Voivod-Warriors Of Ice

Sonic Unyon Metal
2011


In 1989 Voivod released Nothingface. I was 16 and had my mind blown apart. Along with Souls At Zero (which would be released three years later by Neurosis) this album opened me to genre splicing metal. More than just progressive metal Voivod created an album that was so far out there (and yet heavier than hell) that thrash would never be the same again for me. Formed in 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada the band took NWOBHM, mixed in punk & hardcore, studied and perfected progressive rock and unleashed the whole mess through a wave of chaotic thrash! They were and still are like no other band. Listening to Nothingface today I am still amazed just how good it is. That is one of the things about Voivod that makes them such a force of nature. With only a few exceptions (Outer Limits being one) Voivod has never done me wrong. And now we have this new live album to add to the list of albums by Voivod that are near perfection. Capture live in front of a sold-out crowd on December 12th, 2009 at Club Soda (in their adopted hometown of Montreal, Quebec) Warriors Of Ice finds Voivod in top form. The band tears through 15 tracks with a fury all their own. Featuring tracks from 1984’s War And Pain right up through 1991’s Angel Rat (as well as two songs from their 2009 InfiniLP) the album captures Voivod's signature sound and style. Songs like "Voivod" and "Nuclear War" sound great. "Tribal Convictions" gets the crowds attention and finds the band at one with their fans. It was their first headlining show in the city of Montreal in more than ten years and it shows. The band plays with fire in their belly and they treat the crowd to punk tinged progressive thrash. The first official Voivod live album to feature original band members Denis ‘Snake’ Belanger on vocals and bassist Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Theriault (as well as new guitarist Dan "Chewy" Mongrain) this is sure to please fans of old while also showing just how insane the band is to younger metal freaks. I can't recommend this one enough!