Not very often in the history of heavy metal (or any genre for that matter) do you find a band reaching a fortieth anniversary as a career marker. That’s where we are with Canadian progressive, avant-garde thrash metal act Voivod as they celebrate with a special record for Morgöth Tales. The current lineup decided to re-record nine songs from their back catalog – and not the obvious ‘hits’ either – plus add the title track as a brand-new cut to provide even more value to the mix.
Documenting their journey as a band, “Condemned to the Gallows” originally appears on their 1984 To the Death!… demo as well as the Metal Massacre V edition of that critical Metal Blade compilation series – while “Killing Technology” from the 1987 album of the same name reminds the listener of their frantic, jagged chord progressions thrown into a hypnotic, rhythmic semi-sane sense of order. The evolution of progressive, avant-garde aspects against the equally left-field vocal acrobatics from Snake still hold up well under these 2023 versions – “Macrosolutions to Megaproblems” as well as “Fix My Heart” two standouts that may not have garnered deep appreciation the first time around. Previous members Eric Forrest and Jason Newsted also appear on songs from their respective eras with the group – leaving the title cut for a fitting finale. Chewy’s intuitive sense of layering his guitar parts into the most dramatic, combustible movements encourages Away to fluctuate his drumming into equally odd-time groove/meter switch-ups, a track that encompasses experimentation while hypnotic enough to intrigue even the casual Voivod follower. The quartet continues to amaze and delight in all territories, a unique entity that has influenced many musicians in all walks of life.
With a historical book of their career also on the horizon, Morgöth Tales is a celebration of a forward-thinking act in Voivod that touches the hearts of all who live and breathe this genre’s creative spirit. May we be fortunate to hear of a few more studio records, live tours, inching their way towards a glorious fifty-year anniversary down the line.