Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr (1986)^{Release ID: 1153}

For some bands, their debut album is their best and reigns over their later albums, so do you think Voivod would release a brilliant to surpass their 1984 debut War and Pain? D*mn right! Hailing from Quebec, this band has exploded into the thrash scene via underground tape-trading ever since releasing two demos which are both each twice as long as this album and should've their first two albums right there. It's quite amazing how a young band from the French part of Canada can make a couple demos that make a total of two and a half hours in length. Half of the amount of tracks are covers, and the other half are original songs that would be re-recorded for their first two albums; the stunning debut War and Pain and the raging 1986 follow-up Rrröööaaarrr. BUT WAIT!! The long demos don't end there! A couple more long demos were recorded with a few more new songs for their second album along with re-recordings of earlier songs, the latter demo being a 100-minute live demo, and the total length of those two demos is 3 HOURS!!! Needless to say, they would keep making long demos for their next few albums, but my point is, the band sure knows how to write and get ready. Many of you know that 1984 was thrash/speed metal's biggest year; Slayer and Metallica unleash some thrash storms; Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator stabilize the foundation of the German black metal turned into thrash scene; and the maniacal Swiss Hellhammer (pre-Celtic Frost) unleash hellishly noisy heavy speed chaos in their Apocalyptic Raids EP and a couple split albums like Metal Massacre, which also featured a Voivod track on the year of the only 1984 album I actually see the appeal, you guessed it, War and Pain!

It's rare how a band's album cover art (this one drawn by their talented drummer Away) can perfectly convey the style and sound of the album itself. The covers of their first two albums depict a bleak land with red in the sky, in the midst of an apocalyptic war led by a skeletal cyborg controlling a deadly machine of annihilating doom. That's h*lla perfect imagery for the lyrics snarled heavily by the accented Snake, alongside the instrumentation of the one-of-a-kind guitar made by the late Piggy that can't be imitated, the distorted bass of Blacky, and the drum assault by Away. This is very much the sky-high speed/thrash of Venom and the faster Motorhead mixed with the raging hardcore of Die Kruezen and Discharge, from guitar insanity in spacey soundscapes to heavy Black Sabbath-inspired riff-wrath. They basically assimilated a few bands into a unique one that can't sound like anything else in the planet. This sound is evident in their legendary classic sophomore, Rrröööaaarrr. This was pretty much the album Voivod fans were waiting for at the time, a continuation of War and Pain! Wait, no, this is more than that... It is their fastest rawest album of brilliant chaos!! They've expanded on the unique elements of their debut and at the same time introduced new stuff; odd times, manic tempos, challenging structures, and rhythmic arrangements, all of which would be explored further in their next two albums Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross, and fully taking over in Nothingface.

The starting classic "Korgull the Exterminator" is blazing fast and sets up the album as an overture song to what follows, with all the album has to offer in just near 5 minutes from the beginning bass drive and drum buildup to rad guitar, to keep the listener headbanging even before Snake's vocals kick in. There's an awesome bridge section before raging fast shredding from Piggy. Then we witness one of the fastest sections of drums and bass. Tremendous tempos and Snake's startling vicious vocals help make a heavy Voivod classic tune. It ends where the song begins, with a virtual reverb of metallic soundscape. You already know a song's gonna be hardcore-inspired with a song title like "F*** Off and Die". If that song ever had a speed limit, it had broken that limit and a citizen ratted it out to the police who are now chasing the song in a high-speed race. The super-fast action of the drums and bass have been done without triggers. It's all about talent! Away is a total speed demon of heaviness. A dynamic bridge to the chorus has innovative guitar with unique discordance. After a wild thrash solo, the song ends with one more chorus. "Slaughter in a Grave" is another thrash classic with the best of Voivod. It begins killer and mid-paced and would have you headbanging before a huge groove chorus. Alongside Blacky's blacky bass, Away keeps his constant drum assault, though the song doesn't has as speedy thrash as the first two songs, but it still rocks! A great solo centers around reverb, and Snake does perfect vocals. A true classic that Venom would've done! Next is the furious "Ripping Headaches", starting in a raging rollercoaster with maniacal vocals from Snake. The thrashy verses surround a heavy chorus that has a hardcore punch in Snake's vocals. Piggy does a chaotic solo, and Snake sounds a bit like Cronos before the heavy speed machine comes to a stop.

The fifth track "Horror" begins with some solo tapping before the colossal riff-wrath. This song has heavy rawness. In the middle of the song, there's a brief awesome solo before a fast and furious thrash section continue Piggy's soloing rollercoaster before reverting to the earlier heavy riff-wrath alongside the killer bass and drums. You only have brief time to catch your breath before kicking up the tempo to finish in thrashing rage. Speaking of which, "Thrashing Rage" is a brilliant highlight. Despite being aptly named, it starts with heavy riff machinery that is quite innovative. This crushing heaviness leads straight to what you came to this song for, high-quality thrashing drums and bass! This is a total signature tune with the bleak vibe of War and Pain and some progressive foreshadowing for their next album. Soon the song would sound close to an early example of technical death metal before a mid-tempo groove rising to the end. Truly killer! Rooting back to their debut, "The Helldriver" is another perfect classic of thrashing power. It begins with headbanging mid-paced groove while Snake has the b*lls to deliver the rad lyrics. The track has a creative chorus and an awesome riff-solo. After that is a monstrous verse, one more chorus, and an ending explosion of reverb. One of my favorite tunes from the band and the album!

Another classic "Build Your Weapons" has everything the album has, just like the opening track. Not as awesome as that track, but it has glorious riffs, killer tempos, and intense vocals, all in a thrash tune heard miles away! After Snake calls out the title like a military sergeant, the song kicks into an upbeat assault of drums and bass, once again perfectly fitting the album cover. This tune has many amazing parts and awesome riffs. Piggy does a savage solo for the heavier listeners to enjoy, before a fantastic bridge, then another brief solo, and finally some classic verse riff-rage. That's is a fun complex song, but it's brushed aside by the true blazing finale. "To The Death" is a perfect ending thrash tune. It begins with a rad discordant guitar intro with the cymbal reverbed into a gong before a heavy monstrous segment of drums and bass that disappears in a raging fast thrash explosion. This is probably the fastest tune! Despite the speed, there's a catchy brief chorus rising among the thrash verses. There's an awesome technical breakdown with vocals foreshadowing Nothingface. Fascinating!! Then a raging solo before ending the song in a storm of whammy reverb. AWESOME!!!

So that's it, the raw noisy Rrröööaaarrr. Some fans were stunned by the production being rawer than War and Pain. This 1985 production perfectly fits in with the material, both being more extreme than their debut. If you're gonna experience Rrröööaaarrr and its fullest and most thrashy, you would need some good headphones (like my Beats). And sure listening to the album on CD would have more warm power, but listening to it on the computer is the most convenient for me, so yeah. Back to the production, there's some surprising separation between instruments with subtle unique effects. This thrash metal offering is made for any listener, stoner or sober. This music is a mind-altering legal substitute to any drug. If you're a thrash/speed metal fan who hasn't listened to Voivod (like I am, but I like the more technical stuff), this is an essential part of your collection. They're one of the most original intelligent extreme metal bands. After the War and Pain, you feel the mighty Rrröööaaarrr!!!

Favorites: "Korgull the Exterminator", "Slaughter in a Grave", "Thrashing Rage", "The Helldriver", "To the Death"