Voivod have been known primarily as the bridging point between thrash metal and prog with their bizarre brand of cosmic, jazz-inspired weirdness. Following a series of massive hit records, Voivod returned with their latest space oddity, Syncro Anarchy.
The album opens with ‘Paranormalium’, a high octane thrasher complete with unconventional chords and almost tribal sounding drums. ‘Planet Eaters’ is probably the most accessible song on the album with its “building more buildings” breakdown and its pounding funky bassline.
As with all Voivod releases, this album will likely be an absolute nightmare trying to learn by ear considering how prominent all the dissonant and unusual chords being used by Chewie. Chewie continues to proudly continue the legacy left by their sadly departed guitarist, Dennis “Piggy” D’Amour.
‘Holographic Thinking’ at times feels like a Black Sabbath song reinterpreted by Hawkwind and eventually given to Voivod. The doom laden lyrical themes working in tandem with the themes of cosmic horror help create a unique atmosphere that is easy to get lost in.
While there are a number of songs that stand well on their own; the surreal, dreamlike tone of the album gives the album a more cohesive feel that should be experienced as a whole. The band’s vocalist, Snake, opts for the Motorhead approach to his performance, his delivery might not be what you would call conventionally appealing but it fits the vibe of the record and of Voivod in general incredibly well.
For the uninitiated, this may not be the album to start with but the same can probably be said of all their records as there is truly nothing quite like Voivod. Voivod are a band that may take some getting used to but their back catalogue is worth putting in the effort for and Synchro Anarchy is no exception.
