UMUR "Morgöth Tales" is the sixteenth full-length studio album by Canadian, Québec based progressive metal/thrash metal act Voivod. The album was released through Century Media Records in July 2023. It´s the successor to "Synchro Anarchy" from February 2022. "Morgöth Tales" is not a studio album featuring new original material though. It´s instead a re-recording album featuring re-recordings of 9 tracks originally recorded and released between 1983-2003 plus one new original composition (titled "Morgöth Tales").

The current incarnation of Voivod have played together for the last 9 years (bassist Dominique "Rocky" Laroche being the last member to join in 2014), and the band have toured quite a lot in those years. They´ve obviously had a wish to show their fans how this version of the band interprete some of the band´s classic tracks, instead of just releasing another best-of compilation album (they´ve already been there and done that). This is also a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the release of the band´s first demo "Anachronism" from June 1983.

The tracklist is presented in chronological order with the oldest tracks first. "Condemned to the Gallows" opens "Morgöth Tales". It´s a track which originally appeared on the January 1984 "To the Death!..." demo, and which subsequently also would appear on the "Metal Massacre V" various artists compilation (Metal Blade Records, 1984), which helped spread Voivod´s name. Along with "Thrashing Rage" from Voivod´s second album "Rrröööaaarrr" (Combat Records, March 1986) which follows as track number two on "Morgöth Tales", "Condemned to the Gallows" represents the early punk/hardcore influenced speed/thrash metal years of Voivod´s discography. Raw, savage, and aggressive. The re-recordings are of course a lot more polished and you can actually hear all details, which isn´t always possible on the raw early releases from Voivod, and personally I enjoy these re-recordings tremendously...but then again I was never much of a fan of the early Voivod releases, so fans of those releases may find these re-recordings a bit too polished and clean.

The title track from "Killing Technology" (Noise Records, April 1987) follows along with "Macrosolutions to Megaproblems" from "Dimension Hatröss" (Noise Records, June 1988), and both represent the technical/progressive thrash metal part of the band´s history. Both are great tracks, but I prefer the originals. Then comes "Pre-Ignition" from "Nothingface" (MCA Records, October 1989), with it´s almost avant-garde technical/progressive metal sound. "Nothingface" is such a weird and unique album, that not even Voivod have ever been able to make anything like it since. "Nuage Fractal" from "Angel Rat" (MCA Records, November 1991) and "Fix My Heart" from "The Outer Limits" (MCA Records, August 1993) represent Voivod´s psychadelic progressive metal phase and both re-recordings work well. "Rise" from "Phobos" (Hypnotic Records, August 1997) is the only track on "Morgöth Tales" from the Eric Forrest-led era of the band´s history, and the re-recorded version actually features both bass and vocals recorded by Forrest. It´s a decent re-recording but a bit redundant to my ears as the original was already a badass heavy and aggressive song. "Morgöth Tales" closes with "Rebel Robot" from the eponymously titled album (Chophouse Records, March 2003) and features Jason Newsted on bass, and the new original track titled "Morgöth Tales". The former is as faceless as the original from 2003 and the latter is a pretty good quality 2023 Voivod track, which pretty much sounds like the material from "Synchro Anarchy" (Century Media Records, February 2022).

Upon conclusion the idea to re-record some of the classics from Voivod´s back catalogue isn´t a bad one. Personally I prefer the originals (except for the re-recordings of the early tracks, which are pretty great) but these versions are generally both well performed and arranged too. I have a minor issue with the way the drums are produced as they sound a little thin and clicky, but that´s probably an aquired taste. Other than that "Morgöth Tales" is a good quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Synchro Anarchy" is the 15th full-length studio album by Canadian progressive/thrash metal act Voivod. The album was released through Century Media Records in February 2022. It´s the successor to "The Wake" from 2018, although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by several minor releases (an EP and a couple of singles) and a live album ("Lost Machine - Live" from 2020).

"Synchro Anarchy" is a self-produced release and Voivod have managed to produce a well sounding album, featuring a both warm, heavy, and organic sounding production. It´s not terribly different sounding from "The Wake" (2018), and that can also be said about the compositions. Stylistically the material is psychedelic tinged, sci-fi themed, progressive metal with the occasional thrash metal and hardcore punk influence thrown in. So the atmosphere of the album is close to the psychedelic leaning early 90s Voivod releases, but with a slightly harder edged riff- and drum style and with less accessible melodies and more challenging song structures. Lead vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger sounds as unique as always and his voice and singing style is probably still an aquired taste. It doesn´t sound pretty, but it´s arguably an original and instantly recognisable vocal sound. The riffs are twisted, dissonant, and generally very creative.

Listening to a new Voivod release it always takes some time to get into the right mood and mindspace and truly listen and appreciate the brilliance of the weirdness. It´s like experiencing an acid trip with an alien friend. Things are distorted, dissonant, and twisted, but also warm, pleasant, and occasionally beautiful (in its own unique and spaced out way). No one sounds like Voivod, who are truly progressive and distinct sounding, but that of course always means that they are very much an aquired taste. They are generally well respected on the scene, but I can understand why some listeners don´t find their adventurous sound appealing (or simply find it inaccessible).

Quality wise "Synchro Anarchy" continues the high quality of "The Wake" and those who enjoyed that release, will find just as much to appreciate on "Synchro Anarchy". So upon conclusion Voivod have created yet another high quality release and the adventure just seems to continue...a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Kev Rowland Voivod have consistently been one of the most interesting bands to come out of the thrash scene and these days they are warmly embraced by progheads as they are who are way more into metal. There have been quite a few line-up changes over the years, with drummer Michel "Away" Langevin the only constant, but co-founder and singer, Denis "Snake" Bélanger, returned more than 20 years ago while the current line-up has been incredibly stable for the last nine years with Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitars) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass). To celebrate their fortieth anniversary the band selected songs from the first half of their career, going all the way back to 1984, and re-recorded them with the current line-up along the new title cut. In a nice touch they also invited back past members Eric "E-Force" Forrest (vocals, bass) and Jason "Jasonic" Newsted (bass) to play on the song they each originally recorded.

It is certainly interesting to hear how the band have changed over the years, and it is nice they have put the tracks in original release order, so as we work through there is that progression. Voivod are often grouped with Sacrifice, Razor and Annihilator as part of the "big four" of Canadian thrash, yet to my ears they have always had an element which set them well apart from the rest of the crowd, being way more technical in their approach, never afraid to move in a different direction and their riffs are so sharp and jagged that they need to be classified as dangerous weapons. More than 40 years after their inception they are still taking music in different directions, and it is interesting to hear just how relevant this music is all this time on from when they wrote it. The earliest song is "Condemned To The Gallows", which originally appeared on 1984's 'Metal Massacre V' but it is still exciting and cutting today. The most recent song is "Rebel Robot" from their 2003 self-titled release, so there is nothing from the last five albums, but in many ways that makes sense as they look back over their history and concentrate on the earliest.

For those who have yet to come across Voivod (the question there must be, "Why?"), then here is a nice way to sample their catalogue with modern recording techniques from a band who really know what they are doing. This is thrash being taken to totally different level.

Unitron With The Outer Limits, Voivod made an amazing meeting of space rock and alt metal that everything starting with Nothingface was leading up to. With Snake temporarily away from the band, and new guy Eric Forrest, the band does a near 180 in sound. Negatron is a blistering industrial thrashing beast of an album, and takes no prisoners.

While the mechanical ant on the cover is somehow even cheesier than the ones in the classic Sci-Fi film Them!, this album rains down as much sludgy groove as it can. Eric Forrest's red-faced screaming is so caustic and unapologetic, Insect says it all. He can do melody too though, in songs like Nanoman where he takes a Snake-esque approach to it. Musically it's along the lines of industrial bands like Fear Factory, Red Harvest, and Treponem Pal but with Voivod's unique touch.

Negatron often gets a bad rep, maybe because of how much whiplash it is after the previous three albums or maybe it's the new vocalist. Whatever the reason, Negatron is a great rage-filled monster mosher.

siLLy puPPy When Canada’s most distinguished technical thrash metal band VOIVOD hit the scene all the way back in 1984 with its balls-to-the-wall debut “War And Pain” the metal world wasn’t quite prepared for its impact as if this strange musical outfit had drifted in on some asteroid that hit the planet and suddenly infected the eardrums of musical extremists. The band pretty much created its own branch of metal music from the getgo and only preceded to drift into more avant-garde and progressive territories as time went on. Luckily the world caught up to the idiosyncrasies laid down by these Quebecois thrashers who easily distinguished themselves from the other so-called big four bands Sacrifice, Razor and Annihilator.

Despite having found its own unique musical niche in the now expansive world of metal music, VOIVOD remains even to this current day an act that sounds like no other. While some bands like Dream Theater or Metallica for example have legions of imitators, VOIVOD for some reason has never spawned an army of clones or bands that were influenced by them. None have even come close to its bizarre otherworldly mix of jangled guitar chord rampages, time signature quirkiness and slinking musical processions that really do insinuate a parallel reality that sits outside of the perception of most human beings trapped in the 3D construct. Yet somehow VOIVOD has tapped into the large potentials just outside of the perception of many and made a multi-decade career out of it.

With the loss of Denis D’Amour aka Piggy in 2005 it was presumed that the founder of VOIVOD’s unique guitar angularities would take his secrets to the grave but lo and behold the world had not only accepted VOIVOD’s unique musical visions but worshipped them. In came Daniel Mongrain to take the role as guitar mangler and has so far channeled the spirit of Piggy as if Piggy actually simply took over his body and continues to steer his music in an almost eerie similarity. Here we are in 2022 and VOIVOD returns with its 15th studio album SYNCHRO ANARCHY and the band which now features the lineup of Michel “Away” Langevin (drums), Denis “Snake” Bélanger (vocals), Mongrain on guitars and Dominique “Rocky” Laroche (bass) remain in the same lineup as 2018’s amazing comeback “The Wake.”

Graced with the same style of Twilight Zone visual arts that the band has adopted since the more progressive albums such as “Killing Technology” began to test metal heads’ preconceptions all the way back in the 1980s, SYNCHRO ANARCHY continues the now tried and true comfort zone that VOIVOD has been gracefully following for quite some time now and while many are going ballistic over the fact that this band never deviates from the norm and release some kind of polka metal hybrid or something just so they can trash it and castigate them for not sticking to something they know best, the truth is VOIVOD is actually quite good at what they do and after all since there are really no contenders for this particular style of hardcore punk infused tech thrash metal skirting the world of prog rock and Motorhead-esque 80s metal, why stop now?

It’s true that metal has come a long way since VOIVOD’s musicians were the true masters of weird back in the late 1980s with a gazillion bands that are even weirder these days but just because VOIVOD no longer are the masters of weird by no means signifies that they are ready to be put to pasture any time soon. SYNCHRO ANARCHY may not reinvent the wheel or any other instrument of metal navigation but what it does accomplish is that it delivers a no nonsense ferocious attack of proggy tech thrash metal that only VOIVOD can dish out in abundance. The band wastes no time with the opening “Paranormalium” which delivers ample doses of jittery schizoid guitar riffs in classic atonality in conjunct with the oddball off-kilter counterpoints of the bass, drums and distinctly VOIVOD vocal style of Snake.

The album may not take VOIVOD to “The Outer Limits” as their style once did but at this point in their career these guys are legends and are quite remarkable in how they consistently deliver album after album of top notch VOIVOD-isms in top musical form. No, i’m not expecting VOIVOD to try to be the next Mr Bungle or psychedelic blackened death metal band. I expect VOIVOD to remain exactly what they are on their own terms and in that regard SYNCHRO ANARCHY is an excellent delivery of their classic sounds and stylistic quirks. Having said that i do find this album to be less compelling than “The Wake.” Compositionally speaking, SYNCHRO ANARCHY does seem to be content in simply retreading that which has been done without even the tiniest attempt to step things up or meander into other sectors of the VOIVOD universe. Nope. These guys have fully opted to deliver what most fans probably expect and that’s what they do on this release.

So when evaluating and reviewing a classic act like VOIVOD perhaps its better to take into consideration that the band is in a league of its own and avoid comparisons to other bands both stylistically and in a temporal context. VOIVOD has always exited in the vacuum of the space-time continuum utterly and blissfully unconcerned about what is happening around them and for that i truly applaud this band who shows no signs of insecurity as many an aging metal band has displayed over time. These guys know what they do best and they deliver that with a gusto unmatched by many of the old timers. In that regard VOIVOD can only be compared to itself and in terms of VOIVOD releases, SYNCHRO ANARCHY may not sit high on the band’s canon as best releases but ounce for ounce this one more than delivers the goods for a true VOIVOD fan with not a band track to be heard. To my ears this is yet another excellent slice of nerdy tech thrash metal that will get several return visits as time marches on.