And as for CF, the only time I can think of is, strangely, on Infini, esp. the last vocal style in A Room with a V.U.

I had to answer that, the coincidence is too wierd!

I agree with the rest. I prefer Infini above Katorz. There's not much on Katorz that could increase Infini, without making it more Katorzie.

So, the Outer Limits shirts are selling for big bucks now? I better stop wearing mine when I run and do yard work before if because one giant armpit stain... where's my Oxyclean and Shout stain remover? It is a kickass shirt. That's why I'd always wear it when I ran on the boardwalk in Ocean City after work.

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"The twelfth and very likely final album from these Canadians is exceptional by nature: it is a disc full of new material, courtesy of the latest recording lineup including Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, the guitarist who passed away four years ago. The album was built on demo recordings Piggy had created at home, but the material is nonetheless solid and the sound familiar.

In fact, Infini seems to outshine the two previous albums, both of which also feature the original Voivod vocalist Denis "Snake"
Belanger. Voivod and Katorz were heavy and clearly metal-oriented albums. The same can be said of Infini in a sense, but at the same time the song material is more diverse, resembling the band's output during their golden years in the late 80s and early 90s. At that time Voivod shifted from cyber-thrash towards strong melodies and a more progressive style.

Infini is not similar to the pop heard on Angel Rat or the superb prog-rock of Nothingface. Still, the disc sounds very spacey, certainly not the least because Piggy's guitar tracks were left untouched and, as a result, they do not form a thick metallic wall of sound. The bass does rumble crunchily in the background, adding a solid foundation to the overall sound, and double bass drums are not absent either. However, the admirable diversity and originality of Voivod are not buried under aggression and heaviness this time.

There is no doubt, starting right from the first track God Phones, that the songs on Infini are worthy of an official release. Even though it is unlikely that any of the 13 songs will be remembered as classics, it would have been a real shame if they had been left gathering dust.

Hats off to the band for this elegant and properly realized gesture towards both the guitarist and the fans. And finally, a massive cannonshot in honour of the one who developed the truly original sound and style of Voivod, Piggy. Send my greetings to the other dimension!"

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While Piggy is certainly the hallmark of the "Voivod sound", don't underestimate Blacky's contribution. His bass lines did not simply mimic the guitar line or thump along with Away's beats. There were serious counter-melodies and secondary rhythms present that played a big part in accentuating what Piggy was doing and further shaped that vast landscape that each song seemed to create for the listener. There are no bass lines like that on the last few records. It's not Jason's style and to me, it makes the songs a little less dimensional.

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All the best,
PAULIE

PS As a bassist, I have two gods - John Gallagher and Blacky

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Remember, Jason did not replace Blacky, and there are two other bassists who in Blacky's absence changed Voivod's sound.

Me, I really dug Eric's playing. Whatever you may think about his vox, the guy had a great, sinister tone. Better than the Outer Limits guy, who sounded like a programmable beatbox.

Hmmm...now if you substituted Eric for Jason on these last three albums, that would have kicked much ass. With snake singing...not Eric.

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quote:

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Originally posted by ShredTilDead:
Jason ain't Blacky. Correct, and duly noted. Do you feel the same way about E-force's playing, or whoever the bass player on Outer Limits?

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I have no problems w Eric's playing at all, it was certainly not as creative note-wise as Blacky but still had all of the aggression and forcefulness. I think, if anything, Eric's sound was often a little too overdriven, so his notes sometimes got lost in the fuzz. But yes, I'd have gladly had him on any/all of the last 3 Voivod albums over Jason, absolutely. Vocally, Voivod lost some of the character when Snake left, but I think Eric is EXACTLY what Voivod needed at the time to not only carry on but also to reconnect with the *thrash* (which I once again miss dearly).

I find myself reaching for TOL far more often than AngelRat, Voivod, Katorz, or even Nothingface, though I prefer the bass on AngelRat and Nothingface more than on TOL. It's definitely about the overall writing on that one - Top notch. As for the bass sound on TOL, it was very middle-of-the-road, but it was just what the material needed to let the narratives take center-stage whether presented by Snake or Piggy. Jack L. is unquestionably one of my all-time fave Voivod tunes, but I wouldn't say that the bass necessarily hurt or helped.

Bla bla blar,
PAULIE

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Eric's playing was okay, but also just rode along with the guitar rhythm.

quote:

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Originally posted by nothingface:
I remember reading that Piggy played bass on TOL.

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It was a session player, "Pierre St-Jean" who played bass on TOL.

quote:

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Originally posted by escubria:
It was a session player, "Pierre St-Jean" who played bass on TOL.

I still think Jason was the second best bass player in Voivod.

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I'm just happy that the band continued on through all the changes and didn't throw in the towel and call it quits. I certainly would never say that I think any of their albums from any line up should not have been released. They are all worthy and important to the catalog that makes up their career.

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quote:

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Originally posted by schroeder:
i think everyone that has been involved with Voivod has been top notch, just very different from each other... kinda like the different players that went through the King Crimson lineup changes. Each one added their own unique touch to the overall sound.

I'm just happy that the band continued on through all the changes and didn't throw in the towel and call it quits. I certainly would never say that I think any of their albums from any line up should not have been released. They are all worthy and important to the catalog that makes up their career.

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word !!

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quote:

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Originally posted by warcorpse:
Its all in Dan's hands.
Blacky doesn't know how to write metal songs.
Away needs an energy drink, he started playing AC/DC beats after Phobos.
Snake, well, he rules.

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quote:

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Originally posted by warcorpse:
Its all in Dan's hands.
Blacky doesn't know how to write metal songs.
Away needs an energy drink, he started playing AC/DC beats after Phobos.
Snake, well, he rules.

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blasphemer !

we can talk about this corpse... Jason is out of the picture (but the guys are gonna have to watch their hides, he's learned a thing or two over the years from Lars)

Blacky: (hates americans) though I agree is going to bring something back, after all I was told there was no way this could possibly happen, I have been hoping since waaay before 2000 when I joined the community so I am totally psyched.

Away: (the timekeeper) the drums are legible and they 'roll' in that off beat kinda way. What you want these guys to sound like some Vader shit or something ?

Dan: (under the microscope) I think will do very well because he plays the old material like he feels it, I can tell. He is going to play for us (and Piggy) his guts...