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VOIVOD: INFINI
Voivod have been living metal legends for two decades. Building their reputation on a futuristic blend of prog rock, technology and sheer thrash metal Voivod were turning metal on its ear back before anybody knew what that meant. Over the years the prog-metal ideal has been beaten to death, mostly in more extreme metal cases like Death Metal or newer Black Metal. So what can a band like Voivod do when everybody else has jumped on their train? They can totally switch up what they’re best known for.
“Infini”, the final studio release since the death of guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour in 2005, is a straight forward thrash album that proves Voivod can pretty much do anything they want and it’ll kick ass. The band has replaced their robotic prog-metal sound with something that blends thrash metal with an almost punk rock vibe. This is the kind of record Lemmy or James Hetfield would’ve written had they been slightly better musicians. Sure every now and again the prog-love seeps through but some super groovy thrash riff soon clobbers it. Voivod really let loose on this album, playing with more feel than I’ve ever heard from them before.
Infini kicks off with the thunderous anthem song “God Phoned” which announces the new direction of the band with great authority. Not only is the riff killer but it boasts the line “God phoned today and said he was an alien”. How do you not get amped for something like that? Through out the album Voivod are trying on new hats when it comes to writing. From the Motorhead style of God Phoned to the hardcore punk vibe of “Global Warning” to the almost other worldly “A Room With A VU”, nothing is off limits. Adding to the power of the new record is the vocals of Denis “Snake” Belanger. When Snake’s voice creeps into a song it’s really disturbing. When was the last time a thrash album disturbed you?
For the most part the new generation of metal kids knows Voivod as the band featuring Jason Newsted formerly of Metallica. While I can understand that, it’s too bad that the band won’t be better remembered for Piggy who was really the heart and soul of the band. It’s clear that he wanted to steer Voivod into a new direction and it’s on the strength of his riffs and inspiration that Infni really succeeds. Piggy had an incredible understanding of the difference between guitar masturbation and actually crafting songs. Nothing sounds like Voivod, which is as true with Infini as it was with the band’s first album.
Powerful, driving, weird, unsettling and of course filled with head banging super riffs that will make any guitar play drool Infini is a great cap to Piggy’s distinguished career. The record captures the frenetic energy that is Voivod in an entire new light showing everybody that no matter how legendary you are you have to grow and evolve musically.
Voivod have always been the band that was more dedicated to art then commerce and to trying to incorporate bizarre music into an already overloaded genre. Sure Infini might not be as groundbreaking as some for the early Voivod works but it stands head and shoulders above most of the new dreck being put out there today.
