Review by Ben for Voivod - The Outer Limits (1993)

Worthwhile for Jack Luminous, but this is Voivod-lite.

It took me a long time to get into Voivod in the first place. Their sci-fi themed thrash metal was totally alien to my ears and it took quite a few listens to all the earlier albums before they began to click. Once they did though, the tracks worked their way into my psyche and all the bizarre riffs and wacky vocals just made sense. By the time The Outer Limits was released, the band had settled down into far less metallic, much more fluffy sounding entity. That's not to say that this doesn't sound like Voivod because I guess the evolution was gradual enough for instant recognition. But I have to say I miss the thrashing edge and moments of complete spasmodic madness that sat alongside all the catchiness on albums like Dimension Hatross and Nothingface.

Still, I can't say that I don't enjoy The Outer Limits. There may be several average tracks that don't really do much for me, such as Moonbeam Rider, Time Warp and Wrong Way Street. But Fix My Heart, Le Pont Noir and The Nile Song are all thoroughly entertaining, and likely to stick in your mind for days. Then there's Jack Luminous! This 17-minute track is one of the greatest moments in these crazy Canadians long and distinguished career. Not only is it the thrashiest track on the album, but it moves from fantastic riff to fantastic riff for almost the entire running time. Absolute highlight in my opinion! If you're into Voivod, then there's no reason not to give this a shot. For anyone that doesn't know the band and wants to know what this is like, then the only comparison I can make is another insane Canadian musician, Devon Townsend.