Voivod - Morgöth Tales (Century Media Records) [Paul Scoble]
Regular readers of these pages should be familiar with Voivod, the band have been making extremely interesting Metal since 1981 with an original lineup of Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger on Vocals, Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour on Guitar, Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault on Bass and Michel ‘Away’Langevin on Drums. Voivod were originally considered part of the early thrash movement, releasing their first album War And Pain in 1984, however, despite being really fast they used chords, keys and scales that other bands did not use, or even knew existed, so sounded fairly different to the rest of the thrash scene.
Oxbow - Loves Holiday (Ipecac Records) [Mark Young]
Oxbow have consistently varied their approach to music and its creation to encompass different genres, often within the same song. Going into this one it is amazing that it is almost like a welcome from an old friend, its incredibly accessible from the start whilst having that stand-out feel to it. Some have labelled them Avant-garde, I’m not completely sure but they do have a latter-day blues approach to them
Dead Ahead’s vocal delivery seems to be out of phase with the music behind it, delivered almost as a street poem that segues into a more straightforward style and then folds back on itself, all the while being propelled forward. It reminds me of Dr. Feelgood in some respects, constantly marching forward as Icy White and Crystalline continues in the same vein without a feeling of repetition. The vocals have that grit and weariness to them that suggests that they have seen a lot, and not all of it was good.
Lovely Murk slows down, keys that swell in the background with that pained vocal once more that dominates as its joined by backing voices that combine with a melodic passage and it is a thing of beauty. It seems effortless on their part in that they take a simple idea and then just build upon it so it is just right. 1000 Hours takes that backing and expands it on here with an almost moaned delivery again with a slow, measured attack, simple arpeggios that combine with that backing whilst percussion quietly drives us forward through a day of complete pain.
All Gone is dominated by piano and that backing once more and here they lean into the blues and is a stand-out for me as is The Night The Room Started Burning which has more of a rockier feel to it, but as with the others Eugene Robinsons voice takes centre stage, completely unique to these ears and provides the emotional heft the lyrics demand.
All of which takes us to the final act – the last three tracks Million Dollar Weekend, The Second Talk and Gunwale. Million Dollar Weekend continues with that melancholic build, whilst The Second Talk stabs with urgent screams and slide guitar with Eugene’s voice once again cutting through everything, elevating what would be simple parts into something else just through the beauty and power on display and Gunwale provides that fitting end piece, with those backing voices once again on point, this time with a more unashamed guitar that drops in and out to its mournful end.
This is not an album for thrash / speed / death / grind lovers, it’s a controlled journey that is unhurried, and unrestrained by traditional measures and is the result of a bands that has been around for awhile, who know who they are and what they are. 7/10
Inhuman Condition - Panic Prayer E.P. (Listenable Records) [Richard Oliver]
Panic Prayer is the new E.P. from Florida death metallers Inhuman Condition who are a three piece made up of ex-members of Massacre. The three band members - Jeramie Kling on vocals and drums, Taylor Norderg on guitars and Terry Butler on bass - are seasoned guys within the Florida scene performing in other notable bands such as Deicide, The Absence and Obituary.
This E.P. is a bit of an odds and sods release with three brand new songs, a cover song and four live performances of songs from the bands two albums. The live recordings are very raw and low quality almost sounding bootleg quality though the band does sound tight and furious in their performances. The cover song chosen is Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult and whilst a fantastic song, it really does not want or need a death metal treatment. The three new songs are solid old school Florida death metal much in the style of the material released on Rat°God and Fearsick having that punishing groove and thrashy riffing style with the crunchy Final Credits being the highlight of the E.P.
Panic Prayer is a very mixed bag. The new material is definitely the best thing about the E.P. but the rest of the material is completely throwaway or just plain bad. E.P.’s like this are really only for the die hard fans and collectors and whilst there is some decent material on offer this is a very unnecessary release. 5/10
Regular readers of these pages should be familiar with Voivod, the band have been making extremely interesting Metal since 1981 with an original lineup of Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger on Vocals, Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour on Guitar, Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault on Bass and Michel ‘Away’Langevin on Drums. Voivod were originally considered part of the early thrash movement, releasing their first album War And Pain in 1984, however, despite being really fast they used chords, keys and scales that other bands did not use, or even knew existed, so sounded fairly different to the rest of the thrash scene.
It was a time when anything fast was called thrash, but anyone with ears could tell that Voivod were different. As it turned out, Voivod had invented progressive metal, and have spent the nearly 40 years since their forming being one of the most creative metal bands around, and always pushing boundaries. Voivod’s back catalogue of 16 studio albums, one live album and lots of splits, Ep’s and singles is one of the most varied and innovative on the whole metal world.
I should admit at this point that I have been a Voivod fan for many years; I loved them them when I was 14 listening to albums whilst lying on my bed, looking at Away’s cool artwork and reading the lyrics, and I still love them at 50, so I doubt this will be very objective.
To celebrate 40 years of being amazing, Voivod have recorded a ‘sort of’ best of album. The band have re-recorded a selection of songs from their back catalogue, some well known, some much more obscure. For good measure they have also been joined by Jason Newsted on the track Rebel Robot, originally on the album Voivod (2003), and Erik Forrest guests on the track Rise which was originally on the album Phobos (1997). The lineup that recorded this album is the current one that also recorded The Wake and Synchro Anarchy album; Snake on vocals, Away on drums, Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain on guitars and Dominic ‘Rocky’ Laroche on bass. The album has a sound that is similar to those last two album, so this sounds fantastic, really well produced and engineered, and the mix is pretty much perfect.
The album opens with Condemned To The Gallows, which was originally on the Metal Massacre V compilation (1984), a blast of punky proto-thrash that is filled with energy and drive. Next comes Thrashing Rage originally from Rrrröööaaarrr (1986) which is a taut and driving burst of inertia and youthful exuberance.
Next comes one of Voivod’s most important songs Killing Technology from Killing Technology (1987) fast jazz metal that is breathtakingly original and ground breaking, it still feels fresh and would be considered an amazing piece of progressive metal if it was released today. My favourite song from when I was 14 is next; Macrosolutions To Megaproblems from Dimension Hatröss (1988) Love this song, in particular love the chorus, it’s still a live favourite and no wonder as it is a great song.
The next track is Pre-Ignition from Nothingface (1989), which is taut progressive metal, with lashings of melody and a slight industrial feel. The next two track highlights how diverse and groundbreaking Voivod are. First we get Nuage Fractal originally from Angel Rat (1991) which has a minimal and subtle feel to it, and in 2023 this would probably be described as post rock, which just shows how ahead of their time the band were. The next track is Fix My Heart from The Outer Limits (1993) which is fairly keyboard heavy for Voivod, and has a feel that is far more alternative rock or noise rock than any kind of metal, the song is driving and purposeful, and in some places could even be described as ‘Poppy’.
Rise Rrom Phobos (1997) is dark and brooding, heavy and aggressive, it’s tight as anything, dissonant in places and features some very nasty vocals. Last of the Re-recorded material, Rebel Robot from Voivod (2003) is slower and measured, whilst feeling quite alternative and interesting.
The album comes to an end with the new title track, Morgöth Tales which has spikey riffs and smooth harmonies, it’s always interesting as it seems to change constantly. The song also features a really great guitar solo. It’s a brilliantly creative song that is full of energy and verve, and is a great way to end this album.
I have loved listening to Morgöth Tales. It’s a fantastic celebration of Voivods history, whilst also showing that Voivod are one of the most creative and vital bands in heavy metal, or any other form of music for that matter. The new versions are great and have obviously been created with a sense of care for their legacy, and to give their fans something special (as a fan of Voivod, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate their legacy). If you have never listened to Voivod before then this would be a great introduction, if you are already a fan, then jump in, you are in for a treat! 9/10
Mizmor - Prosaic (Profond Lore) [Joe Guatieri]
I enjoy black metal but I’m pretty new to it. Having listened to early Mayhem and Darktrone’s 90s material, I thought that I would be suitably prepared for Mizmor’s new album Prosaic. God, I was wrong!
Immediately I was faced with the opener, Only An Expanse. A track that is over fourteen minutes long, something that I’ve never encountered in this genre before. It started for the first four minutes in familiar territory for this sphere, fast guitars, blood-curdling vocals, and drums that sound like falling down the stairss, all wrapped up in the warmth of lo-fi production. Several changes occur over this piece, never staying in the same place for too long.
I should admit at this point that I have been a Voivod fan for many years; I loved them them when I was 14 listening to albums whilst lying on my bed, looking at Away’s cool artwork and reading the lyrics, and I still love them at 50, so I doubt this will be very objective.
To celebrate 40 years of being amazing, Voivod have recorded a ‘sort of’ best of album. The band have re-recorded a selection of songs from their back catalogue, some well known, some much more obscure. For good measure they have also been joined by Jason Newsted on the track Rebel Robot, originally on the album Voivod (2003), and Erik Forrest guests on the track Rise which was originally on the album Phobos (1997). The lineup that recorded this album is the current one that also recorded The Wake and Synchro Anarchy album; Snake on vocals, Away on drums, Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain on guitars and Dominic ‘Rocky’ Laroche on bass. The album has a sound that is similar to those last two album, so this sounds fantastic, really well produced and engineered, and the mix is pretty much perfect.
The album opens with Condemned To The Gallows, which was originally on the Metal Massacre V compilation (1984), a blast of punky proto-thrash that is filled with energy and drive. Next comes Thrashing Rage originally from Rrrröööaaarrr (1986) which is a taut and driving burst of inertia and youthful exuberance.
Next comes one of Voivod’s most important songs Killing Technology from Killing Technology (1987) fast jazz metal that is breathtakingly original and ground breaking, it still feels fresh and would be considered an amazing piece of progressive metal if it was released today. My favourite song from when I was 14 is next; Macrosolutions To Megaproblems from Dimension Hatröss (1988) Love this song, in particular love the chorus, it’s still a live favourite and no wonder as it is a great song.
The next track is Pre-Ignition from Nothingface (1989), which is taut progressive metal, with lashings of melody and a slight industrial feel. The next two track highlights how diverse and groundbreaking Voivod are. First we get Nuage Fractal originally from Angel Rat (1991) which has a minimal and subtle feel to it, and in 2023 this would probably be described as post rock, which just shows how ahead of their time the band were. The next track is Fix My Heart from The Outer Limits (1993) which is fairly keyboard heavy for Voivod, and has a feel that is far more alternative rock or noise rock than any kind of metal, the song is driving and purposeful, and in some places could even be described as ‘Poppy’.
Rise Rrom Phobos (1997) is dark and brooding, heavy and aggressive, it’s tight as anything, dissonant in places and features some very nasty vocals. Last of the Re-recorded material, Rebel Robot from Voivod (2003) is slower and measured, whilst feeling quite alternative and interesting.
The album comes to an end with the new title track, Morgöth Tales which has spikey riffs and smooth harmonies, it’s always interesting as it seems to change constantly. The song also features a really great guitar solo. It’s a brilliantly creative song that is full of energy and verve, and is a great way to end this album.
I have loved listening to Morgöth Tales. It’s a fantastic celebration of Voivods history, whilst also showing that Voivod are one of the most creative and vital bands in heavy metal, or any other form of music for that matter. The new versions are great and have obviously been created with a sense of care for their legacy, and to give their fans something special (as a fan of Voivod, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate their legacy). If you have never listened to Voivod before then this would be a great introduction, if you are already a fan, then jump in, you are in for a treat! 9/10
Mizmor - Prosaic (Profond Lore) [Joe Guatieri]
I enjoy black metal but I’m pretty new to it. Having listened to early Mayhem and Darktrone’s 90s material, I thought that I would be suitably prepared for Mizmor’s new album Prosaic. God, I was wrong!
Immediately I was faced with the opener, Only An Expanse. A track that is over fourteen minutes long, something that I’ve never encountered in this genre before. It started for the first four minutes in familiar territory for this sphere, fast guitars, blood-curdling vocals, and drums that sound like falling down the stairss, all wrapped up in the warmth of lo-fi production. Several changes occur over this piece, never staying in the same place for too long.
My favorite section happens between nine minutes in, going just over eleven minutes, where the bass finally takes center stage as it growls from the distorted abyss and a lead guitar plays and sounds painful within its nature. The outro fascinates me too, going from intense riffing that slows right down into a meditative crawl. What comes out of it is this clean guitar which stands alone and sounds very distant as if it's floating off into space.
The slow pacing continues into the next track, No Place To Arrive. Another sprawling effort which made my whole body tense up; there’s even an acoustic section reminiscent of Opeth six minutes in. A much needed break from the horrors that came before it and then pushing you back into despair.
Each song here is like a planet within a solar system, they are so gargantuan in their length and they have their own gravitational pull which is represented in the different types of feelings that arise for me across this record. For example, the acoustic ending of the track Anything But, feels like a slow walk through fog. Comparing that to the last track Acceptance that has shades of doom metal, which feels like crawling away from hell itself after a volcano has erupted. Overall, this album is just as rewarding as it is long, always exploring undiscovered territory. I give Prosaic an 8/10
The slow pacing continues into the next track, No Place To Arrive. Another sprawling effort which made my whole body tense up; there’s even an acoustic section reminiscent of Opeth six minutes in. A much needed break from the horrors that came before it and then pushing you back into despair.
Each song here is like a planet within a solar system, they are so gargantuan in their length and they have their own gravitational pull which is represented in the different types of feelings that arise for me across this record. For example, the acoustic ending of the track Anything But, feels like a slow walk through fog. Comparing that to the last track Acceptance that has shades of doom metal, which feels like crawling away from hell itself after a volcano has erupted. Overall, this album is just as rewarding as it is long, always exploring undiscovered territory. I give Prosaic an 8/10
Oxbow - Loves Holiday (Ipecac Records) [Mark Young]
Oxbow have consistently varied their approach to music and its creation to encompass different genres, often within the same song. Going into this one it is amazing that it is almost like a welcome from an old friend, its incredibly accessible from the start whilst having that stand-out feel to it. Some have labelled them Avant-garde, I’m not completely sure but they do have a latter-day blues approach to them
Dead Ahead’s vocal delivery seems to be out of phase with the music behind it, delivered almost as a street poem that segues into a more straightforward style and then folds back on itself, all the while being propelled forward. It reminds me of Dr. Feelgood in some respects, constantly marching forward as Icy White and Crystalline continues in the same vein without a feeling of repetition. The vocals have that grit and weariness to them that suggests that they have seen a lot, and not all of it was good.
Lovely Murk slows down, keys that swell in the background with that pained vocal once more that dominates as its joined by backing voices that combine with a melodic passage and it is a thing of beauty. It seems effortless on their part in that they take a simple idea and then just build upon it so it is just right. 1000 Hours takes that backing and expands it on here with an almost moaned delivery again with a slow, measured attack, simple arpeggios that combine with that backing whilst percussion quietly drives us forward through a day of complete pain.
All Gone is dominated by piano and that backing once more and here they lean into the blues and is a stand-out for me as is The Night The Room Started Burning which has more of a rockier feel to it, but as with the others Eugene Robinsons voice takes centre stage, completely unique to these ears and provides the emotional heft the lyrics demand.
All of which takes us to the final act – the last three tracks Million Dollar Weekend, The Second Talk and Gunwale. Million Dollar Weekend continues with that melancholic build, whilst The Second Talk stabs with urgent screams and slide guitar with Eugene’s voice once again cutting through everything, elevating what would be simple parts into something else just through the beauty and power on display and Gunwale provides that fitting end piece, with those backing voices once again on point, this time with a more unashamed guitar that drops in and out to its mournful end.
This is not an album for thrash / speed / death / grind lovers, it’s a controlled journey that is unhurried, and unrestrained by traditional measures and is the result of a bands that has been around for awhile, who know who they are and what they are. 7/10
Inhuman Condition - Panic Prayer E.P. (Listenable Records) [Richard Oliver]
Panic Prayer is the new E.P. from Florida death metallers Inhuman Condition who are a three piece made up of ex-members of Massacre. The three band members - Jeramie Kling on vocals and drums, Taylor Norderg on guitars and Terry Butler on bass - are seasoned guys within the Florida scene performing in other notable bands such as Deicide, The Absence and Obituary.
This E.P. is a bit of an odds and sods release with three brand new songs, a cover song and four live performances of songs from the bands two albums. The live recordings are very raw and low quality almost sounding bootleg quality though the band does sound tight and furious in their performances. The cover song chosen is Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult and whilst a fantastic song, it really does not want or need a death metal treatment. The three new songs are solid old school Florida death metal much in the style of the material released on Rat°God and Fearsick having that punishing groove and thrashy riffing style with the crunchy Final Credits being the highlight of the E.P.
Panic Prayer is a very mixed bag. The new material is definitely the best thing about the E.P. but the rest of the material is completely throwaway or just plain bad. E.P.’s like this are really only for the die hard fans and collectors and whilst there is some decent material on offer this is a very unnecessary release. 5/10