Friday, November 27, 2009

Voivod - "Tatsumaki - Voivod Japan 2008" DVD

In the world of Canadian metal, Voivod are something of an enigma, and had carved a niche for themselves as one of the most forward-thinking heavy rock acts around through the 80's and early 90's. But when guitarist and founding guitarist Denis 'Piggy' D'Amour passed away of cancer in 2005, the band went into a tailspin, and members splintered. Fast forward a few years to 2008, and several original members reconvened with new guitarist Dan Mongrain (Martyr, Gorguts) for a tour, including this show in Japan as filmed by a TV crew. It's a surprisingly intense show, filmed with multiple cameras, and includes only songs from Voivod's legendary first 10 years. Classic progressive/metal/thrash songs like "Voivod", "Panorama", and "Nothingface" prove that these guys still have the chops, and the vision to transcend normal "thrash" or "metal". Complex arrangements, futuristic lyrics, and moments of 4-on-the-floor power integrate seamlessly with spacier elements, as in their closing cover of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd (the amazing psyche jam "Astronomy Domine"), which the band dedicates to their fallen brother, Piggy. A superb, engrossing, and enjoyable show from a band that's inspired many from both the metal and punk camps. A lengthy interview (actually gushing fan-letter in video form) with Dave Grohl is included as a bonus, as is a documentary, some additional recent live footage, a more. As inventive, progressive, metal goes, Voivod are still kings of the court, and this DVD aptly proves it. (MVD Visual)

Voivod site

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