable one available like there is now in a month. Wait. I change my review. This album is no good. Don't buy it!!! (lol)

Greatest prog metal album ever.......2007-03-18

Still Life? Images and Words? Remedy Lane? no it's Nothingface. Anyway that's my belief and I'm sticking to it. This album however is not thrash metal. I maintain this is prog metal. My idea of prog thrash is Coroner. Also I can here a slight Robert Fripp influence in Piggy's guitar but it's not overwhelming. This is quite simply the most important album for rock guitar since Larks Tounges in Aspic. So what does it sound like?. Robotic, sometimes dischordant but always beautifully structured within the song. The guitar is also very high in riffing which i love and the rhythm section is both competent and original and powerful and there's no cookie monster vocals from snake and I better stop because I think I need to clean myself.Best Album of the 80's. End.

Pure brilliance........2006-11-17

Everything about this album shows a band full of great musicians with brilliant ideas - who nail every single one of those ideas.

Even the album itself is early computer graphics, and the first ones I can think of on a record album. They were all done by the drummer - and they are absolutely, totally perfect for the music.

According to Amazon, the only copies of this album for sale are used - how can that be??? This is the best of Voivod's entire catalog...ah, well. It can't remain like this for too long.

Oh, and a special circle of heck is reserved for musicians that take other bands' song names and name their bands after them. Nothingface, Godsmack, Machinehead - I'm looking in your direction.

the best metal band nobody ever knew about..........2006-08-05

I bought this on a cassette tape in '89 and wore it out playing it. I remember going to see Voivod that same year as they were on tour with Soundgarden. I think they were kind of lost in the grunge hype--this is a recurring theme with this band that never really 'made' it commerically. Their music had a sophisitication to it and it fell on deaf ears in a music world that couldn't handle more than 3 chords at a time. I was into punk and thrash music, but when I discovered Voivod, it was like falling in love with a Philip K Dick novel; my teenage post-apocalyptic paranoid Reagan Era aesthetic totally adopted Voivod.

This album is deeply layered and highly nuanced. Although I love their cover of Astronomy Domine, I almost felt that they were trying to gain a credibility by quoting Pink Floyd and it seems almost out of synch with the rest of the sci-fi storytelling going on. I started listening to Voivod again last week and its been like almost 15 years but the music still sounds fresh!

singular.......2005-10-28

The references to groups like Rush, Pink Floyd, (Magma is another probable influence), etc. in other reviews here are certainly valid, but thankfully they're not necessary in order to dig this album. Thankfully for me, because "prog" is usually an insult in my vocabulary. Even when Voivod is covering Pink Floyd they sound like noone else and even within their catalog, this is truly a singular piece of work. The performances are as good as one could hope and the vision is fully formed.

(All that said, Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross and Angel Rat are also pretty decent.)

Average customer rating:

Dark science fiction oriented thrash, Voivod nail it on their third release
I NOW DESTROY THE ENEMEY..
R.I.P. Piggy
This is not a music CD...
where greatness began to be revealed...

Killing Technology
Voivod
Manufacturer: Noise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dimension Hatröss
Rrröööaaarrr
War and Pain
Angel Rat
Katorz

ASIN: B00000F1TY
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

Killing Technology
Overreaction
Tornado
Too Scared To Scream
Forgotten In Space
Ravenous Medicine
Order Of Blackguards
This Is Not An Exercise
Cockroaches

Customer Reviews:

Dark science fiction oriented thrash, Voivod nail it on their third release.......2006-06-14

Killing Technology was Montreal based Voivod's third album and the one where their sound became fully realized. The first two albums were good, but marred by muddy sound and the songwriting wasn't quite there yet. On KT they nailed it. When this came out in 1987 the only other band that was as heavy was Kreator. But Voivod were different in their use of really ugly dissonant chords and almost progressive structures all within an extremely brutal thrash context.

Lyrically Killing Technology is very dark and science fiction themed, something Voivod would explore quite a bit on later albums. The songs are about man's destruction or enslavement by his own technology or a world out of balance. For example, Forgotten in Space is about a jail ship full of prisoners both criminal and political blasted out into space to an unknown fate. Ravenous Medicine is about being used in Mengele type medical experiments as a human guinea pig and Tornado is about weather with a vendetta. When combined with the dark thrashing music of Piggy (guitar), Blacky (bass) and Away (drums), Snakes lyrics become the soundtrack to a technological apocalypse, the true soundtrack to the Terminator.

Voivod continued their science fiction oriented thrash sound on their brilliant follow up album Dimension Hatross but on subsequent albums they gradually cleaned up their sound. On Killing Technology they play at their gritty, grinding and noisy best. Killing Technology is a claustrophobic and paranoid masterpiece. It's a great album from one of the most original bands in metal and truly deserves to be called a classic.

I NOW DESTROY THE ENEMEY.........2005-10-26

CLASSIC THRASH!!! BUT THIS IS DONE WITH MUCH MORE UNIQUE FLAVOR THAN ANYTHING YOU WILL EVER HEAR AGAIN!!!

Top notch BASS!!! BLACKEY WAS THE MAN!!!!

VOIVOD were not kind to the brain!! VERY EPIC SONG's!!!

This take's ''MASTER OF FECES'' and throw's it over the empire state bulding!!

I love the PUNK/HARDCORE feeling to this album!! you can tell that was a huge influence on the VOD!!

WITHOUT THIS..YOU SHALL REMAIN THE POSER YOU ARE!!!!! OR IF YOU JUST NEVER GOT IT..GET IT!!!!!!!!!

MANDATORY FOR THE THRASH FAN!!! OR IF YOU WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT..LOOK NO FURTHER!!

R.I.P. Piggy.......2005-10-17

Simply put, Dennis D'Amour is the fallen guitar player who SHOULD be getting all of the magazine coverage and tributes, unlike a certain other dead guitar player whos name also begins with a "D".

Its a shame Dime is going to steal all of the fame and attention away from Dennis. No one said a thing about the tragedy of when Dennis passed away, but the talentless moron Dimebag Darrle got a media bl*w job when his useless body stoped functioning.

I'm surprised that a poser like J.P. even knows about Voivod or Piggy.

Buy Voivod albums instead of Pantera albums, support musicians with talent.

Pi$$ on Dimes grave.

All hail VoiVod and Piggy you Pantera b!tches.

This is not a music CD..........2005-10-16

...it is an absolute, unadulterated WORK OF ART. Here, the band proves they are/were the best thrash metal band of all time. I would say this is Voivod's best album, and it's a great place for new fans. Snake, Blacky, Away, and of course Piggy (R.I.P.) are in top form here. Best song is the title track.
1. Killing Technology 6/5
2. Overreaction 5/5
3. Tornado 5/5
4. Too Scared To Scream 5/5
5. Forgotten In Space 5/5
6. Ravenous Medicine 5/5
7. Order Of Blackguards 5/5
8. This Is Not An Exercise 5/5
9. Cockroaches 5/5

R.I.P. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour
1959 - 2005
:'(

where greatness began to be revealed..........2005-05-10

With 'War and Pain' and 'Rrrooorrr' (is that enough r's?) Voivod were a pretty typical thrash band that would be found on the heavy labels of the day like Combat, Megaforce, Metal Blade, Noise, etc. They wore the leather and spikes, played heavy and fast, and sang about death and ways to die and such. Not being native English speakers, Voivod's lyrics were often awkward in the early days also. But 'Killing Technology' is the turning point. The strides made from 'Rrrroooarrr' are amazing. Their progressive tendencies begin to show, especially on one of my all-time favorites, 'Forgotten in Space.' This is the first of Voivod's three brilliant albums in a row in my opinion along with 'Dimension Hatross' and 'Nothingface.'

Average customer rating:

Rest in Peace Flying Saucer Pilot Maestro.
Musical and acoustic perfection! Superb metal!
True Voivod fans only will hail this release!
Piggy Still Lives
Long Live Piggy

Katorz
Voivod
Manufacturer: The End Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Voivod - D V O D 1
A Light in the Dark
A Matter Of Life And Death

ASIN: B000G7PNY0
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

The Getaway
Dognation
Mr Clean
After All
Odds & Frauds
Red My Mind
Silly Clones
No Angel
The X-Stream
Polaroids

Album Description

The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod", "Katorz" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that did not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.

In order to record "Katorz", singer Denis "Snake" Belanger, drummer Michael "Away" Langevin, and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted utilized all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.

Customer Reviews:

Rest in Peace Flying Saucer Pilot Maestro........2006-12-17

Before his untimely death in August 2005 from colon cancer, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour was hard at work laying down the guitar tracks for an album in which he would not live to see completed. With Voivod having recently signed on to The End Records, one of the few labels that appreciate their unique sound, the conscientious D'Amour feared his illness would lead to disappointment for the label and his bandmates. Throughout much of his life D'Amour struggled with health problems, but this time he believed he was living in his final days. Taking his guitar and laptop to the studio, he gave everything his rapidly deteriorating health would allow.

_Katorz_, their fourteenth album, is typically different from every other Voivod release without straying away from their distinct sound. I really can't compare this very well with any of their other releases since they vary things from album to album. What _Katorz_ is in a nutshell is a great heavy metal record with equal doses of punk and progressive rock with neither being over nor underdeveloped. Denis "Snake" Belanger sings like no other singer with his anguished and robotic voice. Michel "Away" Langevin is still able to come up with some off the wall rhythms. Jason "Jasonic" Newsted, while not as good a bassist as former member Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault, acclimates himself nicely here. I'm not that great when it comes to speaking for other people (particularly when they are no longer alive), but I have a feeling that Piggy would be very proud.

Lyrically, the subject matter is more about everyday social and political concerns than the science fiction themes of the past. "The Getaway" shows the band expressing an anti-Operation Iraqi Freedom view. There is a bit of irony here since current Voivod bassist Newsted also played bass on Metallica's Black Album - The very same one with the pro-war anthem "Don't Tread on Me". "Mr. Clean" compares the exclusiveness of rock clubs to how society in general tries to weed out misfits. "Red My Mind" tackles the media's preoccupation with violence. "Silly Clones" deals with how people trade in their humanity and individuality for status, only to find emptiness in the end. "The X-Stream" seems to be about the daredevil adrenaline junkie culture.

Losing a guitarist with seemingly limitless talented like Piggy has to difficult, perhaps career shattering, for even the greatest of bands. Having said that, it brings me great pleasure to say that Voivod is going to start work on a new album in 2007. From what I've been able to gather, Piggy still has some leftover files from his laptop. What will happen after that, only time will tell. All I can say is good luck Denis, Michel, and Jason. You deserve it.

Musical and acoustic perfection! Superb metal!.......2006-11-27

There is a distinctly bordered off part of the universe in which metal music epitomyzes its wonderful originality. Voivod's latest album is from this part of the universe.
The songs are pure raw controled explosion. The sound is so perfect on par with The Offspring's IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE and Metallica's ...And Justice For All. The tunes are so original that when you listen several times the tune is familiar. Without the music in the background you cannot remember how the hum should go.

Great, Great Metal.

True Voivod fans only will hail this release!.......2006-09-21

A huge loss to the Voivod fans and his family (R.I.P.) but Piggy truly leaves us with a release only true Voivod fans will like and appreciate. This album makes up for the last couple releases (save for Negatron) and throws you back in time when you bought "Dimension Hatross" and "Nothingface" and gives you a true Voivon album. The music is much more in the style of the aformentioned albums and Snakes vocals are back to the slimy, robotic whines like he used to and that's what makes this a return to classic Voivod. The lyrics aren't consistant with their previous sci-fi themes, more like bringing our troops back from the war, kicking people out of clubs and the spirit of heavy metal, a first for the band to pick that up. When I heard this album my blood went up and I had hairs standing up with goosebumps, which I rarely feel but when you feel that way you truly know this is a good album, from start to finish. Pick it up, play it loud and remember the great Piggy!

Piggy Still Lives.......2006-09-04

The late Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, legendary Voivod guitar god passed away of colon cancer, but fortunately there was a treasure trove of demos he'd laid down before his death and the band recorded around those to make this, the band's eleventh studio album and I have to say the remaining band members, Denis "Snake" Belanger, Michael "Away" Langevin and Jason "Jasonic" Newsted turned their talents and Piggy's demos into an exceptional album.

The CD opens with "The Getaway" which is a rockin' tune and it also features songs the songs "Odds & Frauds," Silly Clones" and "Mr Clean," which are the strong points of the album, however all of the songs are very good. Metal heads are sure to love this record and who could blame them?

Long Live Piggy.......2006-09-03

Everyone knows the phrase "with triumph comes loss", but as I listened to the most recent release by the band Voivod, I had to wonder if "with loss comes triumph" as well. The reason I bring this theory to light is due to the sad truth that the group would lose founder and riff wizard Denis "Piggy" D'Amour to colon cancer in August of 2005. Prior to his illness and throughout his treatment demos were written and worked on in hope that he would recover and the new recording could be completed and released for their fans. When this would not be a possibility anymore and Piggy succumbed to the illness and died, the band was faced with what should be done and more important - what would be right to do. Before his death, Piggy had instructed drummer Michel "Away" Langevin on the whereabouts of the demos and that he wanted this music completed and reach their fans. From there it would be far from simple, but yet it would be done and the results serve as a fitting reminder to the creative musician D'Amour was. It's an interesting album that sounds quite good especially when you take into account the means that it was recorded and what the members had available to them to do it. From the demos with Piggy's last guitar work and Jason's bass, drums were added by Michel while vocals were hammered out by "Snake" Belanger in his home. It is not the typical album creation scenario but the guys rose above it all. As you play this Hard Rock & Punk influenced album at any volume you will be hard-pressed to find any limitation to it. "Getaway" is a great opener and has a slight Motorhead vibe to which is never a bad thing and Snake has a great feel to his vocal here and on "After All" (two of my preferred tracks). An interesting observation to the recording is the tightness between bass and drums which was fantastic as while the two instruments are normally recorded together that was not possible for the demo work and found Michel figuring out the feel from the tapes. He shines through especially in how he slows down and speeds up as if he was sitting there with the other guys. The whole effort was then produced by Glen Robinson, who fans will remember from their killer album "Nothingface". Musically, I guess that "Odds & Frauds" will be one of the most popular tracks along with "Polaroid's" as the first is one of the catchiest and the latter is perhaps the trippiest of the albums music. The album as a whole is in the same direction that album and not like the early Thrash fests that the band used to deliver. Personally, I always preferred the direction that they were going with both "Nothingface" and "Angel Rat", as the group was taking experimental journeys with their music that were both interesting very creative.

This would be the bands first release on The End Records and the label would be behind them for the whole process. Voivod had a strong fan base and you either loved them or hated them, as sometimes the change was too drastic for some listeners. Despite this you could never say that they were short on creativity and that's what makes having this album worthwhile. Before he died, Piggy recorded 23 demo tracks and this recording has the first ten of them. The remaining songs will go through the same process that gave us "Katorz" and with them the world will be able to better appreciate the quality of player that Piggy was and the impact he had on many of Hard Rock and Metal's finest.

Average customer rating:

Snake returns, Newstead recurited as bassist
Where are the lead guitar riffs?
R.I.P. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour
Industrial Metal Pioneers Return
why does everything newsted touches after '88 turn to crap?

Voivod
Voivod
Manufacturer: Surfdog Records Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Katorz
Angel Rat
Echobrain
Dimension Hatröss
The Outer Limits

ASIN: B00008A8IV
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Tracks:

Gasmask Revival
Facing Up
Blame Us
Real Again?
Rebel Robot
The Multiverse
I Don't Wanna Wake Up
Les Cigares Violants
Divine Sun
Reactor
Invisible Planet
Strange And Ironic
We Carry On

Amazon.com

With their 13th full-length album, Voivod welcome back original vocalist Denis Belanger, and bring on board none other than Jason Newsted of Metallica fame. They're clearly enjoying a fresh lease on life. Indeed, here they recall the rough and punky days of the new wave of British heavy metal. With "Rebel Robot," though, they rediscover their old rhythm-shifting form. "The Multiverse"'s echoing, head-spinning intro evolves into a complex monster, as Belanger howls about the incomprehensible enormity of everything. He rises to the occasion yet again during the discordant but melodic "Divine Sun" and the churning, shape-shifting "Invisible Planet." Occasionally, they drift into more conventional heavy rock, and one wishes they'd included some sonic experimentation along the lines of the grim and freaky extra track that follows the apparent closer "We Carry On." Nevertheless, their new-found exuberance is a joy to witness and, hopefully, the presence of Newsted will help them find them an overdue large following. --Dominic Wills

Album Description

Respected, influential, sometimes difficult, usually godlike, & always amazing. The most creative band to master the metal form, their thirteenth album includes founding members Denis D'Amour, Michel Langevin, Denis Belanger, & former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Digipak. Chophouse/Surfdog. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Snake returns, Newstead recurited as bassist.......2006-04-28

Eric Forrest left Voivod in 2001 which was a good thing. Voivod disbanded for a shiort period of time. Piggy and Away met with Snake again and reformed Voivod. Snake returned to the band. From there, they recruited Jason Newstead as bassist after they learned that Jason Newstead had left Metallica. Jason Newstead is a true Voivodian and was a fan of the band's earlier work. Jason Newstead's bass technique is a lot better than Eric Forrest, but just as good as Blacky's. Jason knows almost every old Voivod songs before the Eric Forrest era and can play them perfectly.

When true Voivodians learned that Snake had returned to the band, this has made thousands of true Voivodians happy. The band has resurrected their old sounds the way Voivod is supposed to sound like. This album is a very good post Eric Forrest era album. Snake is the TRUE voice of Voivod! Piggy, Jasonic and Away composed the music together with the band's original sound which had made the true Voivodians extremely happy. Voivod went on a few club tours following the release of this album. Then they headlined the Ozzfest in 2002 on second stage. Note: Jason Newstead played bass for BOTH Voivod and Ozzy Osbourne during Ozzfest '02.

Following the tour, Voivod returned to the studio to work on their forthcoming album. It was a tragedy that Piggy passed away with colon cancer on August 25, 2005. Piggy was a legendary guitarist who had perfect ears. He could play anything on his guitar by Rush, Yes, and etc. He is gone, but will not be forgotten. Voivod is polishing up their forthcoming album with Piggy's guitar parts and will release it which Piggy would be proud of. I'm looking forward to that.

Where are the lead guitar riffs? .......2005-10-08

Purchased it after reading reviews of Piggy and Jason, 9.5 out of 10 on the Metal Observer. They take one guitar riff, build around it with very few tempo changes and have no scorching lead breaks. Huge let down for me. Where are the leads? Is my CD defective? The lead guitar is missing from my mix! They couldn't have released it with no lead guitar riffs. No, THEY DID RELEASE IT WITH ALMOST NO LEADS! You're killing me Larry!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll release this music with no leads or your CD is FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

R.I.P. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour.......2005-09-07

Sometime in August, Voivod guitarist Denis D'Amour (a.k.a. Piggy) fell ill to cancer. Later, on August 26th, he succumbed to his illness. This really blows. Denis was an amazing guitarist. He made overrated players Kirk Hammet and Kurt Cobain seem like they were playing with broken fingers. He also had more talent in his c**k than any AND every nu-metal, metalcore, Christian metal, emo, pop, rap, and pop-punk artist COMBINED. He is gone but CERTAINLY not forgotten. (Damn, why are so many metal giants dying? Why can't cancer, alcoholism, murderers, natural disasters, etc. have killed f***s like 50 cent or Ashlee Simpson?) Buy this album NOT just because it's great, but also because to kepp Piggy's memory alive. Here are some instructions...

1. Put this CD in your stereo.
2. Crank the volume up to maximum.
3. BLAST the song "Gasmask Revival".

R.I.P. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour
1960 - 2005
:'(

Now if you excuse me, I'll get my hands on my copy of this CD and listen to the solos that are no more...

Industrial Metal Pioneers Return .......2005-08-22

Most music critics like to cite Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails and Ministry as industrial bands. That may well be, but when it comes to making the same impact with nothing but guitar, Voivod has no equal.
This sci-fi/industrial/metal powerhouse has had a rabid loyal following since its early days, and it really hit its stride with the one-two punch of "Killing Technology" and its followup, the classic masterpiece "Dimension Hatross", one of metal's greatest albums EVER.
The secret weapon is Denis D'Amour, aka "Piggy", the guitar monster who is simply one of the most underrated musicians in the rock world. His attack is not too hard to figure out - complex jazz chording turned up to 11, wild tempo fluctuations and great tonal variations make his axe sound like ten guitars in any other less competent outfit.
After a couple of noisy but still headbanging efforts nonetheless with Eric Forrest as bassist and vocalist, "Voivod" features the return of Denis "Snake" Berlanger, who replaced Forrest after his unfortunate accident. Jason Newsted, the much maligned bassist of Metallica has joined the band and provides a steady heavy bottom end. His followers will no doubt help Voivod recruit new fans, but he wisely is a team player in a band that hopefully appreciates his input rather than haze him and abuse him like his former outfit did.
Although "Voivod" doesn't have much in the way of solos, with the exception of the opening track "Gasmask Revival", one doesn't really notice because Piggy's so busy elsewhere with his trademark layers of industrial riffing and effects that solos would likely clutter up the mix.
Otherwise, we get an album that harkens back to "The Outer Limits" and less of the noise in "Phobos" and "Negatron". The usual pyschotic lyrics and alienation dominate, along with drummer Away's artwork that have always added a great visual presence to the band.
It's not their high water mark, but that's hard to beat when one compares any of Voivod's work to "Dimension Hatross", which simply has to be heard to be believed.
Update: Denis "Piggy" L'Amour died last August 26 after a short battle with colon cancer. Previously treated for brain cancer a few years back, he had lost none of the originality and power that made Voivod special. According to some metal web blogs, he was able to lay down 23 to 25 tracks of guitar for the upcoming album, and the surviving members are planning to release it as a tribute. Along with the senseless onstage murder of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, metal has lost two giants of the guitar. RIP, "Piggy".

why does everything newsted touches after '88 turn to crap?.......2005-08-03

This new "Voivod" is merely a hollow shell of the once mighty thrash band from the mid 80's. I totally agree with the reviewer below who mentions growing up with "Killing Technology" era Voivod. This cd may be better than most of the crap pumped out nowadays but it doesn't hold a candle to anything Voivod did with Snake on vox before. Check out any other Voivod title , in fact go get the "best of" on Amazon if you need a primer.
What happened to newsted corrupting all these bands? Metallica, Echobrain, Voivod .... yeeesh!

Average customer rating:

What comes around goes around...
Voivod's legacy will be carried on through the excellent music
What a shmuck!!
Pure poop
Rrriipping!

Rrröööaaarrr
Voivod
Manufacturer: Noise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Killing Technology
Dimension Hatröss
War and Pain
Voivod
Angel Rat

ASIN: B00000FEPA
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

KORGUL THE EXTERMINATOR
FUCK OFF & DIE
SLAUGHTER IN A GRAVE
RIPPING HEADACHES
HORROR
THRASHING RAGE
HELLDRIVER
BUILD YOUR WEAPONS
TO THE DEATH

Customer Reviews:

What comes around goes around..........2007-05-14

The title pretty much says it all being a raw wall of noise and sound akin to a load of scrap metal being dumped down a staircase. Pretty straight forward, albiet it a tad cliched, old-school speed metal.... BUT...what makes it a bit diferent from the pack are elemental lyrical and stucture elements that would later develop into something quite wonderful in the way of sound and imagery in following releases, so I recommend Rooarr as a stepping stone in the Voivod trilogy. In many ways this is a small backward step from Voivod's first release, the more accessible War and Pain, as if they are trying to find their footing and 'place".

Plus, its a lotta raucous pounding FUN and I get all sweaty and smelly just listening to Snake and Co pound and rip through this!

BTW...I owned this recording on vinyl (!!) many years ago when it was first released. Now re-exploring my speed/thrash heritage Rrroooaaarr is a standout in my collection. And it should be in yours as well.

Enjoy.

Voivod's legacy will be carried on through the excellent music.......2005-10-19

Despite the fact that this CD had crappy recording quality it was a great CD. Hell, Voivod had many great CDs in their career. I'm saddened to hear about the passing of Piggy (a great guitarist). The music that was created was very unique and influential to many people. Piggy has passed on but he won't be soon forgotten...he has left an awesome legacy behind for us all.

What a shmuck!!.......2005-09-06

To "Marco Esquandolas a dragon with matches." how utterly classless and moronic of you to give a classic Voivod album a crappy review mere days after their guitar player Dennis D'Amour (aka "Piggy") died of inoperable colon cancer. You truly are a shmuck! Do the world a favor... put in another Linkin Park Cd and quit pretending you know anything about metal.

Pure poop.......2005-09-03

You payed money for this?? It's a shame a talented drummer is wasting his talents w/ these guys. Too bad I'm required to give it a star.

Rrriipping!.......2004-10-08

This album is very fast thrash-metal with riffs using jazzy stacked fifth chords; giving it spacey, machine like overdriven harmonies. The lyrics are about giant monsters attacking cities, mechanized warfare, zombies, and ripping headaches. the drummer is very very good. On every album he sounds like in peak form, very well-practiced.
This album is ripping and raw with lots of improvised fills, but they are a very tight band, and utilize alot of odd-time signatures. I haven't heard "Killing Technology", but I like "Rrrooaar" much more than "War and Pain" (the debute) or "Dimension Haitross" (most aclaimed).

"Rrooarr" is far more straight-forward thrash-metal than the artsy "Nothingface" and other the later progressive albums.

I say, that any band that decides to name its album "Rrrooaar" is making a clear statement.

Its Rrripping.

Average customer rating:

solid and raw old skool trash with a difference
Voivooooood!!!!
Excellent 80's metal
best voivod album
Good raw thrash...

War and Pain
Voivod
Manufacturer: Metal Blade
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Rrröööaaarrr
Killing Technology
Dimension Hatröss
Voivod
Angel Rat

ASIN: B000001C7A
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

Voivod
Warriors Of Ice
Suck Your Bone
Iron Gang
War And Pain
Blower
Live For Violence
Black City
Nuclear War

Customer Reviews:

solid and raw old skool trash with a difference.......2007-06-10

From the openning shrieks of "Voivooooooooodddd..." to the distinctive odd-beat of closing "Nuclear War" this is a great recording. Maybe its just me but I hear some musical influences from Motorhead to vocal nods to Rob Halford in the mix...all wondrous stuff w/superb musicialship by the Players and well constructed songs with good hooks and distinctive rythms not all sounding...lots of variety and tempo. Powerful raw production cuts like a razor. Excellent.

Voivooooood!!!!.......2004-07-17

Canada has a fine Rock and Metal tradition, but there seems to be something about the frozen North which seems to warp the minds of musicians a little. Canada's greatest export, Rush, forged a reputation for producing highly imaginative Progressive Rock with a hint of the unusual, even for the experimental world of Prog Rock.

Voivod did the same with Thrash Metal. These four twisted musicians produced one of the oddest albums of Thrash's early days. While Metallica and Slayer were content to play it straight and fast, Voivod seemed to make things deliberately difficult for themselves on `War And Pain', opting for a complex and choppy songwriting style. Playing at a speed where it would be easy to trip and stumble, the band doesn't miss a note. Think it sounds easy? Check Possessed or early Celtic Frost for examples of bands playing too fast for their own good then.

Title track "War And Pain" for example mixes up several riffs, which seem to tumble past like a rockslide, and are bridged together by guitar solos or rumbling drum fills, all the while Snake shouts blank verse lyrics of the horrors of war over it all. Sounds complex? It's the most straightforward song on the album.

Piggy was an incredibly underrated guitarist. Most bands of the time went for a twin guitar line, either to cover for lack of ability or to fill in holes when playing fast. Piggy carried all the guitar duties on his own. He possessed a killer chainsaw tone which cut red raw to the bone, and was able to slip effortlessly from rhythms to solos and back again. This album avoids double tracking the guitars, so during solos the rhythm drops out and is picked up by Blacky on bass. The galloping rhythmic pattern of the final track "Nuclear War" features countless guitar/bass interchanges, and it is difficult to keep up with who is playing what.

It's not just the music which is unusual. Vocalist Snake invented the Voivod, a creature that lives in a violent, dark cyber world, and is fond of torture and killing. The Voivod continued to pop up on subsequent albums. Snake's lyrics use simplistic words to express complex themes, probably because of the band's French Canadian heritage, where English is only a secondary language.

At a time when Speed Metal bands were stealing Iron Maiden and Judas Priest riffs to impress their fans, Voivod blew them all away with a raw and truly original Thrash creation. Unfortunately, most Metal fans in 1984 weren't prepared for such experimentation, and `War And Pain' remains a forgotten pearl cast before undeserving swine.

Excellent 80's metal.......2004-04-15

This is probably the best Voivod album ever. Being their first it is definitely a far cry from their later progressive work. It's raw power is still enjoyable to this day, although it is a bit dated. Word on the street is that a 3 disc War and Pain box set is forthcoming. Long live Voivod!

best voivod album.......2004-03-18

this was by far their best and what true voivod was about, the best songs are voivod,blower (from a metal massecre comp),suck your bone and nuclear war they all are good,get killing technology next then roooaarrr i met these guys they are all great the new album with jason newsted is good too but get the first three first in the order i said then get the others my first experiene of voivod was when i was nine and saw their video clouds in my hosue on the show liquid television back in 92 remember that plus voivod headed one of the best concerts of all time world war 3 with the likes of possessed,celtic frost(who are coming back),destruction(who are still good live) and nasty savage(who are still great live) in 1985 wish i was there well get this album along with ones by the bands i mentioned earlier ones only now they have jason newsted of flotsam and jetsam and metallica in there note he was not on this album it was blacky and yes i knew about them before he was in check the first three out and then get the new one then get the rest with snake also check them out live they are still great suck your bone!!!!!!!!!!!

Good raw thrash..........2003-03-25

I've never been a huge fan of Voivod, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Very raw and over-the-top, with raspy vocals and plenty of energy. I'll definitely be checking out some of their other stuff as well, as this one is really growing on me...

Average customer rating:

11 out of a 10!!!!
Space metal with universal appeal
This just unbelievably rawks
The most progressive band in all of metal
If this is the future, please take me there immediately.

Nothingface
Voivod
Manufacturer: Noise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Intro
The Unknown Knows
Nothingface
Astronomy Domine
Missing Sequences
X-Ray
Inner Combustion
Pre-Ignition
Into My Hypercube
Sub-Effect

Customer Reviews:

11 out of a 10!!!!.......2004-05-06

OMG this album is out of print!??! I have it on tape and need it on CD, i guess i will have to record it and master it myself. YES thats how good this album really is! Time changes that make your hair stand. Riffs that you can jam to for years to come. I have had this tape since 1989 and it is NEVER far from a tape deck of mine. If anyone finds this CD GET IT! and SHARE IT! voivod needs to remaster and re-release! PLEASE !!

Space metal with universal appeal.......2004-02-14

No one would ever have predicted back in 1984 that the band who stormed onto the scene with "War and Pain" would end up five years later dropping the twisted cybermetal of "Nothingface". Charting their musical progression through the median three albums, it seems obvious in retrospect, but despite the fully realized work that is "Dimension Hatross" it's "Nothingface" that is Voivod's true masterpiece.

"The Unknown Knows" and "Nothingface" jump out of the starting gates with a heavier direction than much of the album will maintain. Doubtless Voivod were breaking in fans of "Dimension Hatross" gently, as both songs follow in that general path. However, the third track, a cover of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine", fully introduces the zoned out, trance-like dirge that will permeate the rest of the album. Frankly, this is one of the best cover versions I've ever heard, despite being ultra-faithful to the original (a process I usually detest). The drums in particular are absolutely fantastic - we're not talking double kick drum rolls or any other form of technical virtuosity, but the soft/loud buildups and the way Michel Langevin works around the melody is awe inspiring and makes this an utter pleasure to listen to.

Of the remaining funereal "ballads", "Missing Sequences" and "Into My Hypercube" are both astounding, whereas standout rockers include "Pre-Ignition" and "X-Ray Mirror". The lyrics all consist of paranoid, futuristic Kafka-meets-Orwell parables about loss of identity and invasion of privacy. For the most part they're fairly impenetrable, but the band have helpfully (?) provided abstract, impressionistic computer art for each song.

Although Voivod have a series of great albums that boast different approaches and succeed in conflicting manners, "Nothingface" is both the best and most accessible album they've released to date.

This just unbelievably rawks.......2003-04-08

I'd consider this one of the ultimate modern metal albums, period. Voivod's sound refined to its pinnacle. No one quite sounded like them, at all, to start with but this album really clinches them as a unique force in the heavier realms of popular music. It's like taking the intelligence and precision of Rush and injecting that into the aggro-fueled storm and drive of Stormtroopers of Death, and cloaking the result under the dark, brooding wings of Black Sabbath or Ministry, with a hint of the chaotic experimentalism of John Cage, Throbbing Gristle or Einstuerzende Neubauten thrown in for good measure. Frankly, I think their later work has mostly been a mistaken, meandering departure from the path they were blazing with this album. Hopefully they'll get back on track (though the one-track promo I've heard off their forthcoming self-titled new album doesn't leave me much hope - they've swapped out one of the most amazing drummers in the world for a former Metallica member, and drifted into the same "we're trying to sound more accessible and melodic" pasture that they were grazing in when they did "Angel Rat". Forget that stuff. Nothingface is THE Voivod album any metalhead MUST own.)

The most progressive band in all of metal.......2003-01-21

Now here's a band we should see at prog power, but might not; Voivod. Voivod is more progressive than Dream Theater, Symphony X, and all the Queensryche/Helloween clones that occupy the "prog metal" scene all together. Why you ask? Because for metal, they are TRULY progressive in all senses of the word. Taking their queues from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush, Van Der Graaf Generator and mixing it with thrash punk metal, Voivod are a unique entity that takes their influences and sounds like something COMPLETELY NEW. One cannot hear a band these days that sounds alot like voivod, but elements of their genius can be faintly heard from bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah and even Opeth. Not that those bands are completely influenced by them, but many of the same musical concepts are used in those groups compositions. Voivod have a very unique musical basis, using odd chord progressions and timings to create a "spacey" effect that fits in with the sci fi concept that appears on all of their albums. This 1988 release, "Nothingface", stands as possibly their best album, it has the most balance between the earlier, more dissonant releases like "Dimension Hatross (probably a close second with this one) and later more atmospheric works like "Angel Rat". I dare say "Piggy" is one of the most underrated guitarists in metal, he doesn't have the chops of say; John Petrucci, but his creativity probably exceeds that of many higher rated guitarists (kind of like the fact that Frank Zappa is not as highly rated in guitar magazines as Eric Clapton). This is a worthy addition to any prog metallers collection.

If this is the future, please take me there immediately........2002-10-28

Technical, progressive, and original are all words that I would use to describe this album. Each musician has a great contribution to the sound of this wonderful masterpiece. Guitarist Piggy generously strings together jazzy sounding chords to the point where I start wondering how large one's chord vocabulary could possibly be. Blacky's bass tone is heavy without that annoying metallic "PANK" sound I hear with other such categorized bands. Snake is one of my favorite vocalists, due to his work on this album and on Angel Rat and The Outer Limits. He easily works within a tenor range, and inflects his voice in a manner which reminds me of some classic rock bands from the 70's. His harmonization on certain vocal lines is particularly notable, such as in "Astronomy Domine" and "Missing Sequences." Finally, Away gets way too crunk on his drumkit. It seems that with his style, he would only need 3 cymbals: a hi-hat and ride on which to count time, and a crash or some other such cymbal for accents. I particularly enjoy his antics on the aforementioned ride cymbal. This album is mixed very well and has a lot of neat little sound effects here and there which are very tastefully implemented. The mood on this cd is described as dark by some, but I honestly can't see that. To me, this music is very bouncy and happy. It is garaunteed that it will lift me out of a bad mood and get me jumping off the walls.

Average customer rating:

Floyd meets Pantera

Phobos
Voivod
Manufacturer: Candlelight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

War and Pain
Voivod
Angel Rat

ASIN: B00030ERF6
Release Date: 2006-03-23

Tracks:

Catalepsy I
Rise
Mercury
Phobos
Bacteria
Temps Mort
Tower
Quantum
Neutrino
Forlorn
Catalepsy II
M-Body
21st Century Schizoid Man

Customer Reviews:

Floyd meets Pantera.......2006-12-30

Early Floyd influence is heard in Phobos. Along with that there can be heard tinges of Pantera's "Dimebag" influence in the guitar playing.
I love the sound effects which are very sounding like Fripp, Floyd and The
Hoax. Piggy was an exceptional guitarist and much apart from other metal bands. This is why I believe them to be progressive because they tried different things in metal