No Speed Limit: Essential Quebec Metal Demo Tapes

 

One of the more interesting items I have picked up in recent years is this collection of replica demo tapes from the Quebec thrash metal scene in the mid 1980's.  Some of the metal coming out of Quebec at that time period was absolutely amazing.  Of course there was the almighty Voivod, the best metal band from Canada and a hugely influential one.  But there were several more groups who never quite got the recognition they deserved.  This is a collection of eight tapes, each one a demo or live recording of a group from the time period that was sought after by tape traders the world over.  It is an incredible collection of some groups who had some success and others that simply disappeared.

VOIVOD: NO SPEED LIMIT WEEKEND

Of course we have to start out with the masters.  There is simply put, no other band out there like Voivod.  They were never content to stick with just one sound for very long.  Each album is significantly different than the one that came before.  This was a live recording shortly after the release of Rrroooaaarrr, the band's second album and features a number of tracks from both of the band's full-length releases, from the punky energy of "Fuck Off and Die" to the machine-like precision of "Helldriver".  The sound is a bit rough (it is a live recording, probably by individuals who didn't have a real good idea how to record a live band), but it is easy to tell why Voivod ascended to the heights they did.  I have developed a greater appreciation for this band over the last few years to the point that they are now one of my favorite bands.  This recording captures them just as they were really starting to break through.

OUTRAGE: BURIED PIECES

We come from one of the most well-known, if not the most well-known, metal band from Quebec to a band who never even released a full-length.  Outrage owes their sound more to groups like Anvil and Exciter, it is more of a speed/traditional metal sound, and this is a compilation of some of their works.  According to the information booklet included with this collection, the band was in talks to sign to Roadrunner Records to release a full-length but broke up prior to that occurring, and so all we have is a couple of demos from them.  The lead guitars on this are very impressive, when he is not playing a melody from a public domain song (which really only happened once, but was enough to make note of it).  As this is a compilation over a period of a couple years, there is an extremely obvious improvement of songwriting and sound as it moves forward and the second half is much better than the first.

AGGRESSION: PREMIER DEMO

Aggression was an early Canadian band experimenting with the border line between thrash and death metal.  This demo was originally released in 1985.  The band was clearly taking influence from Venom, Hellhammer and Slayer.  This is one of the best demos in this entire collection, so it is disappointing that it is one of the shortest.  Aggression released a full-length in 1987 that I may need to track down.  They then recorded a follow-up that was eventually released in 2004.  After that, guitarist/vocalist Denis Barthe started recording more music under the Aggression name and the band has since released four more albums.  How this demo is my only exposure to the band is odd.  I think I have some work to do.

VOOR: DEMO #2

Probably the release that gets the most praise in the booklet that accompanies this release is the Voor demo.  It is a pretty extreme release considering it came out in 1985 with a much greater feel for the rising death metal sound than some of the other releases in this collection.  The recording quality is pretty bad though, giving it an extremely raw feel.  Apparently after this demo was released, the band was offered a European tour and record label offers, but the drummer left and all those plans collapsed.  Voor eventually reformed and have released an EP and a full-length over the last ten years.  

SOOTHSAYER: TO BE A REAL TERRORIST

When I do these compilation posts, I talk a lot about wanting to check out more material by a band, so it is fair to wonder if I ever do.  Well, in this case, I did.  After hearing this demo, I bought Soothsayer's Have a Good Time.  Weirdly, this is one of those times where the demo is actually better than the full-length.  The album is fine, but the demo seems much more raw and primal, with ferocious vocals that seem to have been toned down for the album release.  The band seems to have a sense of humor with a couple of their songs being kind of goofy instrumentals, one such track does appear on this demo.  

TREBLINKA: TRIAL OF WAR

Obviously not the Treblinka that later changed their name to Tiamat, this is probably the most obscure band in this collection.  They released just two demos in a two-year period.  There is a reason for their obscurity however as one member died in a car accident shortly thereafter.  Their sound is very militaristic, with precision drumming and tight riffing, and it fits with the lyrical themes.  All of the songs reference warfare and death.  The sound is obviously very influenced by Slayer and even the band's demo cover resembles the Slayer logo with the eagle (which seems influenced by Nazi imagery, but we will not get into that here and I also won't get into the "Treblinka" name).  Treblinka appeared to have some promise so it is disappointing to see them curtailed so early.   

VENSOR: TRASH TILL DEATH

Okay, I take it back, this is probably the most obscure band in this collection.  Vensor only released two demos and none of the members appear to have done anything else in the metal scene.  The band was a power trio featuring two brothers, one of whom (the drummer) was just 12 years old when this demo was recorded.  The release has a very primitive sound, owing to influences like Hellhammer and Venom.  The songs are short and sharp with pounding drums and grunted or shouted vocals.  The riffs are not terribly sophisticated, but that is not surprising given the young age of the members.  It would have been very interesting to see what this band could have developed into had they kept at it.      

OBLIVION: DEMO #2

Saving the best for last we have Oblivion's second demo.  The band eventually changed their name to "Obliveon" and I picked up their 1993 album Nemesis.  The band's sound is very reminiscent of groups like Heathen, more of a technical death/thrash metal sound.  The bass is the most interesting aspect as it does some very interesting rhythms that drive the songs forward.  It is very present in the mix, giving it that much more character.  The riffs are razor-sharp and the vocals are delivered in a rough bark and the unconventional song structures make the songs compelling.  There are a couple of other albums that I will have to check out at some point.  This was easily my favorite of the demos in this collection.  

Reevaluating War and Pain by Voivod

Tastes change over time.  That is not a controversial statement.  For instance, I once considered Coal Chamber one of my favorite bands.  Now, I cannot even listen to them.  Which brings me to a less stark change.  My tastes in Voivod's music.

I have been a big fan of Voivod for some time now, even though I got into them very late.  They were always on the periphery of my musical tastes.  I liked Negatron since it was the first album I picked up by the band in the mid 1990's, but I never got much into their earlier material other than songs like "Killing Technology" and "Astronomy Domine" appearing on a couple of compilations I owned.  Much later, I finally picked up Nothingface and grew to love the album.  Then, I went through a period of time where I started to check out everything Voivod ever did.  The first five albums are legendary (and rival any other band's five album run) and quickly became my absolute favorites.  Of the five, Dimension Hatross became my preferred album because it combined the raw thrash metal of Voivod's early material and saw the band headed in the progressive direction they perfected on Nothingface.  I still like Negatron, but nowhere near as much.  But this is not about Negatron's place in Voivod's history.  It is about War and Pain.

Of the first five Voivod albums, I previously considered War and Pain the band's weakest.  That is not terribly surprising as it was the band's debut album and was incredibly raw and almost sloppy.  It contained few, if any, hints of what the band would later accomplish upon incorporating prog rock elements.  Quite frankly, listening to War and Pain back to back with Nothingface, it is difficult to tell that it is even the same band. 

Something has changed recently.  I have no idea what, but upon repeated listens to the band's discography, it has been War and Pain that I have been going back to time and time again.  What I once heard as sloppy has become endearing and just a sign of a very young and raw band doing the best they could with what they knew at the time.  Several of these songs have become favorites of mine, including "Blower", "Warriors of Ice" and "Iron Gang".  There is a lot of punk influence here that adds to the raw, unrefined sound of the band and makes it that much more intriguing. 

Honestly, picking out a favorite Voivod album is very difficult.  The band has changed so much over the decades they have been around that almost every album is truly unique in some way that sets it apart from any other Voivod album.  That is what is so interesting about this band in the first place.  They were never content to just put out album after album of the same stuff.  And so even though War and Pain has risen in my eyes, who knows if it will stay in such a lofty place?  

Voivod: Target Earth

This is quite possibly my most anticipated album of 2013.  If not, it is pretty damn close.  I have become a huge Voivod fan in the last year or so.  The band at one point had called it quits entirely.  Denis "Piggy" D'Amour had died of cancer and, even though he had recorded a lot of riffs prior to his death, those riffs had since dried up.  The last two albums were made up almost entirely of stuff that he had written prior to his death and it looked like that was the end.

It did not work out that way though.  Blacky came back on bass, replacing former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, and they brought in a new guitarist, Chewy, formerly of Canadian tech-death underdogs Martyr.  The band was rejuvenated and recorded an entirely new album.  Well I was excited so I pre-ordered it complete with a t-shirt.

This album is a little bit of a grower.  The first time I heard it, I was somewhat impressed with the twisting, futuristic riff work, but it did not really sink in.  After several more listens, I can honestly say I love this album.  It is easily the best album Voivod has released since Nothingface.  And that is saying something because I love a lot of the albums the band has released since then.

Voivod has proven that they still have it on this release.  The band really does sound rejuvenated.  Chewy's riff work bears a striking resemblance to Piggy's without sounding like he has copied his predecessor.  Blacky back on bass sounds terrific, and Snake's snarling vocals sound as good as ever.

Voivod has released an early frontrunner for Album of the Year.  It is great to have them back.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 80

ARTIST:  Voivod
ORIGIN:  Jonquiere, Quebec (Canada)
TITLE:  Negatron
LABEL:  Mausoleum Records
YEAR:  1995
GENRE:  Progressive/Thrash Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Nanoman"
NOTES:  I had heard a few songs by Voivod up until this point.  This was my first album by the band though and I always liked this one.  It was not the easiest album to get into as there was not a lot of catchiness, but once it took hold, I loved it.  There are a number of different versions of this album with some additional songs.  I unfortunately only have ten tracks on mine.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Infini

Wrapping things up for my recent Voivod pickups is the band's latest album, which was released in 2009.  This was rumored to be the final Voivod album.  It was the second release after the death of longtime guitarist and founding member Denis "Piggy" D'Amour.  The album, like its predecessor, uses original recordings that Piggy recorded prior to his death from cancer.  It is something of an innovative idea and allowed Voivod to live on for a couple of albums.

It was recently announced that Voivod has a new album coming early in 2013 with a new guitarist.  This is the last recording Piggy will likely appear on but the band has found a way to keep going.

Well enough of that, how is the album?

It is certainly a catchy album.  Many of the songs stick after listening to it.  Like the prior album, it feels very stripped down, but this makes sense given the cut-and-paste nature of the recording.  It is impressive that the band was able to make this work.  The songs are all simple and straightforward without any of the progressive noodling that Voivod has used in the past.  Again, given the nature of the recording none of this is at all surprising.

Like the rest of Voivod's recent material, this is a grower.  I did not care for it much the first time I heard it, but it has grown on me.  Perhaps their self-titled will as well with time.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Voivod

Continuing on with my recent Voivod kick, comes this album.  This is Voivod's tenth full-length album and their first one with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted.

This is a very stripped-down album.  Most of the spacey riffs and sci-fi weirdness that typically accompany Voivod albums has been taken away.  What is left is still obviously Voivod, and I think that most people familiar enough with the band would be able to identify it as such.  But it is missing a lot of what made the band interesting in the first place.

This was a highly anticipated release at the time.  It was the first album with Snake back in vocals and there was a sense of excitement with Newsted coming aboard.  And there are definitely some good moments on this release.  All of the songs have a hard-driving feel to them and many of the riffs are very impressive.  Piggy has always been a terrific riff-writer and that ability shines through on this release.  The songs are definitely catchy.

The problems are as mentioned earlier, that there is a dearth of what made Voivod truly special on this release.  The riffs still have the typical Voivod feel but the band feels like a shell of its former self.  It feels more like a band trying to be Voivod than Voivod itself.

This is by no means a bad album, but it does not hold a candle to Voivod's first five albums.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Katorz

I have been on a bit of a Voivod kick again lately which lead to the purchase of three of their newer albums. This was probably stirred by news of the band's upcoming album, but I do not really know for sure.

Katorz is Voivod's eleventh full-length album and was released in 2006.  To say that the band had changed somewhat since their heyday in the 1980's to this album is a bit of an understatement.  I was previously mostly familiar with the band's first five albums, although I had heard the sci-fi progressiveness of Negatron as well.  This was really one of my first forays into their later material and what I heard was kind of surprising to me.  I did not expect the same sound that the band perfected in their earlier material, but this was quite a bit different than I expected.

There is definitely still a weird science fiction vibe carrying through most of the material on this album.  The riffs in particular sound almost mechanical, which is something that Voivod had been doing for years.  For the most part though this a much more stripped-down version of Voivod.  Gone are most of the progressive metal meanderings and in their place are some just straightforward rock/metal/punk songs.  The riffs are heavy and feature a lot of groove and the vocals have a dirty rock sound to them.

This is kind of a grower, but I found myself enjoying it more and more with each listen.  The first song definitely captures attention early on and the rest of the songs really do nothing to lose it.  Do not go into this expecting Nothingface or Dimension Hatross and this will be an enjoyable album.

My 100 Favorite Metal Bands Pt. 100: Voivod

This is it. Several months of posts and we are at the last band. Finally.

Voivod is weird. I am not sure there is any better word for it. Beginning as a punk/thrash metal band and progressively adding in more and more unusual structures, dissonant riffs, and sci-fi weirdness, Voivod has never really stayed in one place on the musical spectrum for long. Which may cause a loss of identity for almost any other band. Not for Voivod. Evolution is sort of the name of the game for this Canadian group and very few metal bands have done a better job of it over the years. Unfortunately with the death of guitar/songwriting mastermind Piggy a few years, Voivod has seemingly lost a major creative spark. Only time will tell if they are able to overcome this devastating loss. I think it's about damn time some of the band's classic albums get reissued.

FAVORITE ALBUM: DIMENSION HATROSS

My Favorite Metal Band from Canada

In general, I like Canadian metal. That being said, it was very difficult to decide on a favorite Canadian band. Some like Slaughter did not last nearly long enough. Others like Cryptopsy soiled their reputation with some godawful releases. Still others like Kataklysm are good, but not terribly interesting.

Then there's Voivod. Voivod was an excellent punk/thrash metal band in the beginning, then moved in more of a thrash direction. Then things got weird and experimental. That's when Voivod really shined the brightest though. Their spacy progressive weirdness certainly separated them from the rest of the pack. Voivod continued in more of a progressive direction and now bear little resemblance to the original band, yet they are still good. Weird indeed.

NOTABLE SCENES: Canada had a great thrash metal scene in the 1980's and also some damn good speed metal bands before that. In the late 1980's some very interesting death metal started to evolve as well.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Slaugher
Sacrifice
Razor
Exciter
Gorguts
Cryptopsy
Annihilator
Anvil
Into Eternity
Strapping Young Lad
Kataklysm
Neuraxis

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Dimension Hatross

We have reached the final post for Voivod week. Today, I will be covering the band's fourth album, which was the predecessor to the groundbreaking Nothingface, perhaps the band's most famous album.

The first thing to notice is that vocalist Snake has dramatically altered his vocal style. Gone for the most part are the harsh and aggressive sneering vocals he exhibited on the previous albums. In their place are vocals that can best be described as sounding like a Britpop singer from the mid 90's.

Musically, Voivod continued their progression to the next logical step. This time, they had more of a sound foundation and understanding of how best to accomplish their unique riffs and song structures. Voivod also made a conscious attempt to avoid recycling ideas on this album, which was fairly common on their previous three.

This is a truly unique and mind-bending piece of work from these guys. It is also a harbinger of things to come as Voivod would continue to expand on the ideas present in this album on their next one.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Killing Technology

The title cut from this album is actually the first Voivod song I ever heard. I think. It's kind of hard to pin these things down sometimes. But it was a track on one of my favorite compilations I own, the Skullcrushers compilation which can be found here. I recall enjoying it quite a bit but I did not really pursue the band much, other than getting their then-new album Negatron. This is probably most likely due to the difficulty of finding Voivod albums in mid 1990's Nebraska.

This is the first of Voivod's albums to have more of a progressive tendency. The raw punk feel and aggressive nature is still present, and it is clear that this is still a very thrashy Voivod, but the song structures are much more complicated, the riffing style more diverse, and the vocals slightly less angry. The lyrics are also more geared towards science-fiction storytelling.

The atmosphere is very impressive. One gets the feel of an industrial juggernaut in outer space. Difficult to describe without sounding completely crazy.

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums from the band. It combines their aggressive thrash side with their later spacey prog side. It also has some of their best songs on it. An amazing album.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: Rrroooaaarrr

It's Day 2 of Voivod week and today I will be looking at the band's sophomore album, the strangely titled Rrroooaaarrr. This is the band's last album before going in a more progressive direction and it mostly builds on the ideas from their debut album with a bit more of a straightforward thrash metal sound.

The music on this release is very fast and aggressive. The riffs are powerful and the vocals are in-your-face with a sneering punk inflection. This is particularly evident in second track "Fuck Off and Die". The bass is a very strong element of Voivod's sound on this release, being a major driving force in the riffs.

The thing that is most impressive about this album is that the production quality makes it sound as if the band is live in your living room while listening to it. Voivod has a raw energy that is infectious and comes through loud and clear while playing this album.

This still does not hold a candle to Voivod's progressive era, but it's still pretty damn good. Yes, they still have a little bit of a punk-band-doing-metal sound, but it's a catchy and damn fun album.

Initial Impressions: Voivod: War and Pain

It's Voivod week here at the Metallattorney Law Office. I recently picked up four Voivod albums and plan to take an initial look at each one this week.

To begin with, I have the debut album from the Canadian sci-fi prog-thrashers. At this point, the band was quite a ways away from finding the sound that rocketed their popularity. No, at this point, Voivod was still very rough around the edges and raw. They sounded more like a punk band experimenting with some thrash metal elements than the spacey thrash metal band they would later become.

That is certainly not to say that this is a bad release. In fact, it's quite the opposite. This is an intriguing look at what the band once sounded like. The rawness of their sound is endearing actually. There are enough thrash and heavy metal influences present to keep the metalheads interested while also appealing to punk fans. One must remember that thrash started with groups like Metallica and Overkill combining metal with punk. This is just a further example of that.

This is actually an amazing debut album. Voivod's sound is a cross between the early albums of Slayer and Venom, mixed with Motorhead for good measure. The sci-fi leanings are present in the atmosphere and lyrical content, but it would be a while before they would be major factors in the band's sound. To really understand Voivod, you have to hear their evolution. There is no better start than their debut.

Flashback Video: Voivod: "Astronomy Domine"

I have been listening to a lot of Voivod of late. This is a cover of a Pik Floyd song and was one of the first songs I heard from the band.

1980's Canadian Thrash Metal

I have not done a look at an overall scene for awhile. Over the last few months, I have been exploring the Canadian thrash metal scene of the 1980's. This has to be one of the most underrated thrash metal scenes. There was some damn good stuff coming out of Canada in the 1980's. This may not be a "scene" in the traditional sense, but rather a number of bands from one country playing a similar style of metal.

These are just a few of the more well-known bands, obviously there are others, but these bands are the ones I have been listening to the most. I considered putting Anvil in here, but decided they were more of a power/traditional metal band, despite some clear influences on the thrash metal genre in Canada.

EXCITER
Favorite Album: Heavy Metal Maniac
Ottawa, Ontario's Exciter is similar to Anvil in that they are not technically a thrash metal band, but they are a little closer, being a speed metal band. However, they are widely considered one of the first speed metal band and a major influence on thrash metal. This album is the band's debut after changing their name from hell Razor, released in 1983. It is melodic and fast, but still has some very clear thrash metal riffs. The band is still active.

SACRIFICE
Favorite Album: Forward to Termination
Quite possibly one of the most underrated thrash metal bands from the 1980's, Sacrifice formed in Toronto, Ontario. Every bit as lethal as Exodus, Testament, Overkill, and others, Sacrifice never quite got the attention they deserved. Featuring brutally fast, razor-sharp riffs, Sacrifice was an incredible band. This is the band's second album and is the album where the band really came into their own. Sacrifice recently reunited after breaking up for several years and released a new album.

SLAUGHTER
Favorite Album: Strappado
Also from Toronto, I have done several posts on this band. Slaughter is one of the major influences on death metal, performing a style of thrash metal similar to Hellhammer and often described as Black Sabbath playing punk rock. Their heavy, down-tuned riffs and extreme vocal styles were utilized by early progenitors of the sound. Chuck Schuldiner was even briefly a member of Slaughter. This is the band's only official album.

ANNIHILATOR
Favorite Album: Alice in Hell
Ottawa's Annihilator is often called the Canadian Van Halen. The band's only permanent member is guitarist Jeff Waters who writes all of the band's music. Waters is an extremely gifted musician, able to write incredibly catchy and infectious music. The band's downfall has been the inability to find a suitable vocalist for a long period of time. This is the band's debut album and the band is still active.

RAZOR
Favorite Album: Violent Restitution
Another extremely underrated thrash metal band is Razor, which formed in Guelph, Ontario in 1984. Sacrifice is at least mentioned frequently, Razor hardly gets any mention at all. The band has been extremely consistent in putting forth some excellent thrash metal albums. This is the band's seventh album, released in 1988. The band was also incredibly prolific in their early years, forming in 1984. The band reformed in 2005 with plans to record another album.

VOIVOD
Favorite Album: Nothingface
We finish things up with the most well-known Canadian thrash metal band, Jonquiere, Quebec's Voivod. One of the strangest bands to play thrash metal, and one of the earliest to begin adding progressive elements to their sound, Voivod was massively influential. The band crafted their own sound and a strong science fiction lyrical bent. This is the band's fifth album and is their masterpiece, it still has some elements of their thrash metal style, but is much more progressive. The band recently issued their final album, choosing not to carry forward after the death of principal songwriter and guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour.

Dusting Off a Cassette Pt. 12: Voivod: Nothingface

This one is a little weird. Voivod is a progressive thrash metal band from Canada, Quebec that is. It is a fairly recent addition to my tape collection. I just picked it up off of ebay for fairly cheap. Voivod in general, and this album in particular, seem to be a love them or hate them type of band. I have seen opinions from individuals who absolutely hate Voivod, and I have read one noteworthy blog post that stated that this album was one of the greatest albums of all time and he didn't seem to understand how anyone could think otherwise. Well, I'll answer that question, this album is strange.

I have been familiar with Voivod for quite some time. I have two compilation albums with a Voivod track on them, I have a dubbed tape from the radio when they had the Power Hour on, one track from this band was dubbed, I also have their 1995 album Negatron. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this band. One of the songs on this album was even on one of the aforementioned compilation albums. But I was wrong, this album is very odd.

Voivod has always centered their lyrics around science fiction, and this album is no exception to that. This can definitely be seen in song titles like "Astronomy Domine" (actually a Pink Floyd cover) and "Into My Hypercube".

Musically, Voivod definitely shows that they have chops. They often use strange song structures, there are no verse-chorus-verse structures here and Voivod is no pop metal band. The songs often extend longer than they feel like they should. This causes the album to drag in places. The music is not radio-friendly due to the difficulty level of getting into them.

The music is driven by the bass. The guitars are mostly rhythmic instruments with the bass leading the way. The guitars come crashing in at times with staccato riffs that seem to come out of nowhere. The drummer is technically proficient, filling in where necessary.

The vocals are where the problems lie. The singer uses more of a spoken or shouted hardcore type of vocals, they are definitely not thrash vocals. It's not that the vocals are bad, they are unexpected and can be a bit abrasive at times.

Altogether, the atmosphere of the album fits in with the science fiction nature of the lyrics. The album sounds futuristic and spacey. It comes across well, but it did not age very well. At the time, this was probably a landmark, ahead of the times album, now it seems a little cheezy. It is not a bad album, but it is strange and challenging, once the challenge is met however, it is a rewarding album. It is very well-written and a fun listen.