Voivod: Killing Technology 1987   Noise Records Official Website Buy It Now

I'm from the old school of metal, back before bands like Korn and Slipknot brought about a new generation of fans. While it's good to have metal still popular, there are many albums that have been all but forgotten, and even bands for that matter, some of who are still around to this very day. Canada's own Voivod is one such act, and while I wasn't necessarily a fan of their music when they released albums like War and Pain or Rrroooaaarrr, their third albums, Killing Technology is still a masterpiece in the world of metal and for me, might easily rank in as one of the top 10 favorite metal albums of all time.

The collective quartet of Snake, Blacky, Piggy, and Away would let the world hear something completely different with Killing Technology, taking their music from being thrash metal to something unheard of and labeled by fans and critics alike as progressive metal, or cyber-metal to some, as well as many other creative sub-genre terms. While other bands were still comfortable using bar and power chords, Voivod did something very different. Reversed, augmented, and diminished chords became commonplace for Voivod as did riffs that consisted to intricate picking patterns, and Killing Technology showcases this skill perfectly.

Filled with lyrics dealing with futuristic elements and nuclear devastation, there is rarely a down moment throughout the run of the CD. The title track for the disc, "Killing Technology" is a thunderous track with impressive riffs and leads into an equally intricate, and fast, track, "Over Reaction." This is followed up by "Tornado," another track that emphasizes not only the playing skill of Piggy, but also the drumming expertise of Away.

"Forgotten in Space" might be one of the best tracks on the entire CD and once again shows the brilliant musicianship the Voivod can produce. "Order of the Blackguard" fits into this same category, being one of Voivod's masterfully created songs with plenty of changes, technical musician ship, and an energy that is simply addictive.

There are a track or two on the disc that I'm not completely pleased with though and don't make as much of an impact as the other songs. "Too Scared to Scream," is a very forgettable song and doesn't necessarily have the same technical feeling as some of the other songs. The same is true of "Cockroaches," a song that was originally released as a compilation track to showcase Voivod's change of direction prior to the release of Killing Technology and didn't actually appear on the vinyl version of the album, though it was included on the cassette and has been included on the CD reissue as well. However, we're only talking about two songs that don't seem to come across as well as the others, and the rest of the CD is solid.

I'd urge any of the nu-metal fans that have never heard Voivod to pick this CD up, embrace it, and study it very carefully. Unlike many other bands, these aren't songs that can simply be figured out within a few minutes like many other bands. I've owned Killing Technology in many different formats over the years and these songs have a complexity that is seldom found in the world of metal or anywhere else for that matter, and rarely will you find tab for these. While they may not sound as good these days as they did back in their glory days, Killing Technology is a must have CD for metal fans worldwide, and it isn't a good idea to disobey the Iron Gang.

-mike-
 

Line-Up: Jean-Yves Theriault (bass) Denis d'Amour (guitar) Michel Langevin (drums) Denis Belanger (vocals)

Track Listing: 01 - Killing Technology 02 - Overreaction 03 - Tornado 04 - Too Scared to Scream 05 - Forgotten in Space 06 - Ravenous Medicine 07 - Order of the Blackguards 08 - This is Not an Exercise 09 - Cockroaches Running Time: 48 Minutes