Voivod - Katorz
Nuclear Blast - NB-1654-2 - 28/07/06
By Sam Brokenshaw
Voivod come roaring back with their fourteenth effort (Katorz...natch!), with the memory of their tragic loss barely fading in the minds of everyone that cares to remember. From the first few chords one can see how much this album is going to rock, and rock it does. Piggy's trademark slightly discordant riffing style is evident on the opener "The Getaway", which fairly crunches along and bulldozes any doubts about Voivods ability to to get the head nodding and set the foot to tapping. The album is actually remarkably cohesive, when you take into account the problems the band had to surmount in the making of it. Piggy sadly didn't get the chance to rerecord his guitar lines before he passed away, so the band rerecorded the rest of the material around the original guitar lines. All the evidence points to this being remarkably cohesive, although the sound is rather rough and ready it still works very well for the material the band conveys. Make no mistake, this is a rock album from the get go. Everything thumps hard in the right places and races off in others, the occasional anthemic chorus intruding where necessary.
It would be silly to even compare this album to the band's classic legacy. Katorz is not even in the same ballpark and neither should it be, instead it serves a final chapter to remember the talents of one of the most innovative guitarists in hard rock and metal history. This album will serve as an epitaph of sorts for the immense talent that was Piggy. It shouldn't be compared to War and Pain or Nothingface, just throw it on and rock out in good company.
8/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official Voivod Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
Nuclear Blast - NB-1654-2 - 28/07/06
By Sam Brokenshaw
Voivod come roaring back with their fourteenth effort (Katorz...natch!), with the memory of their tragic loss barely fading in the minds of everyone that cares to remember. From the first few chords one can see how much this album is going to rock, and rock it does. Piggy's trademark slightly discordant riffing style is evident on the opener "The Getaway", which fairly crunches along and bulldozes any doubts about Voivods ability to to get the head nodding and set the foot to tapping. The album is actually remarkably cohesive, when you take into account the problems the band had to surmount in the making of it. Piggy sadly didn't get the chance to rerecord his guitar lines before he passed away, so the band rerecorded the rest of the material around the original guitar lines. All the evidence points to this being remarkably cohesive, although the sound is rather rough and ready it still works very well for the material the band conveys. Make no mistake, this is a rock album from the get go. Everything thumps hard in the right places and races off in others, the occasional anthemic chorus intruding where necessary.
It would be silly to even compare this album to the band's classic legacy. Katorz is not even in the same ballpark and neither should it be, instead it serves a final chapter to remember the talents of one of the most innovative guitarists in hard rock and metal history. This album will serve as an epitaph of sorts for the immense talent that was Piggy. It shouldn't be compared to War and Pain or Nothingface, just throw it on and rock out in good company.
8/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official Voivod Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
