Blabbemouth.com review
VOIVOD - "Voivod" (Chophouse/Surfdog) (7 /10)

Based on advance hype, one might think that the new, self- titled album from Canadian metal vets VOIVOD (their tenth studio effort) is a epoch-making metallic masterpiece that harkens back to the chaotic, thrashing, apocalyptic strains of early releases like "Killing Technology" and "Dimension: Hatross". Well, not quite. Instead, "Voivod" picks up almost exactly where 1993's "The Outer Limits" left off, with the return of original vocalist Denis "Snake" Belanger, who departed shortly after the band's '93 tour. It is a crisply produced hard rock album, spiced with frequent heavier moments, the always interesting sci-fi concepts, and the progressive leanings that have long been a trademark of this long-respected quartet.

"The Outer Limits" found the band bringing a somewhat more mainstream groove to their progressive thrash sound, making it one of their most accessible efforts. "Voivod" has many such flashes of the same accessibility, yet is also ultimately held back by the same limitations that VOIVOD has always faced: the inherent shortcomings of Belanger's voice, combined with a lack of sparkling, memorable songwriting. Yet it is these same attributes that, in their weird way, distinguish VOIVOD from countless other heavy rock acts.

Belanger's replacement, bassist/vocalist Eric Forrest, brought a more conventional metal style to the two albums he recorded with the band, "Negatron" and "Phobos", dissipating much of the group's identity. Belanger's voice is an acquired taste, at worst whiny and at best a convincing snarl, but he also captures an otherworldly, eccentric quality that is unmistakably that of VOIVOD. Yet his range is limited, forcing the band to stay in one musical area and eventually bringing a certain monotony to the proceedings.

The real star of this album is guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, an underrated axeman who consistently turns out catchy and creative riffs and leads without sounding too flashy. The musicianship across the board is impeccable, from Piggy's inventive work to Michel "Away" Langevin's solid percussion to the tight accompaniment by new bassist "Jasonic".

Of course, "Jasonic" is ex-METALLICA bass player Jason Newsted, whose involvement with the project has fired up much of the hype and anticipation. Wisely and fairly, Newsted stays in the background, making up one half of a very powerful rhythm section and complementing the band's sound without causing any unnecessary musical distractions.

If all these ingredients — Newsted's arrival, D'Amour's excellent guitarwork, the return of Belanger — yielded some truly electrifying tunes, "Voivod" would be a memorable album indeed. Make no mistake, there's a number of pounding rockers like "Rebel Robot" and the anthemic "We Carry On", as well as more complex, classic VOIVOD prog-rock experiments like "The Multiverse" and "Les Cigares Volants". The band has also stayed true to themselves and retains a sound all their own, no mean feat in this age of endless corporate rock/metal clones. Yet "Voivod" the album never really blasts off, keeping these space-metal pioneers in a predictable — if enjoyable — orbit.

- Don Kaye

Amazon.com review
With their 13th full-length album, Voivod welcome back original vocalist Denis Belanger, and bring on board none other than Jason Newsted of Metallica fame. They’re clearly enjoying a fresh lease on life. Indeed, here they recall the rough and punky days of the new wave of British heavy metal. With "Rebel Robot," though, they rediscover their old rhythm-shifting form. "The Multiverse"’s echoing, head-spinning intro evolves into a complex monster, as Belanger howls about the incomprehensible enormity of everything. He rises to the occasion yet again during the discordant but melodic "Divine Sun" and the churning, shape-shifting "Invisible Planet." Occasionally, they drift into more conventional heavy rock, and one wishes they'd included some sonic experimentation along the lines of the grim and freaky extra track that follows the apparent closer "We Carry On." Nevertheless, their new-found exuberance is a joy to witness and, hopefully, the presence of Newsted will help them find them an overdue large following. --Dominic Wills

 

Allmusic.com review
On its 13th album, Canada's groundbreaking metal veterans Voivod have undergone a renaissance of sorts. With vocalist Denis "Snake" Belanger returning to the fold, three quarters of the original band is reunited with a unified purpose. Adding former Metallica bassist — and longtime friend — Jason Newsted to the fold adds new energy and vision. No longer a thrash metal act, Voivod has simply become one of the best hard rock bands on the planet. They write songs with complex melodies and bone-splintering riffs, yet they stick to the roots of their trademark sound. In many ways they feel more like some crazy combination of the 1977-era Saints and Queens of the Stone Age with better lyrics and no stoner quotient. Newsted is nothing less than phenomenal in this new context; check out "Rebel Robot," with its four-to-the-floor running riff, propelling the drums and pushing guitarist Piggy into overdrive. Stripping the songs to the essentials of shattering guitars, pumped-up muddy bass throb, and heavy- bottom drumming was a plus in the production department. On the opener "Gasmask Revival," a rebel call to open protest in the streets and the refusal to be "good citizens," four chords and three riffs crank themselves into a frenzy of jarring, cacophonous, metal garage rock. Things slow down on "Facing Up," but become heavier in the process with Michel Langevin's double-bass drumming, triple-timing the super-slow 4/4 grid of the tune led by Piggy's blues-out crunchy and Newsted plowing through the middle. The centerpiece of the album is "The Multiverse," a complex, multi-faceted opus with its lyrics inspired by writer Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series of novels. Time signatures shift, blur, change, reverse, and reinvent themselves. Newsted's bass work here becomes a wall of pure propulsive, sludgy writhe and Piggy's guitar is knife-edge yet weighs a ton. Langevin's lightning double- kick drums provide a flawless directional force as Snake soars above the mix telling dark truth after dark truth with intelligence, sensitivity, and a willingness to let the words hold him accountable.

Voivod has always been among the most intelligent bands in any genre of music; they have evolved into an entity that gives up nothing when it comes to pure rock mania, yet offer something more as well: thoughtful songs that provocatively and critically examine the world we live in. "I Don't Wanna Wake Up," a mid-tempo cruncher, sums up the state of the masses without condescending to or about them. "Divine Sun," with its off-kilter bass and guitar lines — they are played in opposition to one another — leaves a huge hole for Snake to deliver his lyrics surrounded by a restrained sonic intensity that busts loose on the refrain courtesy of Langevin's thunderous propelling tom-tom work. "Reactor" features some of the old Voivod thrash and burn, but with drums that fall just behind the beat, everything is de-centered and tumbling, almost chaotic. The album's closer, "We Carry On," like the opening track throws out its garage rock leanings more than it does metal riffing. It's an anthem for cultural warfare that Belanger snarls his way through, asking hard questions and pointing out the irony in seemingly insignificant contradictions. Piggy's guitars are buzz saw, cutting through the entire lyrics and into a fractured sonic void. In sum, Voivod is back with a vengeance. This is among the finest records of their storied career, and will be one of the hard rock and metal records (or any sub-genre thereof) to beat in 2003. — Thom Jurek