 | Tracklist:
1. Shortwave Intro
2. Panorama
3. Clouds in My House
4. The Prow
5. Best Regards
6. Twin Dummy
7. Angel Rat
8. Golem
9. The Outcast
10. Nuage Fractal
11. Freedoom
12. None of the Above
Release Date: 1991 | |
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On 1 Lists
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| Summary: Voivod unlock the dead end of their perfected self. |
4 of 4 thought this review was well written
Nothingface turned out to be Voivod’s biggest hit. In terms of commercial success, it was their major label that managed to push the envelope to a greater audience. After all, the late 80’s were a period, in which the musical endeavors of a respectable number of metal bands genre-wise and/or band-wise, eventually led to the foundation of a small, but steadily increasing fan base, which searched for the quirky and the obscure. On the other hand, the band’s artistic progress was nearly geometric. Album after album, the external influences were being swiftly eradicated and by the time Nothingface saw the face of the earth, Voivod were engaged to undisputed perfection. However, as Truman Capote could cynically (and regretfully...) tell us, undisputed perfection can lead to a creative dead end. Of course Voivod and Capote cannot be directly compared even if all analogies are being accounted for, but albums like Nothingface can turn into an unsurpassed curse, in terms of artistic creativity. With the release of their 6th album, Angel Rat, Voivod manage to unlock the dead end of their perfected self.
In its own right, the new album feels – and in event, is – markedly different from its predecessor. The sole liaison linking the two previous Voivod albums resumed in the band’s superb musical skills used to craft them, aside from their trademark musical patents. With Angel Rat, Voivod show enough audacity to shatter this liaison, attempting to make progress out of simplicity and using a relatively small portion of the band’s distinct quirkiness. The overall structure of the songs could be briefly filed under the “linear”/”progressive” rock tag, but this is clearly half of the truth. The band’s intimate character is enriched with elements from the blues and/or from melancholic/atmospheric/”Goth” rock. The previously mentioned attributes, succeed in partially bending the aforementioned linearity and in characterizing half (at least) of the songs in the album with a great replay value, while the rest are enjoyable as well. The sound production treads on previously made trails (what is Nothingface?), yet the positive effect here is not of the same magnitude. In here, every instrument is audible in the final mix and the overall sound quality favors the atmospheric portion of the music, however, the guitars could be a lot more heavy, in order to further emphasize the record’s straightforward nature.
In concluding, with Angel Rat, Voivod take a curious and pretty much unexplainable turn in their career. Their departure from the great endeavors of the past could be probably linked to that of a critically esteemed scientist who has been trailing the high ends of his scientific conduct for years and suddenly decides to go back to the very foundations of the science in which he/she previously excelled. Whatever the actual case may be, Angel Rat is an elegant (but not perfected) tranquillizer for the beautiful headaches the three previous Voivod records have created, and as such, its end merit is adequately credible.
Stand out tracks
Panorama
Clouds In My House
The Prow
Angel Rat
Nuage Fractal
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3.5
Panorama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97YpLGF1fXY
Clouds In My House:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDRAH820Gw
The Prow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljYmflR2Zlk&feature=related
Twin Dummy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_3Akx54KU&feature=related
Angel Rat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfK08A71ZVI&feature=related
Golem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Sgmm-z5xc
The Outcast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x09rqBI_mI&feature=related
Nuage Fractal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i_UfQ1c4Fg&NR=1
Freedoom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMogw3HWs&feature=related
None Of The Above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ZZXfehUns&feature=related
Constructive criticism is more than welcome.
Digging: Vauxdvihl - To Dimension Logic | | |
gota hear this
Digging: Gary Glitter - kiddy diddler Digging: Gary Glitter - kiddy diddler
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i've got it on tape
never listened
Digging: Ultramontane Northern Winds - kutte hjertet Digging: Ultramontane Northern Winds - kutte hjertet
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
A turning point in their career.
A love it or hate it...I always find it very cool.
The first half of the album is better IMO.
POS
Digging: Meshuggah - obZen Digging: Meshuggah - obZen | | | Album Rating: 3.5
All songs are at least good, while those i mentioned in the review stand out with respect to the rest.
The main flaw of Angel Rat is that it follows Nothingface.
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Great review Voivod. Quality research and solid delivery as always. Pos.
Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
Yes Nothingface is probably my fav too.
But it's not easy to get into Angel Rat...Too soft for metal heads and probably to heavy and "strange" for the standard listener.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
it's not easy to get into Angel Rat
I humbly beg to differ on that. I believe that the three previous Voivod albums were/are a lot more difficult to get into.
Especially Nothingface has a weird capability of constantly escaping the utmost attention a listener has to give.
Wonderful headaches, as i write in the review :-D.
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I feel you were a tad harsh on Angel Rat (but I may be biased cuz it was my first Voivod album), but still a very good review! I would probably give it a 4 or so.
Digging: Sigh - In Somniphobia Digging: Sigh - In Somniphobia
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I feel you were a tad harsh on Angel Rat
Probably, but i was just describing, rating-wise and review-wise, the transition from Nothingface to Angel Rat, which is not so smooth.
Plus, a 3.5 is still a high rating.
My personal rating for Angel Rat will most probably be bumped into a 4/5, just dunno when I'm going to do that.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
The production on this record is impeccable because it was produced by Terry Brown (of Rush and Fates Warning fame)
Digging: From Oceans To Autumn - Oath Of Eternals | | | Album Rating: 3.5
@ teamster
In my ears, the sound of Angel Rat is similar to that of Nothingface.
That's not so positive, as I write in the review.
For Nothingface that sound was ideal, because of its extreme progressive nature, however, Angel Rat is much more straightforward and it could use a heavier production.
I would suggest that you listen (if you haven't already, that is) to Voivod's recently issued live album Warriors of Ice and check how songs like "The Prow", for example, would sound with heavier guitars.
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as always, great review man
haven't listened this for 4 years!
seems that I must re-listen their whole discography sometime
Digging: Goldie - Timeless
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I used to hate this album, because I looked at in the light of metal, but once I looked at it as Prog rock, It is amazing ass shit.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
In its own right, it is excellent.
As I wrote earlier, its main flaw lies in that it succeeded Nothingface.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
It is very reminiscent of Hawkwind minus the flute, sax, and it's much darker.
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