Holy crap. It's a heavier Nothingface!

I won't say Voivod never disappoint because, well, they kind of have been with their last couple albums. Still, everything up through Phobos was pretty awesome, and they are officially back to being that awesome. Actually, more awesome. This album could actually have been released in 1989 if it had a weaker production. This is pretty much exactly the album I wanted Voivod to write. Next time I see them live, I've got to give Dan a hearty handshake for pulling this off.

Target Earth is a masterpiece. It sounds like it could have immediately followed Nothingface. Voivod is a hard band when it comes to ranking albums, but I'd have to say this new one is miles ahead of Voivod, Katorz, or Inifini.

My copy has already arrived! Listening for the first time now and it is killing. Total fucking awesomeness, like a concoction of Dimension Hatross, Nothingface, and The Outer Limits.

I got mine today too. What I have been able to listen to has been impressive.

So... I was at the Target Earth launching party in Montreal last night, which was taking place at 8PM at a small venue, the Cafe Chaos. Where a DJ played the CD over and over in its entirety

My guitarist was a bit late and picked me up at 7:10 and we were hungry as fuck. Grabbed a bite not too far and got at the Cafe Chaos around 7:45, expecting a lineup outside. But it's unusually quiet. I was nearby last Wednesday and the place was crowded. My friend asks: "you sure you got the venue right". I am seriously not sure anymore because looking inside, there's maybe a dozen patron downstairs. We enter.

We walk around. People are discussing among friends. No signs of a launching party until we get to the back. There's a big screen and a live Voivod show (muted) and we bump into some guy who is involved with the launch (and who used to work with my guitarists's former band). He tells us the guys are upstairs and at 8 sharp, CDs will be on sale and the record will play. We go up. My friend is nervous "Voivod is my whole adolescence, one of the main reason I play guitar".

We get there, I can't fucking believe it. I do a headcount. There's 9 people, plus the Voivod guys. With us, that's 15 people total. We go grab beers, which taste like fucking piss. I'm about to bitch about my beer when the DJ announces the event. Than the first track starts. I've got a big fucking grin on my face. My friend goes right for the line to buy the CD. By the third track, I am convinced. This isn't a regular comeback, where you're just happy a band you used to like almost doesn't suck anymore.. Like Metallica, or Heaven and Hell. This is, like, one of the best Voivod records ever!

I'm banging my head and listening intently when a lone guy passes in front of me and smile. "Hi!" he says. It's Snake and he's obviously in a partying mood despite the low crowd. I don't know what to answer. I just extend my hand and say: "This... this is a fucking awesome album. A true comeback". He thanks me. We start talking about the process. Being on the road for so long with the new lineup, he tells me the chemistry is at its peak again. Playing so many old tracks live and in the studio, they've really come to a better understanding of their older material. Where they were bold, what worked and what doesn't. We talk about everything from early classics to golden era Nothingface to the post-Nothingface era that was a little less aggressive and not always well received. He speaks at length about Jack Luminous. It seems obvious to me that they like progressive elements but maybe Angel Rat and the Outer Limits lacked a slight bit of Voivod magic.

The way he explains it to me, it's like they were back to having done Nothingface and Target Earth was next. They were trying not to lose the energy of early records, push forward into the weird and while doing all that, make the record modern and relevant for 2013. He seems to think they succeeded and I agree. Snake was very talkative, very generous of his time and the conversation tone was sincere, not PR from what I could see. I see someone else wants to talk to him and I turn to him and move a little aside so he can join. The three of us talk some more and then my friend comes back, while I'm still listening to track after track of pure fucking awesome metal. "This is a bargain" he says, "30 bucks and I got the new CD, two promo CDs and a T-shirt! I couldn't find Snake to sign my stuff though, nor Dan Mongrain".

I explain I was just chatting with Snake. He's still not at the signing table. My friend punches me lightly, calling me a motherfucker. People are starting to get in. Obviously the cold day (it really was fucking cold!) slowed the enthusiasm of many. My friend finally locates Mongrain whose other band (Martyr) used to open for his band back in the days. How things change. They chat a long while

There's a few people from other local acts, so we discuss. The Voivod guys remain the stars of the event and all are very generous of their time as well.

Everyone I talk to seems to love the new album. There's a little bit of every Voivod era but the bolder, progressive element manage to keep an aggressive edge. That is the key difference. And although everyone agrees Mongrain has really paid tribute to Piggy's guitar style, I still notice the slight Mongrain influence in there. Guys like Schuldiner have obviously been a huge influence on his style and there are slight touches here and there. And it works really well. The most adventurous track is one of the last songs, a really punkish, hardcore, in your face track (that I personally didn't find to be one of the best, but if that's the worse on the record, that's a success!)

It was really awesome to witness such a groundbreaking, uncompromising band come back so strong. Local act for me no less.

Cheers, Riffs! Sounds like you had a seriously good fucking time there!

I personally can't wait to get the album. Been listening to the stream quite extensively, and it seriously feels like the logical evolution of the Nothingface sound (The Outer Limits seems a bit more detached from its predecessor's style, though I still like it a lot). I also quite like the new edge Snake's voice has; still robotic and cold, but also throatier and more harsh, like some kind of old, rusty, malfunctioning cyborg

Totally agree with you, buddy! Voivod is in your face music and the wear and tear in Snake's voice seem to make him an even grittier singer. It's working to his and the band's advantage! And yet there are some pretty cool, interesting melodic vocal passages here and there.

The other aspect that makes a huge difference is Blacky's approach. He's an intrinsic part of Voivod's success. Golden-era Voivod is one of those rare bands where, like Sabbath, each member was vital to the result, even if some guys got more credit than others. It shows that Blacky is now fully involved like in the old days. His parts fucking kill! It makes that extra subtle difference and gives even more edge.

There are some killers albums that will come out this year but this is already a strong contender for record of the year. Will be very fucking hard to top. The album, like most of Voivod, has immense replay value. I keep hearing new things. People will have a full year to appreciate that and I bet it will make several top 10s.

I couldn't agree more regarding Blacky. The way his rumbling bass lines bounce off of the guitar parts is always a treat to listen to. In fact, I always thought the bass and the guitar in Voivod act more like a single, bi-faceted instrument than two separate entities, which only contributes to the band's incredibly characteristical sound. And yeah, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Target Earth is already a contender for a place in AOTY lists. These dudes came back with a boom!

I have always loved Voivod and considered them one of the most unique metal bands ever.

I have their albums: Angel Rat, Dimension Hatross, The Morgoth Invasion, Nothingface and War and Pain.

Definitely want to complete my collection of their stuff and need to check out this new album.

This album is great.

Sounds like a great time, Riffs! Wish I could've been there.

I've been listening to my copy like a madman since getting it this monday. As you've all said; it's a true comeback and manages to go back to their "golden years" while still sounding fresh. I personally enjoy the last few albums a lot but this is just a class above, no doubt about it - no disrespect to Piggy of course. Having Blacky back is huge, and I feel Snake's voice & lyrics have also really been kicked up a notch. The only thing I don't get is the album closer, it feels like it could've been made into a kickass full song, instead it ends just as it gets going.

Anyone picking favorites yet? I've got to go with Empathy for the Enemy and Warchaic myself.

Picked up my copy earlier today, currently halfway through my second listen.

I like it- so far, though my appreciation will definitely grow after several listens- it took me three or four to really "get" Dimension Hatross.

Blacky owns this record, pure and simple. His tone, as iconic for the band and distinctive as it already is, gives most if not all of the tracks an amazing texture that's really hard to describe. Good to have him back.

I'm liking Mongrain- he clearly has his own style, yet adeptly fills Piggy's shoes. Most of his solos are good examples of this. The guitar tone on this record is really weird (in a good, Voivodian way of course), at times almost reminding me of Piggy's tone on Phobos.

Away seems a bit more inspired than the last two records, although that may due to the songwriting. Good performance, as always. His drums have an interesting kind of echo to them, most evident on the lead-in to the title track.

I actually liked Snake on Katorz, but he seems to step it up a smidge on Target Earth.

As for the songs... I like how Kluskap O'Kom and Corps Etranger go back to showcasing Voivod's hardcore influences, as well as the faster tracks on Rrroooaaarrr/Killing Technology. Empathy for the Enemy has some great understated, melodic vocals, and the acoustic intro is perfect. The other tracks are all of high-but-varying quality, but I need more time for them to sink in. I think I read some interview where Away referred to the track Defiance as functioning similar to the At War With Satan preview on Venom's Black Metal- acting as a teaser/preview for the next album. I wonder if they've already started writing material for another release?

As good as this album is, I'm not sure if it'll come close to dethroning Dimension Hatross or Nothingface. Still, it's an excellent start to a new "era" of Voivod.

Cool! Just read that interview, good to know. Supposedly the next album will be another chapter with the Voivod character. Can't wait to hear what they come up with.

That's what I want to see as well. I just started listening to this today and I'm pretty excited about it. I have my doubts... DH and NF are two classic metal albums; they would be pretty tough to beat, although so far I love what I'm hearing.

I have finally had some time to let this one sink in and really start to digest the material. Target Earth is the first 2013 release to really make my ears perk up. When I first heard the few songs Voivod released in 2012 I figured it was too good to be true. I figured they were the 'return to form' songs and the rest of the album would be rounded out with more of their recent sound that we have come to know on Katorz and Infini. Target Earth is amazing from start to finish. I think it IS one of the best Voivod albums but, as other have said, not the best. This one really did take me by surpise. Congratulations to Voivod for putting together such an awesome record. Especially without Piggy. I hope they continue on in this direction in the future.

I don't hear much Nothingface on this album at all, sounds more like a combo of Dimension Hatross and The Outer Limits. There's some standout tracks for sure but there's a few that haven't quite caught my ear yet.