J.J.D.'s Reviews And Interviews Blog: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

After The Fall – [In] Exile

After The Fall
[In] Exile
Roadrunner Records

For more information on After The Fall, check out - https://myspace.com/afterthefallaustralia.

Parkway Drive - The DVD

Parkway Drive
The DVD
Resist Records/Parkway Films/Shock Distribution

For more information on Parkway Drive, check out - https://www.facebook.com/parkwaydrive.

Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg

Polar Bear Club
Chasing Hamburg
Bridge Nine Records/Stomp Distribution

For more information on Polar Bear Club, check out - https://www.facebook.com/PolarBearClub.

The Premature Burial

The Premature Burial
Shock Distribution

For more information on "The Premature Burial", check out - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066663836150.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Martin Popoff - Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michael Langevin

Martin Popoff
Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michael Langevin

Spider Press

A must have for fans.

Even though genuine mainstream success has eluded them throughout most of their career, Québec (Canada) based progressive/thrash/avant-garde act Voivod have certainly had a huge influence on the metal scene throughout their lengthy twenty-five years together, which continues through to the present day. But while the impact of Voivod’s music on the metal movement is without question, it’s also drummer/song writer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin’s outlandish post-apocalyptic/sci-fi themed artwork that has adorned all of the band’s releases that have drawn as many people to the band as the music as the music itself.

Painstakingly put together over the course several years, Langevin and distinguished Canadian journalist Martin Popoff have finally completed work on the long awaited "Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michel Langevin".

With the book being released in a hard cover format (Which comes with a lavish glossy dust jacket), measuring nine inches by twelve inches and featuring one hundred and eighty-eight full colour pages, it’s clear that "Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michel Langevin" has been a true labour of love to ensure that Langevin’s artwork be given the respect that it truly deserves.

Written in the same narrative style that Popoff previously used on his Iron Maiden artwork release "Run For Cover - The Art of Derek Riggs" (2006), "Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michel Langevin" is part Voivod biography, and part exploration into Langevin vast body of work throughout the years. While the history surrounding Voivod has been well documented in recent times (Due to the passing away of guitarist Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour in 2005), Popoff’s correlation between the band’s various points in history in relation to Langevin creative output at the time does show the parallel progression of both Voivod themselves and Langevin’s art as time passed.

Langevin’s artistic influences (Which are evident with the inclusion of some of his earlier work from the late ‘70’s) are touched upon within the first part of the book. What follows is a series of individual chapters solely dedicated to each of the band’s studio releases, starting with 1984’s "War And Pain", including 1998’s compilation effort "Kronik" and 2000’s live effort "Voivod Lives", through to 2006’s "Katorz", where Langevin sheds light on the album’s various concepts and themes explored both in the artistic and musical sense.

Filled with full colour pieces of art, a wealth of previously unpublished smaller pieces (Both colour and black and white productions), with contributions from all members of Voivod (Both past and present), Human Furnace (Ringworm), Danko Jones, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Probot) and Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records) helping broaden Popoff’s take on Voivod’s long history within the music scene.

Langevin has long been regarded as a legend within the music scene for his drumming behind Voivod, with his artistic talents taking a backseat in terms of true recognition. "Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michel Langevin" rights that wrong, and finally allows Langevin’s art to speak for itself.

Regardless of whether you’ve admired Langevin’s work in the past or are a hardcore Viovodian, this book is an absolute must have for fans.

For more information on "Worlds Away: Voivod And The Art Of Michael Langevin", check out - https://www.facebook.com/martin.popoff.9.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bellusira - Enigmatic

Bellusira
Enigmatic
Third Eye Records

For more information on Bellusira, check out - https://www.facebook.com/CrystalIgnite.

Guild Of Destruction – We Are Vermin

Guild Of Destruction
We Are Vermin
Grindhead Records

For more information on Guild Of Destruction, check out - https://myspace.com/guildofdestruction.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

In Trenches – Relive And Regret

In Trenches
Relive And Regret
Stomp Entertainment

For more information on In Trenches, check out - https://www.facebook.com/InTrenches.

The Haunted - Warning Shots

The Haunted
Warning Shots
Earache Records/Riot! Distribution

For more information on The Haunted, check out - https://www.facebook.com/officialthehaunted.

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage

Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia

For more information on Killswitch Engage, check out - https://www.facebook.com/killswitchengage.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Voivod - Inifiniti

Voivod
Infini
Nuclear Blast Records/Riot! Entertainment

A great end to a great career.

Two years after the release of the well received "Katorz", long running Québec (Canada) based progressive/thrash/avant-garde act Voivod have returned with their twelfth full-length effort "Infini", which is reportedly the final album from the band after a lengthy twenty five years together.

Utilising the same method that brought "Katorz" to life, the band (who comprise of vocalist Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger, ex-Metallica bassist Jason ‘Jasonic’ Newsted and drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin) once again wrote and recorded "Infini" around the material guitarist Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour recorded prior to succumbing to colon cancer in 2005.

Bringing D’Amour’s vision to life on "Katorz" certainly wasn’t an easy task the first time around for Voivod, and I had my concerns as to whether or not the material left over for "Infini" would be as equally as strong to reproduce a second posthumous effort of D’Amour. But apart from a couple of tracks that don’t quite hit the mark, it’s clear that Voivod have managed to do justice to D’Amour’s legacy on "Infini".

Voivod open up proceedings in a strong manner with the thrashy/rock "God Phones", which is given a particularly menacing edge with Bélanger opting for a slight punk snarl in his vocals, while the driving "From The Cave" boasts some great angular guitar work from D’Amour and fast paced drumming from Langevin.

Both "Destroy After Reading" and "Earthache" are just a couple of the album’s less stellar moments with their plodding pace (The repetitive chorus of "Blah Blah Blah is that all you say?" on the latter sounds a little uninspiring), but things do improve with the jarring full guitar throttle of "Global Warning" and the progressively tinged/semi-atmospheric "A Room With A V.U.".

Despite their less than serious lyrical content, both "Treasure Chase" and the retro sounding "Krap Radio" are punk-like rocking efforts that stand out with hugely infectious choruses and catchy riffs, while the slower paced and haunting "In Orbit" and the warped blues/psychedelic sounding "Pyramidome" brings to mind the direction the band took on their classic "Nothingface" album from 1989.

The up-tempo "Deathproof" injects a bit more of a rock vibe around the tail end of the album, while the creeping darker vibe within "Morpheus" and the complete thrash out of "Volcano" cap the album off perfectly.

Despite the fact that both "Katorz" and "Infini" were constructed in the same manner, there’s a real sense of strength heard within the material on the band’s latest effort that was missing in part on "Katorz".

If "Infini" is indeed the final release from Voivod (Langevin has suggested recently that he would like the band to create some new music with the remainder of the band), then the band have certainly finished their lengthy career with an impressive and fitting epitaph.