Reviews list for Voivod - Angel Rat (1991)

One of those albums where everything just feels off… except after repeated listens, I have determined this to be quite intentional, and done in the best way.

You see, Voivod get bored easily, and they had already been down many musical avenues, and pushed the limits of music (and their own abilities) multiple times. On Killing Technology, they showcased the extent of how fast, aggressive, and technical they could play. On the following Dimension Hatross and Nothingface, they were at the forefront of slightly avant-garde Progressive Metal, making albums quite bizarre in musical structure, showcasing complex songwriting ability. And now we have Angel Rat, which at first listen just sounds like them giving up on trying to prove anything anymore. Only faint glimpses of their progressive technicality remain on what is almost a poppy, Post-Punk inspired Alternative Metal album.

I was disappointed at first, as I think anyone would be. But something about the album kept me coming back, and I realized something. Voivod have transcended using technical speed or complex songwriting. They are taking the term “progressive” to a new frontier here, and focusing on creating very complex, ever changing MOODS. If you can imagine a mood having an odd time signature, this is absolutely it. Every song here, despite having relatively simple instrumentation and structure, jumps between some of the most schizophrenic, bipolar moods I’ve ever heard, all without janky start-stop instrumental tricks. The songs flow as smoothly as pop songs, and although the instrumentation can actually be quite intense and complex at times, you wouldn’t really know it without focused listening.

They place the most normal tracks at the beginning. As long as you weren’t listening to the lyrics (which are beyond strange) you could convince yourself that the first 5 tracks were all normal, though they just don’t sound right for some reason… And were those double bass Thrash beats playing under the chorus at the end of Clouds in My House? That’s right, this IS a metal album after all, and don’t forget it!

Track 6, Twin Dummy, is where you could no longer convince yourself this album is normal. The way Snake anxiously yells “The circus left without me!” and then sinisterly muses “And I’m alone with you now…” is unnerving to say the least, especially surrounded with off-kilter lyricism about carousels, dummies, and whatnot. From here on out it becomes more obvious that there is something wrong with this album.

The title track, Angel Rat, capitalizes this best. The opening line “The idiot walks along the canvas…” as Snake then paints a dark and unnerving picture much like the album cover. Gloomy, ominous chords and soft spoken vocals shake through this hideous landscape of darkness and hopelessness… and then a sugary sweet, smooth chorus kicks in about how nice flying away would be. At first this chorus kind of ruined the song for me, but after sitting with it, I totally get it. The figure in the song is an idiot precisely because they still have this innocent, childlike hope of flying away from this horrid picture. Yet they are painted into the canvas just as everything else is. They are stuck there for eternity. The question “rat or angel, does one really know?” is such an interesting comparison. They aren’t comparing good or evil. They’re comparing something significant, powerful, and bright, with a wholly insignificant pest (that cannot fly, mind you). The song is a masterpiece in cryptic writing and mood distortion, and the rest of the album walks the same line.

There are a couple other factors that make this album work so well. For one, I’ve always maintained that Snake’s yells are much better than his singing, and that was a big reason why Voivod’s duo of Prog albums weren’t as great for me. But here, Snake’s vocals are perfect. Not that he’s improved much, no… rather, his shaky, strained voice works wonders for the kind of atmosphere they’re going for here. He’s got an anxious tone to his voice that shines through even during the poppy choruses, and this makes them catchy but never anthemic. Even when he sings smoothly, like in Clouds in My House or Angel Rat, it just doesn’t sound right, and that is precisely why this album succeeds in such simple verse chorus format. The drumming is another fantastic element here. Usually it’s pretty simple, but never boring, and best of all, more than occasionally it just breaks out into full on double bass metal beats. However, the drumming is pushed low in the mix so that it never overpowers the music, and it really serves as another backbone of hidden elements you wouldn’t appreciate unless you listened intently for it. Layered guitar melodies, vocal harmonies and atmospheric soundscape textures work the same, hidden at first listen but uncovered after due attention.

This album is a massive grower and has so much to offer to those willing to delve into the depths of its dark, demented canvas. Voivod have successfully taken progressive music to a new level!

Angel Rat is one of those underrated albums I love for the most part, but people don't seem to appreciate the value of softening this band's sound for the mainstream, which is quite understandable. After all, Canadian metal band Voivod made it big with their late 80s trilogy of progressive thrash masterpieces, yet they still haven't reached the height of luxury owned by the American peers of their thrash sound. For this album, instead of making another full-blown concept album like Nothingface, they took that album's future melancholy and put them into more accessible creations. In fact, this has been their most accessible album for 3 decades now, though after an experimental trilogy of albums, their self-titled 2003 album would continue that accessibility. Between those two aforesaid trilogies, Angel Rat is the odd one out with none of their thrash roots or great amounts of experimentation. The Pink Floyd/Rush-inspired progressive metal is still, but in lighter psychedelia that would cause great success!

Anyone expecting Voivod to have their fascinating sound in every effort might not take this album well. Whereas their late 80s prog-thrash trilogy is hot enough to melt your brain before freezing it back to place, all Angel Rat does is warm your brain with no effect. It's a nice kind of warm for me, along with the unusualness of songs that work individually and the cover art that has a circus-like band logo and title while keeping the purplish background color, looking like a stoner doom album cover art or something. The songs are simple with melodic hooks. Piggy (RIP) has developed his guitar work, but farther away from the 80s dissonant aggression. The vocal lines by Snake are broader but less punk-ish. Once again, the mellowness of Nothingface continues with a cryptic dash...

The album begins with a pointless short intro, "Shortwave". Then the rock radio-friendly "Panorama" plays. It's a shame that song didn't get a single, unlike the next one... "Clouds in My House" basically sounds like a spacey combo of Rolling Stones and David Bowie. "The Prow" is what the definition of "seapunk" should've been instead of the recent idea of reviving 90s popular music with Little Mermaid stylistic themes. There are incredible verses, a catchy chorus, and a trippy bridge, all filled with mellow vocals, harmonic guitars, and even organs. Almost like a Nothingface B-side! "Best Regards" is another one of the best of the album, though still far from the band's earlier albums.

"Twin Dummy" is the music equivalent to a creepy smile, with bass melody flow. The title track is a friendly contrast to the previous song, sounding soft with a hint of melancholy. The industrial rock-ish machinery of "Golem" is a powerful hint to the band's mid-90s experimental trilogy, telling a tale of self-awareness within artificial intelligence in existential monotone. A discovery of futuristic humanity that can surely surpass any Star Trek TV series episode!

Their experimentation with new instruments commences in "The Outcast", beginning with synthesized harmonica played by Ivan Doroschuk from Men Without Hats, after Voivod drummer Michel Langevin (Away) performed drums for the Men Without Hats album released earlier that year. There are interesting style changes to find in that song as well. "Nuage Fractal" knocks the album score off a fraction, but it's still good. Same with "Freedoom", sounding too mellow. But did the previous songs suck trash or sound too mellow or detract your interest in the band? Answer: "None of the Above"! However, that final track sounds a bit average, though it only loses a couple percentage points.

Any fan of 80s Voivod who hadn't heard their later discography would, at first hearing of Angel Rat, yell "WT*!?" with no fear of being caught swearing. Yeah, that album is surprising, but it's a pleasant surprise for me, subtly removing the thrash while subtly moving to a different direction. Instead of giving your brain a seizure, it soothes your spirit turning haze into mist. This is an amazing album that shows a band softening their sound in 1991, unlike death metal bands back then. Nothing heavy, yet all beautiful!

Favorites: "Panorama", "The Prow", "Best Regards", "Angel Rat", "Golem", "The Outcast"

In my opinion, the band's magnum opus. I remember when this album dropped, fans went off the deep end about how the band had gone soft and "sold out". Many of those same people today still feel that way. I find it ironic that a band whose entire existence has been dependent upon growth and experimentation end up catching flack for growing and experimenting.

Angel Rat is an amazing listening experience from start to finish. There's a melancholy that I've never heard in any other Voivod album. A lot of the sci-fi tendencies have taken backseat to a more psychedelic approach and for me, that's what makes this album fantastic. The title track, in particular, is just stunning. 

I can't recommend this enough and while you're at it, grab the great follow-up Outer Limits for more of the same. 

It always takes me a while to enjoy Voivod's albums. They're so strange that it generally takes about 5 or 6 listens before I can come to grips with everything going on. Once they get under my skin though, there's no getting them out. As much as I tried to like Angel Rat, and I knew it was going to be difficult from the start, I just can't get into it. It still has its moments of course, as these guys are just too creative to put out a whole album of useless, uninspired music. But as an album following up a massively successful period for the band, Angel Rat is terribly disappointing.

As soon as Panorama kicks in, it's obvious Voivod have taken a lighter, rockier approach. The thrash metal is no longer prominent and the bizarre sci fi imagery has been watered down. Things still get weird and both the music and lyrical content are still straight out of the twilight zone, but it's all just that little bit less intriguing due to the simplicity of it all. By the time The Prow, Best Regards and Twin Dummy have passed by, Angel Rat threatens to drop right off the radar. But I do enjoy a couple of the tracks towards the end of the album, especially Golem, which is Voivod the way I like them. Full of discordant riffs, computerised vocals and completely unique melodies. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of these moments on the album to put this anywhere near these Canadian's best work.