KILLING TECHNOLOGY

ok i rate this by 4 stars more by sentiment, it deserves 3 in fact, well maybe 3.5 but look at substance. the band still sounds extremely heavy but this time we can hear more complex chords and more complex lyrics. the best songs on the album are in my opinion, Tornado, Forgotten In Space (with brilliant guitar solo), Ravenous Medicine, Order Of Blackguards and This Is Not An Exercise. the rest is good or average. two songs (too Scared to Scream and Cockroaches) didn't appear on first vinyl release and it was good idea to cut them off cos they are poor. this album is for those who like more complex thrash metal. enjoy.

Beware! Th 5-star rating is based on the band as a progressive thrash band, and is not necessarily mandatory for every progrock fan. But to give it any less credit would be an insult, as 'Killing Technology' was one of the first two metal albums from the heavier end of the genre to stretch the boundaries and defy all limitations (the other being Celtic Frost's avant-garde 'Into The Pandemonium', also 1987). Plus it holds up well after all these years, still remaining as vital and vicious as the day it came out.

Opening with the sound of some kind of space vessel warming up, then a computerized voice confirming "We are connected.", Voivod launches into a fury of bizarre guitar-chords, jumbled rhythms and urgent vocals. The dirty, out-of-control approach of previous albums is still here, but it has been meticulously reconstituted and molded into a thing of damaging authority. Everything is ultra-tight, even when at the rhythmic breaking point ("Too Scared To Scream" being the most abstract arrangement, a song I still don't quite understand). Riffs-and-rhythms merge into one massive whole, especially within "Ravenous Medicine", "Tornado" and the staccato attacks in the climactic point of "Order Of The Blackguards". Arrangements are not only ambitious but innovative, especially considering the thrash world Voivod came from and were quickly evolving away from. At a little over 6 minutes, "Forgotten In Space" constitutes the most satisfying journey on the album, weaving through myriad threads in hyperspace, indeed lost and frightened, every new riff bettering the last one, a really tight sense of structure within the adventure and chaos. And once again, while the other 3 members operate at a high level of intellect and intuition, it is guitarist Piggy who propels the Voivod machine toward new and interesting sounds, devising a multitude of strange guitar chords that would become the perplexing focal point of the band's unique aura. His technique didn't always rely on the tired bar-chord methods of metal, preferring distinctly diminished angular figures, achieving those ideas with lots of open chords and the use of (gasp!) all 6 guitar strings in each chord's construction.

At the time it would seem Voivod could go no further.where could they possibly go? But this was just the beginning of their ultra-progressive take on metal. If this was a futuristic thrash album, their next one was without any time/space/genre boundaries whatsoever.

Timeless, daring, strange, totally unique and one of the top five albums released during the eighties in any genre. It´s also quite brutal and in your face so if you´re into prog-lite material such as Pendragon or Dream Theater this might be a bit much to handle. Highly recommended for everyone else, regardless of the inferior tracks Too Scared To Scream and Cockroaches which were not released on the original album. And yes - it´s up there with all the seventies greats including Genesis, Yes and King Crimson.

This is were is really started. After, 2 average thrash metal albums, Voivod started to experiment, developing a particular sound made by Piggy's guitar playing. A mix of of raw thrash metal and experimental sci-fi metal that will make them famous later on. Not their best album, but a classic in Metal.

Killing Technology marked the beginning of Voivod's classic era, which ended with Angel Rat, though the group has had other successes. This album, along with Dimension Hatross and the band's magnum opus Nothingface, is a concept piece about the sci-fi journeys of a creature called the Voivod. The concept is a little thin but individual song lyrics are quite strong.

Michel "Away" Langevin's drumming is powerful and subtley complex, though not dizzingly so. He also designed the album artwork like he would for later releases.

Denis "Snake" Belanger's vocals are much improved over the first two albums as he now mixes clean vocals with his mad barks.

Jean-Yves "Blacky"Theriault's bass is very reminiscient of Chris Squire's, and he provides a more than solid rythmn, and his countermelodies are, to me, the second most progressive contribution to the band.

And now the the most progressive contribution to the band. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour is an unsung hero in the world of rock. His fretwork is incredible, though he does not shred wildly. His chord progressions are beyond compare, because unlike the vast majority of his contemporaries in the thrash field, Piggy uses every string and every fret in his weaving lines.

The album opens with pod bay door beeps and a robot voice before the band enters. This sets the stage for the weirdest album in thrash up to that point (the weirdness would later be matched by future Voivod releases). The original album tracks are all great, though the two new additions, Too Scared to Scream and Cockroaches, fail to match the strength of the album though they're not bad. On tracks like Order of the Blackguards, Blacky's and Piggy's separate melodies come together briefly, only to break away as quickly.

Highlights are: Killing Technology, Tornado, Order of the Blackguards, yet every track is at least good. They're are enough falws to keep it from being a classic, but fans of thrash, prog metal, or even art rock would do well to give this a try

Back in '88, with their 4th LP "Dimension Hatross", Voivod usurped Celtic Frost's throne as THE pioneers in avant-garde heavy metal. But "Killing Technology" came close to doing it a year earlier against Frost's "Into the Pandemonium".

This album has all of the aggression of their earlier works, and the technical proficiency of later releases. Take Fripp/Hackett guitar intricacies laid over Entwistle/Glover style basswork and jazz percussion with a thunderous double bass-drum foundation; this is what you get. I can't think of another album this complex with this much raw energy.

If you're interested in which albums have had the most impact on metal; this is a must.

Paranoid progressive thrash.

VOIVOD are a very unique band who have a very distinctive sound like no other and on Killing Technology we see the refinement and extrapolation of this sound with outstanding results. The music of VOIVOD would be best described as angular although that term has been misused and abused in recent years it perfectly describes the sound of the band with the amazing syncopated drums of Michel Langevin, the beefy bass work of Jean-Yves Theriault, the schizophrenic screams of Denis 'Snake' Belanger and the trademark atonal chord riffing of Denis 'Piggy' d'Amour all weave their wires together to create a malevolent android of sound.

"We are connected..." so the album begins with the stellar title track 'Killing Technology' with a furious technical pace and some great riffs. 'Forgotten in space' is another highlight with a more mysterious feel and a neck-breaking tempo change featuring the best solo on the album and on that note Piggy's solos are great they mix many different influences, from his own dissonant style to neo-classical tapping to heavy blues licks while always retaining his warped sense of melody. The grim 'Order of the Blackguards' is another great song, probably one of the darkest on the album.

Killing Technology is a fantastic album, being a thrash fan I can't give it any less than 5 stars, it's one of the most crazy and original thrash albums ever made and keep in mind it was released relative early on the thrash timeline, not everyone will appreciate this, it's very hard to digest and come to terms with and understand and I know I barely do but it's very rewarding once things start making sense, recommended to fans of technical and progressive thrash, fans of bands like CORONER, WATCHTOWER and MEKONG DELTA will enjoy this one immensely.

"Killing Technology" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Canadian, Quebec based progressive thrash metal act Voivod. The album was released through Noise Records in April 1987. It´s the successor to "Rrröööaaarrr" from 1986. The original vinyl version of the album only features 7 tracks, while the cassette and the CD versions feature the two tracks from the 1987 "Too Scared to Scream"/"Cockroaches" single as bonus material.

"Killing Technology" marks a change in Voivod´s sound from the raw punked thrash/speed metal of the two predecessors to a techncial/progressive thrash metal sound. There is still the odd nod towards raw and unhinged sounding hardcore punk, but Voivod have generally opted for a more sophisticated playing and writing style on this album. Most tracks are long and structurally adventurous, and it´s interesting how much Denis "Piggy" D'Amour´s guitar riffs and writing ideas have evolved over such a short period of time, and how much the increased dissonance and unconventional chord progressions change Voivod´s sound.

Lead vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger still sounds right out of a hardcore punk group, singing raw shouting vocal lines, but even he has added an extra layer to his delivery, singing more varied and even at times hitting a semi-melodic note. His voice and vocal style will probably always be an aquired taste, but his rather distinct sounding style arguably brings an original touch to that part of Voivod music.

"Killing Technology" features sci-fi themes lyrics and imagery, and the alien nature of the music itself fits perfectly with the sci-fi themed lyrics. The often space like coldness of the music and the robotic sound effects on Bélanger´s voice on the title track even further enhances the feeling of being aboard an alien space ship travelling the universe. "Killing Technology" features well written and relatively varied tracks. To my ears the original vinyl tracks are the main attractions, while the two CD/cassette tape bonus tracks sound slightly out of place and actually disrupt the flow of the album. Tracks like the title track, "Forgotten in Space", and "This Is Not an Exercise" are killer material, featuring a great balance between the raw and thrashy and the sophisticated and proggy, but more immedate tracks like "Tornado" and "Ravenous Medicine" are no less intriguing.

"Killing Technology" features a raw yet detailed and powerful sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly. So upon conclusion it´s through and through a high quality release by Voivod. To this day I´m still not sure how Voivod were able to create such a unique sound and even pull off selling a decent number of copies of this album. Even more admirable they were able to build a career writing and playing music that is as far from being mainstream as you can possibly get. A huge achievement in my book...A 4.5 star (90%) rating is fully deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

This is the archetypical VoiVod album for me. After the pure, formless aggression of its predecessor Rrröööaaarrr the band introduced song structures anew (after War and Pain), but only very slightly. The raw energy seems to tear at and bulge the confinements of the structures. But they hold and make the album a lot more accessible than the aforementioned Rrröööaaarr. I just love the title track, Tornado, Forgotten in Space and This is not an Exercise. Tornado and This is not an Exercise would also have been fitting album titles. The other songs are decent - no failure among them. This album seems to be the birthplace of Thrash Prog. For fans of the harder stuff this release is mandatory. 5 stars.

I remember in one interview Piggy said it's the first serious Voivod album. I don't know if I can consider two previous releases as not-serious albums but definitelly this one is the first progressive release from the band. The first track from this redord I've heard was Tornado. I recored that on tape somewhere in the middle-ages and the music was a bit too strange for me then. It wasn't typical thrash metal effort. Riffs seemed very psychedelic and vocals too punky. But what the hell. I listened to that over and over again to catch that vibe and I became a slave to that music. I bought first Noise pressing of this CD and played very loud at home. Song Killing Technology didn't kill me. Overreaction as well (but later I became huge fan of that song). Tornado was the first killer track on this album to me back then. Too Scared To Scream is one of the wierdest tune ever recorded. I didn't get that song when i first listened to that album and later I found out it wasn't put on original vinyl pressing. Forgotten In Space I enjoyed from the first time especially that avant-grade guitar solo which proves Denis D'amour (Piggy) was one of the most tallented guitarists ever. Ravenous Medicine promoted the album. Have you seen that funny, bizarre video to that song? No? So go and find it cos it's sooo funny. The song itself is pretty cool with catchy (as for that kind of music) riff. Same goes to Order Of The Blackguard. It's fast and damn good. Drumming reminds me a bit Motorhead and it's not very experimental piece (although still quite complex). This Is Not An Exercise proves Voivod were kings of experimental prog metal at the time. There are couple of different techniques (yes!) presented in track when tempo changes. True guitar masterpiece. The last song on CD is Cockroaches (same as Too Scared to Scream it was added for CD version of this release) and it's not something brilliant. It's short almost punk song but with more complex riffs. The final note for this album ain't easy thing to do. But thinking on that I'll say something about lyrics. Overreaction is a song about China Syndrome and was inspired by Chernobyl explosion in April Of 1986. It describes nuclear destructive powers and other pleasant things;). Tornado is song about deadly storms and hurricanes. Not very optimistic. Forgotten In Space is about human beings forced to leave earth after nucelar explosions (all systems go, blow the reactors but where do we go we don't know). And there of course group of cynical leaders try to take control over others (it's criticism pointed at politicians). They sentence guy to prison with no gravity and throw him out to space. He becomes Forgotten In Space character. Creepy. Ravenous Medicine is about cruel medical experiments and the video shows Voivod were pro animal-rights guys. Order Of The Blackguard describes cycnical politicians obsessed with religion and burning books in the streets. Fun. And seems I have a note for this album. It deserves a strong 4. Of course YOU MUST hear it.

Killing Technology is the first Voivod album where they reveal their progressive tendencies. Voivod turned out to be a very influential band, but back in 1987 this sounded downright weird and unlike anything that preceded it. It's a strange hybrid of thrash metal, punk, complex time signatures, wild song structures, chromatic guitar playing and sci-fi themes. An explosive cocktail, to say the least.

The album sounds raw, aggressive and dirty. For many people it may disguise the obvious progressive nature of this album, especially the punk attitude and aggression of the vocalist Denis Belanger ('Snake') may be off-putting at first. On later albums he added more melody and tone but here he's truly a harsh and relentless tornado.

The bass guitar is mostly distorted and vigorous, it's an important element to the grim sound. A good example is the opening of Overreaction.

The drums are fast, thrashy and slightly tribal, they have more dynamics and complexity then other thrash bands of that era but they're probably not on the level of Slayer's Dave Lombardo. The sound of the drums is my only gripe with this album, it's a bit too watery, too brittle. I think the snare has been made too reverby ('gated'). It's a typical production choice back then that makes for a big sound but that lacks attack and drowns out all subtlety.

But the signature Voivod sound is of course created by the uncrowned guitar genius Denis D'Amour ('Piggy'), one of the most original players out there in the cosmos. He's been copied a lot but his dissonant chords and bizarre chromatic progressions always remain recognizable. On later albums he would also add big spacey sounding lead guitars, but those are not very prominent yet here.

Killing Technology is not my most-played Voivod album and I started out this review with a neutral 3 stars in mind. But I was surprised at the maturity and daring complexity of the compositions. Combined with the brutal energy and vitality of the performance, 4 stars would have been more then deserved if the production had been slightly better.

This album has been a really big step forward for Voivod. It is more unique, diversified and elaborated in regard to the technical and especially lyrical quality than the first two albums. Voivod present a really cutting-edge and straight thrash metal album which has the heaviness of the earlier works and already the inspiration of the future albums.

"Killing Technology" is a very dark, cold, technical and spacey post-industrial killer opener which has no lengths in its seven entirely brilliant minutes and one of the most underrated songs of the group. "Overreaction" and "Tornado" develop a very heavy and tension filled atmosphere and are two of the bands absolute hymns which are still regularly played live today even if the two songs maybe sound a little bit too similar. You can discover progressive tendencies for the first time on the courageous and very interesting "Forgotten In Space". The dark "Ravenous Medicine" has an interesting lyrical intention by touching the topic of animal slaughter and pharmaceutical experiences with those poor creatures which are shown in the somehow cheesy cult video clip. "Order Of The Blackguards" perfectly combines thrash metal with the science-fiction space topic and surprises with a very eerie and spacey style of singer Snake. "This Is Not An Exercise" has many interesting breaks plus a very tight drum play and grows more and more on me, it is somehow the inside tip of the album.

The two additional songs on the more recent editions of the album are from the "Cockroaches EP" and fit perfectly to the style of the rest of the album but are not as strong as the album highlights "Killing Technology", "Tornado" or "Forgotten In Space" and are just two nice gimmicks and fillers for the new editions.

All in all, this album is one of the best thrash metal albums of the decade and combines the heaviness and straightness of the bands earlier works and the creativity of their later progressive style on a couple of songs. The only weak point of this album is the fact that some songs sound too similar and that the bands repeats itself a little bit too much on this album and experiences less.

Originally published on www.metal-archives.com on October 6th of the year 2010.

'Killing Technology' - Voivod (7/10)

When it comes to the fast-paced and volatile world of thrash metal, few bands have been as inventive and groundbreaking as Canada's Voivod. Also one of my favourite metal bands, it is rather remarkable to hear them go from the relatively primitive speed metal of their early records to the more dissonant and experimental thrash of what I consider to be their best albums. Their biggest transition album would be their third record, 'Killing Technology'. Although it is much less refined than the following masterpieces 'Dimension Hatross' and 'Nothingface', it sets the stage for them by presenting Voivod's exciting refurbished style, and progressive tendencies. Although the first two albums were charming enough, 'Killing Technology' is where the Voivod I love really came alive.

Hot on the heels of the band's second record 'Rrröööaaarrr', 'Killing Technology' is most notable for being the first record where Voivod decides to adopt a progressive metal sound into the thrash formula; something that was even more rare back then, than it is today. Although the fairly raw bite of the early Voivod is largely left intact, 'Killing Technology' features more complex and intricate compositions, as well as a more adventurous style of musicianship than before. Most notable and progressive in the way that Voivod plays is the excellent and startling guitar work of Denis 'Piggy' L'Amour, who remains one of my favourite rhythm guitar players ever. Heard here, he has a very unique style of riffage that relies mostly on strange chords and frantic switches that sound as if they could be rooted in space rock. As with every notable Voivod album, Piggy's guitar work remains the centerpiece of the music.

Looking back on Voivod's career, it does feel as if the follow-up 'Dimension Hatross' overpowers 'Killing Technology' in virtually all respects, taking the paranoid prog thrash sound to the level of mastery, The work here is fantastic all the same however; staying fast and energetic throughout most of the record, but throwing in surprises that keep the music interesting. Although it is usually up to Piggy (especially on this album) to make the band's sound unique, the other musicians flesh out Voivod's sound very well. Michel Langevin's drumwork here stands out, often going beyond merely keeping time and giving some killer fills to the songs. Denis Belanger's vocal work here is much less melodic than it would be in the band's future, instead revolving around a much more thrash-oriented style of screams and howls, which can get monotonous at times when compared to the much more dynamic melodic style of Belanger, but stays on par with the energy of the band. Unfortunately, Jean- Yves Thierault's bass playing isn't nearly as audible as it would be on the next two records, but it still manages to keep the rhythm section going while Piggy solos.

While not nearly as impressive as some of the material Voivod would release in the few years after this, 'Killing Technology' is an essential album in the band's development, really taking both them and the thrash metal sound to new heights that had not been yet heard before. Things still sound a bit raw and light on memorable songwriting to call 'Killing Technology' one of the best Voivod albums, but it remains a great album for the band and genre.

In the eighties thrash metal scene, of which I was/am a fan, one of the best and most original bands was Voivod, a Canadian four piece that formed in the early eighties. Killing Technology, their third album was the start of something special and remains one of their finest albums where they became more than simply just another thrash metal band.

If there was such a genre as space thrash then Voivod would be it. On Killing Technology, with its sci-fi themes the band became more progressive without sacrificing power and aggression. The music is bold, inventive, fast and very noisy. Yes, to my ears Voivod came across as one of the heaviest of the thrash metal bands, not simply relying on speed, which could stretch the heaviness of many bands a bit thin. Oh yes, they were fast but what was far more important was the riffs. In Denis "Piggy" D'Amour (sadly now deceased) they had one of the most inventive guitarists in the genre churning out brutal yet imaginative riffs one after another. They go from dark and brooding to razor sharp and fast, almost discordant at times yet nearly always compelling. The band sounds like they might fall apart at times - there's a certain looseness, it's chaotic yet it all works beautifully. Side one of my original vinyl copy has the edge where the opening title track is a peak, yet only just, the album working brilliantly as a whole.

Killing Technology is one of their best, along with follow up Dimension Hatross. By Nothingface in 1989, which is still a decent album, they were starting to smooth over the rough edges, less chaotic, which was always part of their appeal. Killing Technology remains not only one of the bands finest, but also one of the best of the eighties thrash metal scene.

Through most of their catalogue, the evolution of the band seems like a gradual trajectory from thrash roots to spacey prog concerning the initial "Snake" years up from War & Pain until The Outer Limits, but their was one jagged shift that must be noted...and that is this album. Whereas Voivod's second effort was a dirtier, faster, uglier, and frankly, crappier album than the debut, Killing Technology was a complete shocker in just how different it sounded. It was as if Roooarrr! never happened, and the throaty yelps were back instead of Snake's attempt at thuggish grimy hollering, and the production values were a HUGE step up in quality. There was a lot of new things going on as well.

Piggy's guitar riffs really piled on the dissonance, which actually gave these songs an extra richness and all-encompassing vibe. The rhythms are generally fast and aided by lots of D- beat drum beats and general bashing, but there's a whole new level of complexity displayed in songs like the brilliant "Forgotten In Space" with some definitive proginess disrupting the thrash flow of the album.

It's still essentially a thrash album, but one of the most complex and intricate ones of it's time, and certainly unique not just for utilizing proggish aspects, but retaining a punkish vibe throughout the proceedings as well with Snake's snarly vocals and that aforementioned D- beat drumwork. Throw in full on dystopian sci-fi lyrics and some kickin' bluesy solos and you have an album with a whole slew of different influences forming one unique vision.

I used to own this on vinyl, which omitted the leftover tracks "Too Scared To Scream" and "Cockroaches", which honestly are the two tracks I could easily live without. The other songs, though, are killer, with "Overreaction"'s ferocity and "Forgotten In Space"s adventurousness within the thrash metal confines being essential tracks.

Voivod had not got quite as deep into the technical, progressive realms which they would conquer as their own on the subsequent Dimension Hatross or Nothingface when they recorded Killing Technology; there is still a technical edge to their thrash assault here, but the centre of gravity is still well towards the thrash end of the spectrum. But on the plus side, it's pretty good thrash, certainly pushing the technical edge of the subgenre further than anyone else was attempting at the time. If you have heard Voivod's classic albums and want to hear what a rawer, dirtier Voivod might sound like, this is probably the best place to hear it.

The elixir that Voivod concocted in the late eighties might be rejected by some for being distasteful, too caustic, too alkali to swallow. For others, however, Voivod's three releases between 1987 and '89 are an intoxicating brew. Hailing from Quebec, a bastion of progressive music in the seventies, and being fans of hardcore punk and heavy metal, Voivod created their own unique sound in heavy metal. While bands were becoming darker, heavier, faster, more technical or more polished and slick, Voivod smartly sat upon their own vision of sound and dropped "Killing Technology" in 1987, a very surprising follow up to their speed/trash sophomore album, "RRROOOAAARRR".

From the first song, the title track, the band flies right in the face of metal expectations with a high-toned, garage band guitar sound and speedy riffing that resembles a chicken clucking. Though there are heavy chords and passages to be found on the album, guitarist Piggy (Denis D'Amour RIP) often chooses to go for a higher-tone guitar sound rather than blast us away with doom and thunder. Given that much of the song themes are about science fiction, this metallic sound sits very well. In fact much of the music is easier to imagine being played inside a cramped and unkempt, scavener/pirate type space vessel than seeing the band perform back here on the good green earth.

Denis "Snake" Bélanger delivers the vocals of a hardcore punk singer in a speed metal environment but there's a human side that is screaming through the mechanical environment of the ship's interior pictured on the cover. He packs such energy in his delivery and simultaneously infuses that human punk theatric in his barks and bellows. I really find his vocal work entertaining.

The song lyrics often sound like a B-grade sci-fi movie. I guess it can't be helped as the band members are all francophones and doing their best to write songs in English. But then again, maybe that B-grade sci-fi impression is what they were going for. It does give the album a charm and appeal.

One of the incredible things about this album though is the prog element. When I heard this in 1987, I had no idea about progressive rock. I knew only metal. But these songs were doing so many things differently and some of the weird chord changes, time signatures, tempo changes and what not captured my attention even if I didn't understand it. It sure doesn't sound like what you'd normally expect when you think of prog metal from the eighties or from any time for that matter. Voivod are unique to be sure.

I love the bass! Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault always gets his bass feature on at least two songs during this period of Voivod's career and you can hear it abruptly jump in on "Tornado" and "This Is Not An Exercise" and open "Overreaction". The drumming is overproduced and the production unpolished, but again it works to the benefit of the atmosphere.

Favourite songs of mine are "Order of the Blackguards", "This Is Not An Exercise", the title track, "Ravenous Medicine", and "Forgotten In Space", each of which have something in them I love to hear even 30 years later. The vocals, the themes, the outlandish guitar chords and riffs, the bass, the drumming, they all make this a memorable album for me. I'd personally rank this a full five stars but it's true that not all the songs are out-and-out winners and so I'll temper my excitement and give it four.

In the 1970s Québec produced a number of very high quality prog bands, mostly of a symphonic orientation. Now begins Québec's major contributions to the metal and Post Rock scenes--this one starting the "thrash metal" movement.

- Killing Side : 1. "Killing Technology (7:33) clear and concise punk sound (like the CLASH--especially the lead vocals--sung in English!). So that's what "thrash" comes from! (13.5/15)

2. "Overreaction (4:45) more punk sound coming from the drums and flailing guitars. The difference between this music and 1970s punk rock is the more serious skills and embellishments of the instrumentalists. (8.875/10)

3. "Tornado (6:02) take Blue Öyster Cult and Thin Lizzy and give them some King Crimson lessons and this might be what you get. 8/8 time with riffing guitar and screaming PHIL LYNOTT-like voice singing over the top in a CLASH/BEASTIE BOYS kind of way. And there's even some time signature switches in the second half! Nice (8.875/10)

4. "Too Scared to Scream" (4:14) sounds like a punk version of a THIN LIZZY song! When multiple voices are used it gives it a BEASTIE BOYS feel (plus the lyrics have that BB feel and sound to them). And since Denis Bélanger is not screaming (as he has on the previous songs), one can surmise that he is very scared. (8.75/10)

- Ravenous Side : 5. "Forgotten in Space" (6:10) a bit of Metallica's chugging pace and guitar riffing over which Denis Bélanger is screaming. After 90 seconds there is a shift in time signature for what could be considered a 15-second chorus. Again, I am so reminded of THE CLASH's singing style and tone in this second verse. The "chorus" time shift recurs and is extended a bit before the musicians seem to wander off into a new motif. Interesting and different song from the previous ones. Buck Dharma Roeser-like guitar solo in the fifth minute before another disciplined Crimsonian exercise over which Denis shifts his own singing style--several times--to fit into the mix. The band seems so relaxed--so confident--as if they've been playing this very complicated song forever! Pretty impressive! (9.25/10)

6. "Ravenous Medicine" (4:23) a longer than usual intro before the band puts it into drive and heads out into morning traffic. It's rather Blue Öyster Cultian. Denis sounds like he's singing while standing up in the car's sunroof! The guitars, bass, and drums are much more shifty and fluid throughout this one--moving in and out of different motifs and different time signatures with amazing ease. Denis' vocal is once again reminiscent of classic Joe Strummer at his angry-most impassioned. (9/10)

7. "Order of the Blackguards" (4:28) some complex guitar and bass play over straight time drumming. Denis singing starts out more relaxed but then he amps up as he gets behind the words' meaning. The guitar-bass riffing turns cyclical in the second half of the second minute and continues through a 45-second instrumental section--in which the drums finally leave the straight-time punk pocket. When Denis returns it is to scream some single word over a few times, but then we return to the original motif for a THIN LIZZY finish as Denis repeats "The Blackguards control" over and over. (8.875/10)

8. "This Is Not an Exercise" (6:18) one churning theme for the first minute while Denis warms up with an heraldic chant, but then we switch into a different more AC/DC-like motif in which Denis screams his lyrics in his BEASTIE BOYS style. The band slows down for a very weird contemplative YES-like patch at 4:30, but then ramps back up at 5:00--this time a little more slowly paced (sounding more like METALLICA) while Denis CLASH-scream-talks his message. Some very interesting and totally unexpected events in that song! (8.875/10)

9. "Cockroaches" (3:40) frenzy and frenetic music and vocal (Denis' vocal performance here actually reminds me quite a bit of LES NEGRESSES VERTES lead singer, Noël "Helno" Rota). The music again takes some very interesting turns and directions--and displays more decent AC/DC-style guitar soloing. (8.875/10)

Total Time: 47:34

For some reason, somehow, I find this music much more accessible than the full-on Tech, Doom, and Death Metal that are yet to come. I don't know if it's the clarity and distinctiveness preserved for each instrument's sound (as opposed to the "walls of crushing sound" emanating from future prog metal artists) or the punk-simplicity of some of the song foundations (especially from the drums) but I like this! And I definitely noticed a progression from the more simplistic punk sounds and constructs of the first three songs to a gradually increasing sophistication (and ease) with complex, shifting song structures.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music--taking a Crimsonian approach to the still-evolving realm of punk rock. Definitely an excellent addition to any prog metal lover's music collection.