For over thirty five years Canadian cosmic-metal warriors Voivod have followed a unique and often unusual music pathway leading to groundbreaking songs that shook the metal scene and now they are ready to surprise you again with the 14th studio album “The Wake”.
You feel lost in outer space when “Obsolete Beings” begins with bizarre suspenseful tones swiftly followed by a solid round of guitar riffs bearing an old school thrash influence but there is also a soothing melodic streak and soloing with evident dissonant accents.
On “The End Of Dormancy” guitars focus on calmer melodic nuances but soon will offer challenging prog metal oriented rhythmic segments following odd tempo variations and a post apocalyptic mood amplified by technical guitar soloing, consequently towards the end of the song you might start feeling a bit dizzy.
“Orb Confusion” is a mind trip featuring an engaging rhythmic core full of frantic dissonant progressions yet nothing feels forced as technical guitars march fluently well supported by sharp bass lines and precise drumming while vocals acquire a hectic theatrical delivery.
“Always Moving” might seem a ‘normal’ song due to the soothing melodic ensemble provided by crystalline guitars yet with strong prog vibes the feverish rhythmic sections offer loads of unexpected dissonant dynamics and sudden tempo variations.
“Sonic Mycelium” gives you a chance to really space out for over 12 minutes as this epic track is constantly shapeshifting blending dreamy nuances and nightmarish vibes because you are still stuck in a chaotic sonic realm. The flamboyant guitar work certainly stands out for the audacious proggy riffage following sophisticated rhythmic dynamics and adding brighter melodies to such multifaceted core that will surprise the audience once again with the lavish string arrangements in the song’s classical outro.
Far from being an average album “The Wake” represents a new refreshing and definitely intricate chapter in Voivod’s career, a cosmic journey with dystopian visions especially expressed by the ever changing sonic textures and dissonant moments.