RRROOOAAARRR!!!

Voivod

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

2.62 | 106 ratings

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slipperman
Prog Reviewer

If this were a different forum, I'd give this a 4. But I can't do it here, cuz this is anything but progressive.

In my mind, there's only one disappointing Voivod album, and that's 'Negatron'. But before 'Negatron' was hatched, it was always 'Rrroooaaarrr' that was my least-listened-to Voivod album (despite having liked it all along). The album has gained a certain charm over time. I've found a new appreciation for it as I've gotten older, and now I actually enjoy it immensely, still finding new things about it when I decide to brave it and slap this sucker on the turntable. But beware: this album is the noisiest incarnation of Voivod, and it is only for thrash fans that can appreciate ugly sounds along the lines of early Sodom and Nuclear Death's brainwarping clutter. Amazing that this is the exact band that would offer the cosmic tech-metal of 'Dimension Hatross' a mere two years later.

The churning dissonance that was hinted at on 'War And Pain' is taken way over the top on 'Rrroooaaarrr', losing any hints of the classic rock and traditional metal that peeked out of 'W & P' from time to time. There are certain songs where they almost lock into a groove amidst the rumbling chaos ("Helldriver", "Slaughter In A Grave") and there are other times when everything teeters on the brink of total rhythmic collapse ("Horror", "To The Death"). Several Voivod classics rear their head on this album, like opener "Korgull The Exterminator", jackhammer pounder "Ripping Headaches", the almost 'War And Pain'- ish "Helldriver" and call-to-arms "Build Your Weapons". With drummer Away recklessly pounding too fast for his skill level at the time, the band struggled to comprehend and keep up. Piggy's signature dissonance is cancelled out by Blacky's rumbling bass noise, the whole thing a beautiful mess of war, pain, hell, noise and adrenalin. So much for Voivod being progressive. But come the next album, 'Killing Technology', there would be stunning growth on all levels.

slipperman | 3/5 | 2005-1-17

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