Showing posts with label The Outer Limits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Outer Limits. Show all posts

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.




Saturday, April 4, 2009

VOIVOD: THE OUTER LIMITS


Voivod's "The Outer Limits" (1993). This is my personal favorite Voivod album. From the 3-D cover art (3-D glasses are enclosed), to the super catchy, streamlined progressive sci-fi metal, to the 1950's futuristic paranoia and nostalgia of the lyrics, this is a must have for any fan of psychedelic space metal. This is Voivod at their peak, combining the heaviness and dissonant psychosis of "Dimension Hatross" with the progessive rock of "Nothingface", and the outright space pop of "Angel Rat" with startling results. This is the true sound of futiristic sci-fi cyber metal. "The Outer Limits" is a good title because this album throws you right back into that time frame and the mood of the classic television series... a stark, innocent black and white world where the future is unknown and paranoia and fear looms around every corner...with outrageous story lines that keep you glued to the screen, or speakers in this case.

Snake's vocals are superb, cold, robotic, and human at the same time. Piggy's guitar playing is at it's peak, channeling all sorts of discordant psychedelic demons while cranking out one irresistible riff after another. He even plays the bass tracks on this album as well. Away's drumming is as always perfect, with plenty of double bass. His artwork also graces the entire album. His 3-D artwork is one of the highlights of this disc to me. I love throwing on the 3-D glasses on and looking at the way out there artwork while soaking the music in...

This is hands down Voivod's best release. Sadly, after this album, the band would re-structure and reshape their sound into a more commercially beneficial avenue with a different singer...a more death metal style with growling vocals but still way out there heaviness. This version of Voivod just didn't suit me but they soon reformed with Snake back on vocals and Metallica's Jason Newstead on bass. More on their new re-incarnation later.

For now, it is "The Outer Limit's". I can't think of a favorite song. All are great. I love the robotic opener "Fix My Heart"...and the lost in the cold depths of space "Lost Machine". There is also a cover of Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song", and the lengthy space opera epic "Jack Luminous"....

I love Voivod and I will always blog about their material whenever I get a chance. "The Outer Limits" is truly their greatest album...it makes me feel as if I'm caught in the deepest and darkest realms of pulp science fiction with no desire to escape.

Here's "Fix My Heart"...








Voivod- Fix My Heart - Voivod

...and "Time Warp". Enjoy. This is a hard to find album. It's back in print on CD as a limited re-issue. I remember buying it on tape as a brand new release at a special price of $5.99, 3-D glasses included. This is the copy I still have to this day.