Review Summary: On only the third attempt, Voivod release a cult classic that noticeably made them a band that was radically different from even the strangest acts extreme music had to offer.
The 1980s was a time where underground thrash and speed metal were represented by many cult classics that are just as loved today as upon release, if not more so. Voivod's third full-length, Killing Technology, not only is consistent with that description, but was a thrash metal release so innovative that it was a major inspiration to a diverse set of heavy metal subgenres, both extreme and non-extreme. This was the album where Voivod officially transformed from a more extreme version of English influences such as Motörhead and Venom, to a band whose identity had no match at the time.
The most obvious change from the first two Voivod albums can be easily heard from the guitar work of the late, great Denis "Piggy" D'Amour. While his swift and precise pentatonic picking and tapping was standard-fare for other North American speed metal acts, his riffs are what distinguish him from other contemporary guitar greats. The tonality of his riffs took the heavily tritone friendly nature of the likes of Slayer and Dark Angel to the next level, greatly increasing the frequency of tritonal riffs while commonly seasoning them with less iconic dissonances such as seconds and non-augmented fourths. The mad love Piggy had for latter day classical composers such as Béla Bartok and Igor Stravinsky is noticeable in how bizarrely dissonant his riffs are compared to not only the other extreme metal on the market, but also most of rock n roll aside from notable exceptions such as Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. Add this extreme dissonance to the often 200+ BPM tempos, and Killing Technology presents one of the most challenging, but rewarding listens to grace the 80s. These riffs, along with many from the next two Voivod releases, served as a direct ancestor to the atonal brutality of fellow French Canadians, Gorguts.
The drum work throughout Killing Technology by Michel "Away" Langevin is another highlight. While Away's percussive work is not quite as difficult to imitate as the likes of Nick Menza or Rick Colaluca of Watchtower, the creativity he displays time and time again stands out from most thrash drummers at the time. He is capable of making colorful fills every now-and-again, but especially distinguishes himself with the number of sections per song he transitions from seamlessly. His beats are a fitting match for the numerous tempo changes and fairly complex song structures perpetuated by Piggy and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault's unusual writing style. One of the signature examples of these unconventional song structures can be heard in the title track, which contains a massive build-up to a Stravinsky-like riff played at thrash metal's typical blinding tempos. Slightly after the five minute mark, the song concludes with a slower and simpler, but even more dissonant riff which sounds deceptively like a distinct song, but shockingly shares a similar key to what was heard previously in the track. Many beats on this album along with Dimension Hatross make it easier to understand why Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy has Voivod among his influences.
The vocals of Denis "Snake" Belanger on this album can easily be called his career highlight, combining the raw and high pitched nature of his earlier vocal tracks with hints of the cleaner, more fourth octave leaning melodies of later Voivod classics. His timbre and delivery could loosely be described as similar to early Dave Mustaine if he was actually good, which supplements the barrage of dissonant chords Piggy continuously churns out in his many riffs. One of the few minor nitpicks I could have about this album is that Blacky's basslines scarcely stand out through all this madness. However, the bass is noticeably more audible than many extreme 80s releases even when playing root notes, with a rich, Fender tone that is commonly heard from a bassist such as countryman Geddy Lee.
Not only does Killing Technology violate several thrash metal conventions to the point of rivalling Celtic Frost's experimental zenith on Into the Pandemonium, but its unusual song construction and great quantities of tempo changes places it among Watchtower's Energetic Disassembly as one of the oldest examples of progressive metal. It stands three decades later as one of thrash metal's finest hours, and an album whose impact can be heard in at least subtle forms from both traditional progressive metal acts and technical death metal bands such as Atheist. Any admirer of progressive music, thrash metal, or experimental music in general do themselves a great service by listening to this cult gem.
