SOUNDTRACK: VOIVOD plays Nothingface (streamed May 31, 2021).
When I saw Voivod a few years ago, I was delighted with how good they sounded. I only wished they’d played a few more songs from my favorite album of theirs, Nothingface.
Well, here it is, mid lockdown and the Voivod guys have answered my request. They are going to play the entire Nothingface album live.
Over two days in May they recorded the entire album live–an album that all four of them had to learn all over again. Some songs they had never played live. And, of course two of the guys were not in the ban when Nothingface came out. Indeed, bassist Rocky was only 15 and guitarist Chewy was only 13 when the album was released. [It’s not that weird, singer Snake was about 25 at the time].
It could have been a disaster (but they wouldn’t have aired it, I’m sure). But if you’re going to replace a unique composer like Piggy, who better to use than the kid who has been a fan of Piggy since he was 13? Chewy gets Piggy and has even written tab books for all of Voivod’s albums–showing all of the complex and bizarre stuff that Piggy created. Rocky actually acknowledged Chewy’s books as what helped him to learn the songs (even though he played the album every day for a year when it came out).
They did not play this in front of people. Rather, they played in a studio. But director Catherine Deslauriers designed the studio to project images behind the band as they played. It doesn’t feel quite like a Voivod show since they interact with the audience so much, but it feels very live.
From the opening chord of “The Unknown Knows,” this show was amazing. The sound was fantastic–I was especially impressed with how great the drums sounded. I don’t think I ever realized what a beast Away was on the kit. Rocky’s bass sounded awesome and Chewy’s guitar parts were spot on. Snake’s vocals sound pretty good too considering he’s thirty years older. His voice is unique in metal–that thick accent and slight growl–and it’s all in place. When Chewy hit that screaming bent note and the song paused then jumped into the next part, it was magical. And when Chewy played those crazy chords in the section after it I knew the whole thing would be great. Oh, and Rocky’s bass sound during the end part was perfect.
The only thing was that they didn’t play the coda to the song, but really, that’s quite alright. They had to move on to “Nothingface.” The jump from the angular sharp parts to the catchy “lapse of time/syncho-freeze” is just so good. An I really enjoyed watched Snake sing the “Cold cold choke cold” part.
Before “Astronomy Domine, there was a brief interview with Snake. He talks about how he didn’t want to do a cover, especially someone as big a Pink Floyd. He also jokes about how hard it was to learn the harmonies–it was like Spinal Tap. But Piggy knew what he was doing.
And the harmonies with the new guys sound perfect. They had been playing this on the tour that I saw them, but my show was a little shorter because it was three bands so they didn’t play it.
It segues perfectly in the opening bass notes of “Missing Sequence.” It’s a cool slow moody intro before snake shouts NOW! The harmonies on this song are so good and the way it jumps from this chugging heavy part to the staccato “down down, far underground” is tremendous. Away’s alternating double bass is a great component. There’s another great place for Rocky’s bass to sound fantastic.
Rocky speaks before “X-Ray Mirror.” He speaks only in French and talks about seeing the Nothingface tour when he was 15 and just loving it. He even took a promotional poster and had Snake sign it years later when they met.
I love the jazzy riff in the middle of the song and the thrashing double bass drum–Away’s drumming is just outstanding in this song. Followed by the resolutely King Crimson chords and the great fast thrashing section with the funky bass line and the wild solo
“Inner Combustion” has a striking ascending guitar riff that leads to the heavier section of the song. The distinctive snare blasts between each verse is such a distinctive aspect.
Chewy interviews before “Pre-Ignition” and he talks about how the album was the soundtrack to his teenage years. He was 13 for this, his first show. He was shorter than everyone but pushed forward and stood by the speakers until he got pushed back by the mosh pit. he also mentions a launch party that aired on Solidrock.
Chewy studied contemporary composers in a course. He was listening to a song and said “woah Stravinsky stole something from Voivod.” Strange chords and time changes. There’s even middle eastern harmonic minors. Those orchestral guitar parts are so cool and very dramatic. There’s really harsh chords and Away going nuts on the drums. I always like the vaguely Middle Eastern part “ground and rock and sand come crumbling tumbling down.”
Away introduces “Into My Hypercube.” He says whenever we go on tour I like to buy scientific magazines to read on the road. In the 80s it was Omni and Discover. He came upon an article about scientists representing visually a cube in 9 dimensions. He and Snake had a chat trying to imagine living in a hypercube in a 9 dimensional building and he wrote these lyrics.
Away says that this song reminds him of “Remember Tomorrow” from Iron Maiden–his favorite metal album.
You can hear that in the slow echoing bass opening. I love the way it goes angular and harsh and segues perfectly into the more catchy mosh part followed by a really heavy pounding section before a ripping guitar solo. And once again Rocky’s great bass sound ends the song.
The show ends with “Sub-Effect” a song that builds dramatically into a pounding bridge and has a complicated riff that jumps into the “too late for SOS” funky bass and unusual guitar melody. The show fades to black on yet another of Piggy’s bizarre but wonderful chords.
In a couple of weeks they are playing all of Dimension Hatross, and album I don’t know as well. Bu I have time to learn it.
[READ: May 30, 2021] Redfork
I had just read a couple of violent and bloody graphic novels when I picked up this one. The cover alone is pretty gruesome. And I thought, what is it with stories that need to be so gory? I don’t have an answer for that.
Then the story opens on a couple of hicks trying to steal drugs from the doctor’s office. I have little time for stories of meth addicts, so that combined with the gore, meant that this story had a long way to go to engage me.
And yet it did.
Because it went places I never would have expected.
When the two boys were stealing drugs, the doctor walked in on them and one of the boys got scared and killed him. The story jumps to six years later when Noah is getting out of prison. He is huge–been working out the whole time, clearly. His best friend D-Ray is there to pick him up.
I don’t know who storyboarded this book. Maybe it artist Nil Vendrell, but he did some really cool things. I love on one of the early pages as they are driving back home, the car stays in the middle of the frame but the scenes change around it and in the white borders there’s random townsfolk–showing everything Noah sees. It’s very effective.
As is a later page that runs clockwise–counter to all graphic novel reading. But it’s done with such a great purpose and effectively conveys a moment of two people at a distance from each other. (more…)
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SOUNDTRACK: BUZZY LEE-Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #218 (June 2, 2021).
Everybody sounds better in the bathroom, right?
I Just Read About That... 