Rrröööaaarrr

Everyone seems to see Rrröööaaarrr as a stagnation or even a step back from War and Pain, but in my opinion it actually is a bit different from their debut, and I would even call it an improvement of some sorts.
As much as I love War and Pain, Rrröööaaarrr just has greater songs in my opinion. Straight from the opener, Korgüll the Exterminator - which actually features a LOT of Piggy's weird chords - the listener is stricken with sheer, raw power. The assault is unrelenting, and the album's short length only makes the impact greater.

This is probably the heaviest record Voivod has ever made: while E-Force era albums are quite heavy, I don't think they get to the same level of… you know… raw power again. There is a feeling of urgency there. Snake's vocals are at their most vicious ever and will only be topped on a few songs from Killing Technology! Piggy's riffs are sometimes very crude here, hence the feeling of a regression for some, but I think there are also a lot of weird constructions, more so than on their debut, as he starts to rely heavily on his special chords. It really sounds like a natural step between War And Pain and Killing Technology to me, even if some of the material was actually written around the same time as their debut (see their live demos - at least six songs were around as early as 1984, two before War And Pain was even recorded!).

The production might sound quite bad but it somehow complements the raw nature of the recording, and most of the time the instruments are still heard rather well. Blacky's bass for example is heard quite clearly and manages to crush your very bones. Also, I can't stress enough how much Away fucking rules as a drummer, even though this album probably features his most "standard" performances, his fills are real genius, just see the first track for an example.

I don't really understand all the bashing on this album, but it might come from the fact that it actually is less accessible than its predecessor. You heard me, while this album is quite great, it's really dense and can be a tough listen for anyone not prepared.

By the way… best album title.
EVER.

I mean… c'mon, they even put umlauts on the o's and made every letter triple, how much more metal can you get? Add that fucking tank with spikes on it, add spikes on the treads and also add some fucking flamethrower too. This is DEFINITELY the most metal thing ever made.