KATORZ

I'll admit this is a piss-poor review for everyone else, but the Iron Gang will see where I'm coming from. I fell in love with Voivod with the release of "Killing Technology", I am lucky enough to have seem them on their "Nothingface" & "The Outer Limits" tours (On the "Angel Rat" tour; they opened for Rush. I love early Rush, but at the time, I was a club show regular). But let me cut to the chase. These shows and albums were a great part, aside form an early infatuation with Yes & Jethro Tull: due to my older sister, of my prog-rock tendencies. This music hit me like a ton of bricks then & still does today. I was very angey when Snake left, but was also disappionted when he rejoined and the result was less than spectacular (Voivod self titled). Katorz is much like that album, and "Angel Rat" a somewhat dumbed-down version of one of the most complex music acts ever.

But far better than what passes for prog today. Don't get me wrong, I love "The Human Equation" by Ayreon, most of what Katatonia, Opeth, and Dan Swano put out, but albums like that, are few and far between today.