What the hell is it with metalbands from Canada? Is it the air, the water, the mouth for wars with the US, the icy winters that they’re going through? I don’t know, but one thing I can say is that they have some successful bands that all deliver an original sound or have been groundbreaking in the metal/rock scene (Annihilator, Devin Townsend, Kataklysm, SteppenWolf just to name a few). We can, no we must add Voivod to that. These Canadians are already active for 35 years and are now delivering their 14th baby The Wake.
One thing we can say about Voivod is that they are predictable in being unpredictable. Voivod have pushed their sound relentlessly forward, changed the face of thrash metal in the ‘80s, forged new prog-metal ground in the ‘90s, and kept up with changing times and lineups in the 2000s with fresh, inspired music. The band’s original members, drummer Michel “Away” Langevin and vocalist Denis “Snake” Belanger, find themselves reinvigorated and re-energized by the presence of guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain and new bassist Dominic “Rocky” Laroche. The Wake steers the Voivod spacecraft through a tangled, tantalizing story line, woven into the most maze-like, edge-of-your-seat musical experience the band have embarked upon since those heady days of the late ‘80s.
The Wake kicks off with Obsolete Beings, a typical Voivod song, a headbanging drive with some strange rhythm changes glued together with excellent vocals and strange guitar chords. The End Of Dormancy and Orb Infusion has some influences from Primus, not the heavy bass lines but the atmosphere the song expresses. That’s what we’re talking about, they are unpredictable. With Inconspiracy they’re once again riding the thrash metal train. Between The Buried And Me is here, wait what …, yep with Event Horizon, if you wouldn’t know that this was a Voivod song, you would think that you’re listening to BTBAM . Not that Voivod does the crazy stuff that BTBAM does, just in the beginning it has the same feeling. Who is influenced by who, I wonder . The disc ends with the 12 min track Sonic Mycelium (where the hell do they find these song titles) , something you just have to play in the background and enjoy every minute of it.
With The Wake Voivod shows us that originality, being unpredictable and still maintaining your own sound is still possible these days. Something I personally think that a lot of metal bands are missing today. Most of them are talented, but they all play on the safe side. Voivod fans won’t be disappointed. To others: give it a listen, you might like it.
Release Date :September 21st, 2018
Label : Century Media Records
Tracklist :
1. Obsolete Beings (05:36)
2. The End of Dormancy (07:42)
3. Orb Confusion (6:00)
4. Iconspiracy (05:15)
5. Spherical Perspective (07:41)
6. Event Horizon (06:10)
7. Always Moving (05:11)
8. Sonic Mycelium (12:24)
