Discuss the pioneering awesomeness of Voivod here, in this very thread. What's your favorite album? How'd you really get into them?

My first Voivod album was War and Pain, several years ago. I dug (and still dig) a few of the tracks, like Voivod, Blower, Suck Your Bone, but the rest doesn't go over with me as well. Dimension Hatross was the turning point, though. Ever since I first heard that spacey intro to Experiment (just shy of two months ago) I was sold. Definitely a regular in my current music rotation.

Are there any plans to reissue Nothingface, or The Outer Limits? I'm really curious to check those out.

The four album stretch from Dimension Hatross to The Outer Limits is one of the greatest strings of flawless musical recordings I've ever known*. The progression there is something I'd compare to similarly brilliant bands like Coroner and Enslaved; always moving forward and writing unforgettable songs in the process, even at their softest and most commercial stages. Buy all of those. Don't worry about money or reissues or anything rational and sane; just buy them right now. As for my favorite, it's an extremely close call. Probably either Angel Rat or The Outer Limits. Or Nothingface. Or... oh fuck it, all of 'em.

*WARNING: rampant fanboyism may be even more fanatical than it appears

I heard Katorz back when I was fifteen in 2005 and the vocals immediately turned me off, so much so that even subsequent visits to Nothingface did nothing for me. It was only until a few weeks ago when I was pulling an all nighter trawling Youtube for forgotten speed metal albums, did Korgull the Exterminator and Warriors of Ice kick my ass something fierce. I honestly regret dismising the band for so long, there is a very gritty sound to Rrrroar and War and Pain that I really enjoy. They pulled the sound off well and from what I've heard off of those albums I enjoy them, though I have no intention on checking out their latter albums

Great band. It's a shame their later stuff gets dismissed. The E-Force albums are a bit middling, but I thoroughly enjoy everything else they've released. Nothingface is my favorite, but the Outer Limits is up there too. They got the melody of Angel Rat and the strange proggy-ness of their 80s stuff mixed just right.

Nothingface is very hard to describe. It has an incredibly cold and mechanical feel due to Snake's listless (they really work in context) vocals and the jagged riffs that fill a lot of the songs.

Exactly. Nothingface works so well because its music perfectly reflects its themes. The album is essentially the cold workings of a dystopian machine with flourishes of futuristic sci fi technology, all laid down through the calculating eye of a microscopic needle. It exudes an air both wondrous and ominous, both stupefying and (somehow) accessible. In a word, it's hypnotic.

I love Voivod, easily one of my favorite bands. The first time I heard them was on the Skullcrushers compilation with groups like Celtic Frost, Obituary, and Death. "Killing Technology" was on that compilation. Later on they were on another compilation with "Astronomy Divine", which was a really kick-ass cover of a Pink Floyd song. After that I started slowly, getting Negatron first, then Nothingface. After that I went on a binge and got all of their first four albums.

As for my favorite, that would probably be between Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross, with Nothingface coming in after that. I like their earlier more punk-inflected take on thrash metal, as well as their sci-fi spacey progressive era. I even like their later stuff.

Just a terrific, unique band.

I followed them (and loved them) through their first three full-lengths then nothing. I've always loved Away's artwork and those first three albums are classics for me, but I strangely haven't followed them since and haven't seen them live. This is a band that I may have to rediscover, now that you mention it. There was a slew of cool albums to listen to those years and the three albums fit right into my rotation with other bands like Celtic Frost, Destruction, Slayer, Deathrow, Death Angel, Sacrifice, Dark Angel, and Mercyful Fate/King Diamond at the time, along with a bunch of crossover and punk I listened to quite a bit. Voivod had the feel of thrash with punk influences that I liked then as an alternative but not so much any more outside of just a few bands. I even have a tough time listening to Napalm Death. I think the artwork attracted me to the band initially, but the energy and power of the music sold me on their beginnings quite well.

4 albums of greatness (the first 4 albums...)
Next
Got exposure through a Floyd cover

Rip Piggy

Mongrains shreds

Hopefully This new album brings some much needed attention.

Wow, what a very enlightening post!
Rip Piggy? Don't you mean R.I.P!

The Floyd cover was brilliant and Nothingface is my favorite Voivod album

My favorite band for sure. Got into them after hearing about a sci-fi thrash band and well, I like sci-fi, and I like thrash. When I saw the cover of Killing Technology and heard the opening of the title track, I was sold.

As mentioned, the string of albums stretching from Killing Technology to (and including) The Outer Limits is some of the best in all of metal IMO.
All-time favorite of theirs would have to be Nothingface though, with Angel Rat hot on its heels.

Piggy's passing was very sad, but I respect their decision to carry on. Mongrain is doing a great job, and the new album sounds like it'll be a hell of a ride.

As for the reissues, they've said for a while now that they plan to reissue everything from W&P to TOL and include their elusive live demos in the package. So far only W&P has made the cut though, so hang in there.


Going to see them live for the first time in less than a month. I'm stoked as hell!

One of my favorites as well. My favorite album of theirs is either Killing Technology or Dimension Hatross, but I've something I liked in each and every one of their studio efforts. Actually, the one I've been spinning the most lately is Phobos. The title track is easily my favorite Voivod song at the moment. As for new stuff with Mongrain, have they released anything with him on it yet? I see there are some new live tracks on YT...I'll have to investigate.

Listening to Killing Technology right now is it me or do these guys have a massive punk influence on this album as well, it sounds like a crazed meshup of Black Flag, Motorhead, and even some parts Megadeth. I love the frentic vocals more than anything this album is definitely more refined than either Rrrroaarr or War and Pain.

You guys can crucify me, but I don't like the first two albums. They just sound like unremarkable thrash to me, but from Killing Technology up to The Outer Limits? Jackpot!!!

My personal favorite, if you ask me, would be Nothingface (how original). Just the overall weirdness of it all..... Well, M_D described it the best, I think. What I don't get is why no more bands where ever influenced by Voivod, as you only have Vektor, and even that's stretching it. I certainly would appreciate it if a couple of more modern bands followed Voivod's steps. I won't mention the "thrash revival" though, as I always had trouble calling Voivod a thrash band (at least from Nothingface onwards).

I've only listened to their first 5 albums. I heard that starting with 'Nothingface' they went full progressive, but, do they still feel thrashy on those albums?

War and Pain is EVERYTHING but unremarkable thrash, there's the cool hardcore element and an enjoyable rawness. My favorite is Killing Tech, it's their summit in my opinion, the perfect mix of prog and thrash. I can't wait for the new stuff the guys are writing with Dan, it's gonna be awesome!

There were still energetic and speedy songs, if that's what you're asking. They're prog the way Rush's Moving Pictures is proggy, but of course much heavier. Personally, I liked E-Force on vocals, and I feel they really only started to slip in quality with the self-titled album. Infini is definitely a big step up, but it's also still a notch below the band's standard.

I know I'm gonna get slammed for this one, but for all the great stuff Piggy gave us, I think he was starting to run out of ideas just before the cancer hit. His death probably helped kick-start the band back into action and prevented a decline into retirement. If Dan takes a major role in the songwriting for the new album, I think we'll have another winner on our hands.

I'd say Nothingface and Negatron are probably my favorite albums, but Dimension Hatross ranks right up there too. But I love everything up to the aforementioned self-titled, so seeing the band live will never be a disappointment, particularly since they appear to be embracing their thrashier past again.

We gotta agree to disgree then Tony. The first two records are just insipid and dull to my ears (not to mention I find their production to be awful), and I think they only started to sound interesting with Killing Technology. The more prog influences they added, the better they became.

yeah! that was exactly thier aim!! pissing off people like you after 28 years!

Are you really getting that uppity over him not liking them?

Haven't heard too much from them. Nothingface and Dimension Hatross are really cool albums. The only other one I've heard is Angel Rat, which is pretty boring. Too much floaty prog rock crap, not enough weirdo tech thrash.

It's interesting that this topic came up. I bought Dimension Hatross for dirt cheap 8 months ago, forgot about it almost immediately (I do this a lot more than I care to admit). Listened to it on Friday, and it's not a bad record. In fact, it was so weird in its execution, it left an impression on me. Bits of it have been swimming around my brain all day, which is always a good sign.

Is their plans to reissue their stuff? Some of their albums are kinda expensive on Amazon.

You're being ridiculous. Like Aeonblade said, I simply don't like them. No need to get sarcastic over it.

As far as I know, the only album of the first five that is out of print is Rrroooaaarrr. War and Pain had a 3-disc remaster a few years back, but I don't know the availability of it nowadays.

Which ones in particular are you seeing pricey on Amazon? I want to fill out my collection, and I'm hoping nothing I want is up there...

Voivod is easy one of the best band EVER!!!. I love all their albums, but obviously the first 5 are the best. Depends on the mood to pick one of them to my favorite: Sometime is the wild punkish feeling on "War And Pain", sometime is the raw, cold and mechanical sound of "Rrröööaaarrr", the epic complexity and originality of "Dimension Hatröss" or the Pink Floyd/King Crimson-like feeling of "Nothingface"... but to be honest, "Killing Technology" is their best and my favorite. Is a perfect album in every sence, is Progressive, Thrash and Hardcore at the same time. and the song structures are weird beyond understanding.

There are still some gaps in my Voivod discography, but from what I heard and have, I can name The Outer Limits and Phobos as my favorites. The former is incredibly catchy, without giving up completely the Voivod sound; you have both those rather simple songs like "Fix My Heart", "Moonbeam Rider" etc., but also interesting songwriting/ideas in "Le Pont Noir", "The Lost Machine" and "Time Warp". And of course, then there is "Jack Luminous", one of my all-time favorite long track.

Phobos, on the other hand, works as a whole, and one needs to be in the mood for it; I only started to like it once I listened to it on headphones. The electronic sounds and the repetitive riffing give it a very distinct atmosphere that I can't adequately describe... let's just say you feel like you're lost in the infinite darkness of outer space - just not to the same degree as when you listen to Darkspace.

Yes, definitely agree that Phobos works as a whole instead of just a collection of songs. I believe that's why I've been listening to it the most lately when I want a Voivod fix and don't feel like skipping songs or anything.

Nothingface! Nothingface! Nothing else but Nothingface!

Seriously though, I am of course a huge Pink Floyd fan and when I heard Voivod's cover of "Astronomy Domine" I was plastered! Happy, to put it mildly.
They worked it wonderfully and managed to make it better than the original if you can believe that. I then checked out "The Outer Limits" and "Phobos" and loved them too. Still need to get into the earlier material though.

War And Pain is metal as fuck. How people don't like it is truly a shame.

goddammit, no. That cover is pretty lame and it ruins the flow of the album (unless you rip it to your computer and leave it off like I did).

80s Voivod + Phobos rules.

First heard them in the mid/late 90s through tape trades. KT, DH, and NF are all classics. NF really needs a reissue...snagged a sealed longbox off ebay about a month ago . Dunno about the earlier or later stuff...

Don't think so. Like iAmDisturbed, I think that cover is so well adapted to Voivod's style it fits seamlessly in the context of the album. It's perfectly recognizable as a Pink Floyd song, yes, while at the same time I would say that, if I didn't know it's origins, I wouldn't even guess it didn't belong to Voivod. My statement might sound a bit contradictory, but I believe that what I mean is really clear.

I agree. Voivod absolutely made that track their own.

I dunno, taking one of the trippiest, most disorienting rock songs and making it cold, sterile, robotic, etc., doesn't work imo

But that's exactly the kind of vibe that era of Voivod give off. Cold, dystopian, robotic. It's perfect.

In a nutshell, Voivod were just a bunch of dudes who could barely play their instruments being coached along by a talented guy who had an absolutely stellar sense of song-writing (the talented guy of the group should be obvious ). It's a perfect mesh of amateur sloppy playing with polished advanced song-writing. I honestly can't stand much of anything that's 'progressive' or 'technical' but I adore this band even as they transitioned from relatively straight-forward thrash to their own distinct sound.

I have a couple of their albums on LP, but the one album that I think is their best I do not own. I am talking about Nothingface. I think they reached their peak with that album, and thankfully this thread has reminded me to finally get the damn thing. I always respected how they did their own thing, and tried to progress from album to album. Kind of like Coroner, that other Noise Records band that is also worth listening to.

new Voivod track posted up over here

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/143 ... ical-mind/

only listened to it once so far but I think its the best thing they have released in a long time, can't wait for the new album, I think Piggy would be proud.

Sounds good and it's very promising! Better than the stuff on Katorz and most of Infini.

That new song was pretty awesome! Those riffs bleed Piggy blood (lol), especially that first one, super catchy.

I find it particularly interesting, considering Katorz and Infini were written with Piggy's involvement. Now, without Piggy, they turn around and release... a damn fine classic Voivod-sounding song. Again, as much respect as I have for Piggy's writing, he wasn't at the top of his game on those last albums. Whether it was the cancer wearing him out, or he was just running out of ideas, I don't know. But either way, the band has moved on - and Voivod is certainly a band not afraid of new territory - and we've got a rejuvenated sound.

If the rest of the album is as good as this song, we'll have a real winner!

This song has blown me the fuck away. Is it 1988 again? Holy shit, this is brilliant. :O