Release June 5th, 2026
(https://i.ibb.co/chyB1MN2/cover.jpg)
Experiment 7:43
Holographic Thinking 6:22
The Unknown Knows 5:09
The End Of Dormancy 8:33
Into My Hypercube 5:16
Forgotten In Space 6:27
Cosmic Drama 5:05
Pre-Ignition 5:24
Nuclear War 5:04
Fall 6:39
Tribal Convictions 5:07
Astronomy Domine 5:54
I ordered something. A book, Always Moving – The Strange Mutliverse of Voïvod. I had been eying it a while – the band is a favourite of mine – and just this morning did it. What made me do it, finally?
This live album.
I immediately admit I already have another book, the artwork book of drummer Michel Langevin (Away), his art speaks to me and I just had to have it. And I always thought that would be enough, but it wasn't. Not after hearing this.
If ever there was a band made for playing with a symphonic orchestra it is Voïvod. I bet all bands say that about themselves, Voïvod never did and yet here we are.
A little background, permit me the indulgence. I was 13, listened to Metallica, Slayer and mostly Venom. All of those bands had a certain 'straighforwardness', it went a million miles per hour, but was still, for lack of another word, normal in song structure. Slayer would be lengthening their songs, Metallica would release ...And Justice, progressive metal and Venom would, well never mind.
And then, in 1984 seemingly from out of nowhere Voïvod appeared on my radar. I must have heard them through a label sampler, I can't really recall, but it made me go to the record shop and buy War and Pain, their 1984 debut LP. I was floored, immediately. Here's a band with the intensity of Slayer and Metallica, but the attitude of a punk band, and all these weird lyrics. Very cold war like (Nuclear War), like all good thrash band did at the time, and the live feel on this one was unbelievable. As if they recorded it themselves. The band member had names like Snake, Blacky, Piggy and Away. Cool! (I was 14).
Now, what you need to know about little me, is that I was always a bit of a musical deviant. When I was 13, at school the music teacher played a piece that I have been searching for since (*). From memory it sounded like "I Am Erika", followed by a couple of characteristics referring to her appearance (fuzzy hair, long nails). It was categorized as Modern Classical music, and I was infatuated. All the others children sat there either giggling, or with a blank stare. Voïvod scratched the weird itch for me in metal.
As times progressed, so did the band, and the 2nd album (and I need to check the spelling here) Rrröööaaarrr was released, slightly more sophisticated, although a lyric such as Fuck Off And Die was maybe a bit less.. The introduction of Korgull The Exterminator and the Sci Fi concept were in development. Transition Album Killing Technology lead to the initial creative peak:
Dimension Hatross & Nothingface.
Not surprisingly, 7 of the 12 tracks on Symphonique are from these 2 albums. The very backbone of this band, with their dissonant chords, dark sci fi (as Away calls it) 'thrash' metals, weird chord time changes, monotonous vocal lines, never giving in to what others expect from them.
But before I tart a write up of the entire bands history, let's look at what we have here:
A 40 year old cult band doing using the symphonic orchestra as they they see fit: to not fit in. No thick lush layers of harmonics, nope, very Voïvod-like they choose another path. The most traditional use is probably on Nuclear War, the oldest song here but the prize tracks like The Unknown Knows (a live staple), more melodic in The Fall and live favourite cover Astronomy Domine (they have been compared to thrash metal Pink Floyd over the years) gets just the right amount of bombast.
I read a review that meant it might be too experimental. This is Voïvod, experimental is their middle name (either that or the metal umlaut), it's one of the best things I have so far this year. But truth be told, if you do not know the band you might need to soften the blow and start with Nothingface.
I also wondered why this extravanganza is not put down on film, it appears this was a financial decision. Understandable, my first thought was it might be sensory overload to hear and see this at the same time, would have made a better story as well.
All you need to know is: if you like weird, and can stand some definite eerie sounding chords, classical instrumentation and the not so soothing voice of one name Snake, feast your ears on Symphonique, start with Experiment (aptly titled, it is the first track) and let yourself wash over for 73 minutes.
I can't get enough. Voïvod lives!
(*) if anyone recognizes the I Am Erika refernece, please let me know, it's been 43 years and even with help of the Internet and AI I haven't been able to find it again.
I have not yet got hold of the album but the gig on Monday was brilliant and Voivod are still very much up for it. They seemed to be having a great time on stage and at the end Away came down to the front to high 5 every one. Another great band run by their drummer.