Tuesday, July 7, 2009

VOIVOD: INFINI


"Inifini" is Voivod's newest and final album. It was recorded using guitarist Piggy's guitar tracks exactly as he recorded them on his laptop before his death. Due to the nature of this album and the fact that it was recorded after Piggy's death, I was a bit hesitant about how "Infini" would turn out. After all, Piggy was the driving musical force behind the band. I was worried that "Infini" would sound rather patched together. After hearing this album, I was surprisingly mistaken.

"Infini" comes very close to being the strongest release of the band's career. It reminds of the greatest moments of the discordant, psychedelic thrash of "Dimension Hatross" and the heavy, science fiction rock of "The Outer Limits". It is really a throw back to Voivod at their strongest. Their last few albums with Snake back on vocals and Metallica's Jason Newstead on bass only hint at the quality that this album brings. It features the heaviest and most brilliant guitar playing of Piggy's career. Mind blowing, psychedelic guitar solos and discordant, machine-like chords abound. Jason Newstead's bass playing has never sounded so heavy and aggressive. Snakes' vocals sound as inhuman, cybernetic, and aggressive as ever. In fact the band sounds very cohesive, It's hard to imagine that Piggy was not there during the recording and that his guitar tracks were used untampered with, exactly as he recorded them.

All tracks are great on this album. Dissonant, frightening, and catchy. Some of my favorites include "God Phones", "Global Warning" and "Deathproof". On "Infini" Voivod masterfully blends psychedelic thrash metal with trippy, cyber/space rock. An impressive album indeed, and a fitting, final note to their career. Highly recommended.




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