VOIVOD

After a break of six years, the reunited band comes back with this album and has once again completely changed its style. On this album, the band approaches a stoner or rock and roll sound with some alternative elements.

The album begins very straight and powerful with the brilliant "Gasmask Revival" and "Face Up", but the next songs all sound too similar, too faceless. There is much more groove in thise songs, but a lack of straightness and heaviness. Nothing special stays on your mind, there are no innovating space sounds, hilarious solos or conceptual and atmospheric intros or interludes that this band has often done. Only one song slightly surprises you in the middle of nowhere, which is "I Don't Want To Wake Up" which remains me of an old Metallica ballad. Sure thing, because Jason Newsted has joined Voivod for this album. A part of this exception, one song after the other goes by and the album really becomes boring before the catchy single and album closer "We Carry On" reconnects with the straight opener of the album and pulls the listener out of a big black hole of boredom.

Four good efforts out of thirteen songs plus hidden track aren't simply enough for such a brilliant band. They are still innovating and have once more reinvented themselves on this album, but the weird and eerie sounds of the past, the surprising and courageous elements from their last efforts have gone away on this album. The new style sounds too faceless. I must call this album their weakest one in their whole album discography.

Originally published on www.metal-archives.com on October 6th of the year 2010.