Voivod – Synchro Anarchy (Century Media)

Voivod managed to achieve something quite unimaginable in the last few years.  They had maintained their sound, feel, and songwriting.  The big credit for this has to go to guitarist, Daniel Mongrain, who replaced the deceased Denis D’Amour.  It seemed like an impossible task, but Voivod is breathing its own air again. 

Synchro Anarchy is a third album with Mongrain on guitar, and once again it feels like the band never lost a bit.  Not only does Mongrain have a perfect understanding of D’Amour’s playing, he is able to add things that are clearly his.  All of this, and the contribution from drummer, Michael Langevin, bassist, Dominic Laroche, and vocalist Denis Belanger, make Synchro Anarchy an amazing album.  And let’s be clear, all Voivod members are crucial in creation process.

It is safe to say that Voivod is like King Crimson of thrash metal.  The music is very innovative and adventurous.  Nothing that happens here is predictable, and even after several listens you can still find sounds you didn’t think were there before.  The combination of heavy riffing with emotional musical landscapes is what makes Voivod stand out from the crowd.  Also, let’s not forget their specific sound that drives it all forward.

Synchro Anarchy is sometimes reminiscent of Nothingface, but in no way is the band repeating any of the music from that album.  It’s just the feel.  In fact, with each spin new connections form, but that happened to be the initial one.  The album has every making of becoming a late career classic.  The songwriting is strong, and the group is still in the experimental mode.  Tracks like “Sleeves Off,” or “Quest For Nothing,” truly show how creative things can get.

While Voivod is not being mentioned as one of the big four, they are in a category of their own.  The band always strived for originality, even in their most primitive days.  There was always something there that made the listeners come back for more.  Voivod rewarded their loyalty with amazing albums; Synchro Anarchy is another milestone forward.

Mark Kadzielawa